Big selection already on Rás Tailteann 2023 after cracking stage 1 | Video | Sticky Bottle

*Conor McGoldrick of the UK Richardsons Trek Team wins today's stage 1 into Birr, Co Offaly, on Rás Tailteann 2023 (All photos by Lorraine O'Sullivan)*

Any hopes within the Rás Tailteann peloton that they might get a soft opening stage to break themselves into the 2023 edition did not come pass today, when a large breakaway gained over three minutes after all-out racing. By the time the field had completed the 154.8km stage from Navan, Co Meath, to Birr, Co Offaly, a 24-man lead group had split to pieces up front.

And though three British riders stole a march on the rest of the breakaway - going clear of them to fight it out for victory and take some vital seconds - there are plenty of very strong Irish riders still within touching distance of the yellow jersey. The next large group to finish after the leaders today was over three minutes down.

At the front of the race, Conor McGoldrick (UK Richardsons Trek DAS) animated the finale; getting clear of the breakaway before the final climb of Wolftrap and going on to win the stage. He was initially with Damien Clayton (UK Embark Spirit BSS), who was first to attack from the breakaway with almost 30km remaining on the stage.

However, McGoldrick soon dispatched Clayton and pressed on alone, though he was eventually caught by Dan Gardener (Embark Spirit BSS) and Joseph Laverick, who is guesting for Irish club Foyle CC this week

Stage 1 winner @rastailteann @gerardcam
Navan to Birr #Rás2023 #RásTailteann #Rás pic.twitter.com/BcqD04GDuM

— Stephen Carroll (@StephenpCarroll) May 17, 2023

The leading trio at one point had almost one minute on the next riders on the road, though the gap came down to within 10 seconds on the line. US-based Irish rider Cormac Mcgeough (Good Guys Racing NYC) finished solo for 4th place, at four seconds, after attacking the chasing group on the run in.

But just six seconds after Mcgeough crossed the line - and so 10 seconds behind the three leaders - Aaron Wade (Team Ireland) was best in the sprint from the remains of the breakaway to take 5th. Also in that group with Wade were Irish riders Dillon Corkery (Team Ireland), Rás 2022 winner Daire Feeley (All human-VeloRevolution), John Buller (PB Performance), Conn McDunphy (Cycling Leinster) and George Peden (PB Performance).

How it unfolded

As usual for Rás Tailteann, especially the opening stage, there was a blistering pace from the time the flag dropped just outside Navan at 11.30am. However, while several splits occurred early, it was altogether as the field hurtled into Longwood for the first hotspot sprint of the day, after 22.4km of racing.

Just before that gallop, several riders fell victim to a crash, though it didn't stop Rás Mumhan 2023 stage winner Dom Jackson (UK Foran CC) winning the sprint from Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrisey) and Lindsay Watson (Cycling Ulster).

There were several more crashes, resulting in some splits in the field, before the riders reached the second sprint of the day; Milltownpass with 46km covered. That sprint was won by Kieran Riley (UK Team PB Performance) from Rás Mumhan 2023 stage and overall winner Finn Crockett (Derry Foyle CC) and Dillon Corkery of Team Ireland.

*Ireland's Dillon Corkery chases the leaders over the Wolftrap climb (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)*

Less than 10km later, and after some groups came back to the bunch following the earlier crash, the field was onto the slopes of the first categorised climb of this year's race; the cat 3 at Rochfortbridge some 55km into the stage. Maximum points there went to Tobias Dahlhaus (UK Foran CC) from Patrick O'Loughlin (Team Ireland) and James Armstrong (UK Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli).

Soon after the climb the first meaningful gap of the race was opened by a two-man move - Cillian Murphy (Galway Bay CC) and Marcus Christie (UK Isle of Man) - though they were soon reeled in after they had raced through Kilbeggan. Shortly after that point, what would prove to be the successful move of the day began to form off the front.

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Initially, it was five men to pull clear: Odhran Doogan (Team Ireland), eventual stage winner Conor McGoldrick (UK Richardsons Trek DAS), two men from UK Embark Spirit BSS and Ben Chilton of UK Halesowen Academy. Sensing the danger, Conn McDunphy (Cycling Leinster) moved out of the bunch and went after the five leaders, bridging across to them solo.

As the peloton approached the second climb of the day - the cat 3 at Killeigh at 87.9km - it began to split. A group of 18 riders got clear of the bunch. They caught the six leaders, making for a large breakaway of 24 men, most of whom were never seen by the bunch again.

Among those in that group were the initial six - Doogan, McDunphy, McGoldrick, Chilton, Dan Gardener of UK Embark Spirit BSS and one of his team mates. Last year's overall winner, Daire Feeley (All human-VeloRevolution) was also in the breakaway, with Aaron Wade and Dillon Corkery, both of Team Ireland, Eddie Brennan (Louth: Jons-SCME-Dimplex) and Luke Smith (Meath Moynalty CC).

Cormac Mcgeough (USA Good Guys Racing NYC) was also in the lead group along with Dom Jackson (UK Foran CC), Ireland's John Buller and George Peden (both PB Performance), Tom Martin (UK Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli), Paul Kennedy (Cycling Leinster), Keane Ryan (Donegal Four Masters CC), Evaldas Stankevicius (Limerick Greenmount Academy), George Wood (UK Cyclin Sheffield) and Damien Clayton (UK Embark Spirit BSS).

As the riders raced on to the climb of Wolftrap - 133km into the stage - the leaders had three minutes on the remains of the peloton. At the start of the cat 1 climb, Clayton had gone clear solo from the breakaway and was soon joined by McGoldrick.

As they pulled clear by about 10 seconds, the breakaway group behind them began to break up. On the climb, that group further split as now McGoldrick pressed on alone up front having dropped Clayton. He took maximum points at the top of the climb from Laverick, Gardener, McDunphy and Mcgeough and Wood.

As they passed through 20km to go, McGoldrick had an advantage of about one minute over a small chasing group that included McDunphy, Laverick, Mcgeough, Gardener and a coupe of others.

Gardener of Embark Spirit BSS and Laverick, a UK rider guesting for Foyle CC, managed to bridge over to lone leader, McGoldrick, making for a three-man leading group. They were being chased by McDunphy, who was almost 40 seconds back as they dipped under the 10km to go marker, with another 10 riders just seconds behind him.

Soon McDunphy was caught by the 10 chasers and while they pursued the three leaders all the way to the line, and managed to reduce the gap, they ran out road to fully close it.

On the line, McGoldrick won the three-up sprint for victory from Gardener and Laverick. Mcgeough managed to get away from the chasing group on the run in and finished in 4th place just four seconds down. Then Team Ireland's Wade led in the chasing group - 10 seconds down on the winner - for 4th place from Sheffield's Hartley, Feeley, Corkery, Buller and Wood.