By Shane Stokes
He’s been close all week, taking placings of fifth, sixth and eighth on stages, and things finally clicked into place for Tim Shoreman on the final stage of the Rás Tailteann on Sunday.
The UK: Wheelbase-Cabtech-Castelli rider thundered clear in the final sprint of the race, gapping the bunch inside the final kilometre and reaching the line in Bective one second clear.
“I'm really happy,” the British rider told stickybottle. “I left it to the last minute to do it in the end. I didn't think it was going to happen but yeah, I'm super happy that in the end I've managed to win a stage.”
He used tactics as well as speed, working out prior to the finish what was the best way to tackle the final gallop to the line.
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“I jumped them at the end. Because we had a few laps on the circuit I realised that I needed to be first into the last corner. I made that happen and it worked.”
The sprint capped off a fine week for him. The 24 year old was sitting seventh overall and second in the points classification heading into the final stage.
He improved in the latter contest as a result of his stage win. He took the green points jersey, as well as helping his squad to the best national/international team stage prize.
However unlike race winner Dom Jackson, he and his team will have little opportunity to celebrate the success.
“We are on the boat at nine so we won’t really do anything,” he said. “Just get home. I kind of just want to go home and sleep, to be honest.”
