By Shane Stokes
He didn’t get the stage win he has been chasing for many years, but Matteo Cigala had a different breakthrough on this year’s Rás with the best county rider overall as well as a fine eighth on GC.
The Irish-based Italian rider finished seventh on the opening stage in Kilmallock, then made the selection on the difficult climbing stage to Sneem on day two and placed sixth. He then clocked up another strong result in the concluding sprint on Sunday, again placing sixth.
Those results secured him the best county rider award on three stages, increasing the haul of Festina watches he has collected in the past as prizes.
“It is a lot,” he told stickybottle. “It is my sixth Rás. Obviously I never really expected this… If you told me at the beginning of the race I would be top ten overall and first county rider… My goal is always getting a stage.
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“I’ve got so close so many years. And even this year I was there almost every day. But to arrive on the last day, getting this jersey it means a lot for me because after so many years, 31 years old this year, and to be still competitive is a nice reward.
“I wouldn’t say probably it is my best Rás in terms of results and getting close to a stage win, but in terms of consistency…for sure I got to a really good level this year and I am really pleased.”
Those three top ten stage results this year add to his remarkable run in the race. Prior to this year’s event he had clocked up 14 such placings, with his tally now up to 17.
To be precise, he has placed second, third (three times), fourth (twice), sixth (four times), seventh, eighth (twice), ninth (three times) and tenth on stages to date.
That sprinting consistency is reflected in his second overall in the points classification in 2022 and fourth in 2018.
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Finishing eighth overall is a new development for him, and something that he also takes satisfaction in.
“I have never been top ten in the Rás in the GG. So getting again top ten so close to a stage win every day is a really good achievement for me.
“Getting to race against the all of these young guys is a very motivating as well. It pushed me to the next level and I’m going out of this week with a really good condition for the upcoming races.”
Cigala has lived in Ireland for many years but also travels a lot with his work. He runs Cigala Cycling, which offers bike tours in Italy and elsewhere.
That keep him fit and also enables him to target big Gran Fondo and masters cycling events.
“I have the amateur Italian championship road and gravel coming up in June so I’m really looking forward to those and hoping that this week will pay off.”
Cigala did the world championship masters last year after the Rás, using his form to good effect. “I was second on the road in Glasgow and then in Italy I did the gravel and I was also second there,” he said.
“So in terms of an ultimate goal in cycling as an amateur I would like to win that rainbow jersey, because I won the Europeans in the past. I won the Italian championship too, so I kind of miss that jersey. So I would really like to do it.”
There’s another target closer to home that he also hopes to achieve.
“Of course a Rás stage win is something as well that is on my mind. But this beautiful blue jersey [for best county rider] is a really nice reward. It will be going for sure on the wall, along with all the other jerseys that I have.”
