Patrick O'Loughlin had a very solid opening stage, sprinting well and getting himself into the U23 leader's classification jersey (Photo: Toby Watson)
By Shane Stokes
Just as he has done in two out of the three previous years, Patrick O’Loughlin clocked up a fine top ten finish on a stage of the Rás Tailteann on Wednesday, showing he will be one of the riders to watch on the stages this week.
The Galway Bay Cycling Club rider was one of the most prominent in the finale, finishing towards the front of the chasing group some 41 seconds behind the four breakaway riders.
He ended up taking eighth but, by virtue of his early time bonus, ended the day seventh overall and best of the Irish competitors.
He also finished up in the white jersey of best young rider, something he took a lot of satisfaction from.
“It was a very fast day. We started in Portlaoise hot from the gun,” he told stickybottle at the finish in Kilmallock. “The hot spot sprint after 18k was always going to make it spicy at the start.
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“I said I’d see how my legs were in the mix. I got up there, sprinted and I ended up third in the sprint, so I knew straight away I definitely had good sprinting legs. That gave me the confidence for a result at the end of the day.”
'There was a bit of argy bargy'
O’Loughlin - son of multiple Irish champion Martin O’Loughlin - has previously proven his worth as a sprinter. He was second on a stage in his Rás debut in 2023, also placing ninth later in the race. He returned the following year to finish seventh and ninth on stages.
Eighth was good on Wednesday, but he could otherwise have been even closer to the win had the day’s move not stayed clear.
Patrick O'Loughlin, second from right, said he was hoping for more chances in the four stages to come (Photo: Toby Watson)
Cycling Club Isle of Man rider Rowen Baker was quickest in the dash to the line, with O’Loughlin prominent in the battle for fifth place behind.
“Of course the break got away and they stayed away, but I knew coming in the road from my previous effort earlier in the stage that I could have been up there in the sprint,” he explained.
Ironically, disappointment in the same finishing location two years ago helped shape his strategy on Wednesday.
“I said, ‘it’s position, position, position.’ I was thinking back to 2024, I got swamped coming through the last 500 meters there because it is a bit windy,” he said, referring to his 13th place in the gallop on stage one of that edition.
“I knew where to be. I was about four men back with 500 to go and I was like, ‘perfect. Let the legs do the work from here.’
“Of course there was a bit of argy bargy but it was fine.”
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Like other riders in the peloton O’Loughlin attested to the speed of the bunch and also to the surprise that those out front managed to hold on.
“They had a minute and a half gap with maybe about 20k to go. And I was thinking, ‘right, we are going fast here. It will come back, it will come back,’” he said.
“The gap came down a small bit but not as much as we expected. I think everyone was surprised how strong they were because we were giving it a good lash behind.”
'A really positive start'
Now 22, O’Loughlin has been very close to a win before with that runner-up slot three years ago. He will hope to match or better that in the days ahead, but was upbeat to get things off to a good start on Thursday.
“I ended in fourth in the sprint, eighth on the stage so a really positive result to start the week,” he said.
“I am delighted to come away with the under 23 jersey, it makes the winter suffering worth it. It has only given me a positive outlook now on the rest of the week.
“It’s the best start I could have asked for, I would say.”
O’Loughlin will look for more opportunities in the days ahead. He is confident in his ability, knowing now after many years of competition plus four Rás participations what he is capable of.
“I suppose I have a good ability to sprint,” he said, when asked to define his strengths. “I know how to position myself. I have the confidence to do it.
“Results like today will definitely only boost my ego a tiny bit more to show myself I can do it. So it is just a matter of positioning and using the head. Of course when the stages are 160K, saving the legs as well.
“There is no point in attacking from the gun when I know that the last 200 metres is the position that matters.”
The race runs until Sunday, with very hilly stages on the menu Thursday and Saturday. He’s clear on where the opportunities are and on which will be the tougher days for him. He’s also clear that he won’t surrender the white jersey easily.
“Stage three is one I have been eyeing up. I have been looking at the road book the past few weeks,” he said. “I expected it more to suit me than stage one, but I won’t complain with my result here today.
"So definitely stage three is one I am eyeing up and then stage 5 in Dunboyne should be a good atmosphere. Hopefully I can pull off something there.”
As for the climbing days, he’s ready to dig in.
“Stage two and four I will suffer through,” he promised. “Now that I have the jersey on my back I will give it my all tomorrow to try to hold it.”
