Connor McConvey bid for Rás yellow jersey just falls short in Mitchelstown; de Pauw wins

Moreno de Pauw (Belgian National Team) takes stage 5 into Mitchelstown as the Rás bunch closes rapidly (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)

Ireland’s Connor McConvey (Synergy Baku) has narrowly failed to take the yellow jersey in the An Post Rás this afternoon after he broke clear in the closing kilometres of stage 5, just as it looked like a bunch sprint would settle it.

The Belfast man was equal on time with race leader Marcin Bialoblocki (UK Youth) starting stage 5 from Glengarrif to Mitchelstown today and so even a one second gain would have put him into the overall lead.

Just past the 5km to go marker, as the UK Youth team of the yellow jersey was marking any move that tried to go clear, McConvey broke away with Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water) and Moreno de Pauw (Belgian National Team).

They only ever got 10 seconds on the flying bunch behind and indeed at the 1km marker that gap was down to five seconds. However, the trio dug very deep and de Pauw took the stage win from Guldhammer, with McConvey in third.

Unfortunately for the Irishman, he and his fellow escapees were caught right on the line. The winner was given a one second gap crossing the line, but McConvey and Guldhammer were awarded the same time as the bunch meaning McConvey was denied that single second he needed to move into yellow.

After McConvey in third on the stage, Sam Bennett was best of the Irish back in 9^th place, while Mícheal Fitzgerald of Visitnenagh.ie again took the county rider award.

The race had looked set for a bunch finish after the main breakaway of the day – Shane Archbold (An Post-Chainreaction) and Mike Northey (Node4) - went clear after 45km of racing in the 150km stage and were caught with around 20km to go.

Tim Barry (Aquablue) set off after them early in their escape but was caught after being stranded for a period between the leaders and bunch, with nobody coming up to him as he would have hoped.

During their long period out front, the leaders built a gap of 2:35 some 25km into their escape at the 70km mark on the stage. But a combination of head winds and an attentive bunch meant that was as far as they got.

A change in breeze to a tailwind after Mallow at the 110km point made it easier for the two leaders but with 40kms to race their gap was back to 1:20 and after a further 10km it had dipped below the one minute mark to 55 seconds. With 23km to go, Archbold had dropped Northey.

Just after that, Thomas Lavery (Comeragh CC) and Alex Schrangl (Arvo Gebrder) set off from the bunch after the leaders as the gap was almost closed. They caught them but then Archbold and Northey sat up, leaving Schrangl and Lavery to take 1^st and 2^nd over the final categorised climb of the day at Kildorrery.

However, they were then caught and the bunch was intact with 10kms of racing remaining, all set for a bunch sprint until McConvey Guldhammer and eventual stage winner de Pauw tore up the script and fled up the road in what was to prove the race-winning move by the narrowest of margins.

We’ll have more later.

An Post Rás: Stage 5 – Glengarrif to Mitchelstown, 150km

1, Moreno De Pauw (Belgium National Team) 3 hours 36 mins 25 secs

2, Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) at 1 sec

3, Connor McConvey (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku)

4, Nicholas Vereecken (Belgium An Post Chain Reaction)

5, Benjamin Edmuller (Austria Arbo Gebrder Weiss)

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