By Shane Stokes
Matteo Cigala didn’t win Thursday’s stage two of the Rás Tailteann but his third place further added to the remarkable series of results he has clocked up in his five participations to date.
The Irish-based Italian finished close behind Matthew Fox (UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) and Patrick O’Loughlin (Ireland: Team Ireland) in the sprint into Barefield, Ennis, leading close to the line but being overhauled just before what would have been his first-ever victory in the race.
“It is a bit frustrating - with 200 metres to go, I was like, ‘this is my day,’ the Carlow: Dan Morrissey - Primor Pissei rider told stickybottle. “Then with ten metres to go, when those two guys passed me I was like, ‘oh no, not again…’ It is like when you are having a nice dream and then you wake up.”
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Cigala laughed when he made the final point but his frustration isn’t hard to imagine. He has a staggering history in the race, having taken top ten finishes now on no less than twelve occasions. He has placed second, third, third, third, fourth, fourth, sixth, sixth, eighth, ninth, ninth, and tenth on stages to date. His consistency is reflected in his second overall in the points classification last year and fourth in 2018.
It’s hard to imagine any other rider with that consistency who is yet to take a stage win.
Cigala had believed yesterday was finally the day, until that final disappointment. “They passed me close to the line,” he said. “The road was going up a little bit and I had the biggest gear on, and I couldn’t really turn it. It was maybe in the wrong side of the road and… When you look back you can only say, I could have done this and done that, but it’s too late.
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“I still have to be happy with the result, because of course it’s a good result, and I have three more opportunities. I will look at every day as a single day for me, because I’m only here for the stage win, not for GC. I am already out of GC from yesterday, anyway. But my goal is a stage, I will chase it.”
If he needed any additional motivation—which is unlikely—the 29 year old has one more factor he can draw upon. Last year he won the Gran Fondo European Championships in Italy, and he has been wearing the European Championships jersey in the Rás.
“I still have to win with this jersey,” he said. “I have to say I feel a lot of pressure because the time is running out and I only have about three weeks until the next European Championship, which will be in Verona, close to home. Of course I would like to have a win in these beautiful jersey by the end of the Rás.”
Friday’s stage takes the riders on a relatively flat route to Castlebar, with just three category three climbs along the way. Cigala sees Saturday and Sunday too as being suited to his characteristics. But, given that he has gone so close so many times but been pipped by other riders, does he ever consider trying to win out of a smaller group rather than relying on a big sprint to the line?
“I think I have to put all of their eggs in one basket,” he answered. “I’m quite quick and those stages where the race gets hard and maybe the quick guys may get dropped on the climb will suit me most. But I think I have to wait for the sprint because I don’t have a lot of matches to burn in keeping going in the breakaways.”
Still, it does feel like a bit of a gamble at this stage. “It’s quite frustrating at the same time," he acknowledged, "because you have to wait for the sprint and just hope that everything goes well. But I think I do have it in the legs. I have been sprinting very well this year. I’ve been focussing more on the sprint this season.”
If there is one positive to all of Cigala’s near misses, it is that if he does manage to win a Rás stage this week, those earlier disappointments will add hugely to his sense of accomplishment. Food tastes so much better to the hungry, and he has been waiting a long, long time.
“It would be fantastic winning with this jersey,” he smiled. “Fifth Rás as well…it’s not my first one. So I’ve been chasing for a while…it will be a very good relief.”
