After a savage queen stage, Conor Hennebry reigned king in Kerry. He took the stage win and yellow jersey. And with one stage remaining he has just seconds of an advantage (Photo: Brendan Slattery)
Conor Hennebry has won the queen stage of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and also taken the yellow jersey.
After a great day’s racing over 150km into Waterville, Hennebry took a sprint from an eight-man group.
He won from Dermot Trulock (Ireland Development) and Philip Lavery (Strata 3-VeloRevolution).
The stage, which featured the feared cat 1 Coomaneaspaig, was dominated by a 14-man escape group.
And while the peloton at one stage closed right up, the gap went out again. Yellow jersey Wouter Been of West Frisia was stranded in the bunch for the day and so missed out.
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Sean Lacey (Viner-Caremark-Pactimo) and Lavery looked very strong today. And they were instrumental in forcing the pace in the breakaway.
Lavery led the way over the Coomaneaspaig and had just four others for company; McDunphy (Ireland Development), Toby Atkins (Active Edge Race Team), Dorus De Rijk (West Frisia) and Dermot Trulock (Ireland Development).
However, they were joined by six others from behind very late on the stage; stage winner and new leader Hennebry among them.
And though Lacey and Lavery tried to break clear in the final kilometres, it came down to a sprint won by Hennebry.
Trulock was 2nd and Lavery 3rd. Lavery claimed the climbers jersey and McDunphy kept the U23 jersey.
The new race leader has just two seconds over Atkins in 2nd place and four seconds on Sean McKenna; the Development Ireland man in a chase group 1:04 down and keeping his hopes very much alive.
How stage 3 Rás Mumhan unfolded
The first to attack today was the eventual stage winner Hennebry. But with speeds of up to 70km per hour in the lined out field early on the stage, no attempted escape succeeded.
However, with around 15km completed the bunch split into several groups; approximately 35 men in the leading group.
And from that Conn McDunphy (Ireland Development) and David Brody (Castlebar CC) would go clear on the first cat 2 climb of the day at Kilhurley.
McDunphy took the prime from Brody, with Jamie Blanchfield (Panduit Carrick Wheelers) further back third over the top.
The two leaders were soon joined by the in-form Blanchfield, with the first time checks showing a 25 second advantage as they raced towards Valentia.
Behind them some of the best riders in the race clearly sensed danger. Dorus De Rijk (West Frisia), Sean Lacey (Viner-Caremark-Pactimo) and Philip Lavery (Strata3-VeloRevolution) attacked after the three leaders.
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The chase group would then swell to 10 when others joined.
Paidi O Brien (Gerard-DHL) was there along with James Jobber (Geraghty’s-Cora Droma Rúisc), Tim Groot (West Frisia), Dermot Trulock (Ireland Development), Paul Kennedy (Newcastle West), Toby Atkins (Active Edge Race Team) and Conor Hennebry (Viner-Caremark-Pactimo).
As they raced onto the cat 2 Valentia climb the 10-man group was just over 10 seconds behind the three leaders. And the peloton, including the yellow jersey Wouter Been of West Frisia, was one minute back.
Over the top of the Valentia climb, with almost 50km raced, Blanchfield led the way from McDunphy and Brody.
The trio were soon caught by the chase group. And when Joury Ottenbros (West Frisia) bridged across alone, the breakaway was now 14-strong.
The gap quickly went out to two minutes back to the peloton and with 90km to go it had gone out to three minutes.
And while Atkins was the leader on the road, any chance he would have a smooth ride in to the finish in the escape was put to bed by Lacey and Lavery.
They attacked the breakaway and were clear as they raced through Cahersiveen. As the stage hit the halfway mark the bunch had also sparked back into life; closing the gap to the escape from three minutes to two.
The two leaders were caught and as the breakaway headed up the cat 3 climb at 78km the peloton was rapidly closing in.
Trulock took the KOH on the climb, from Lavery, Jobber and McDunphy.
Meanwhile, James Davenport (Strata3-VeloRevolution) and Oliver Hayward (Rhino Velo Racing) had jumped across from the bunch to the breakaway, making it 16 up front. That put Davenport leader on the road.
Just up the road the cat 1 Coomaneaspaig awaited, with only 30km to go to the finish after it. But by the time the breakaway reached the climb it had already split in two.
Conn McDunphy, Jamie Blanchfield, Toby Atkins, Sean Lacey, Dorus De Rijk, and Philip Lavery forged clear. Tim Groot was with them but crashed.
The leaders split further with Lavery doing the damage on the climb. He took maximum points from Atkins, McDunphy and De Rijk. Trulock would also get across to them.
As the finish neared it was Lavery who again pushed the matter; jumping clear and gaining 10 seconds on the four chasers.
There were another seven mean from the original breakaway one minute behind Lavery.
With 10km remaining Lavery had 25 seconds on the four chasers. However, Ireland team mates Trulock and McDunphy then dropped Atkins and De Rijk and would catch Lavery.
From behind those three were caught by another three; Toby Atkins, Conor Hennebry and Matthew Clarke. Not long after that three more came up from behind; Sean Lacey, De Rijk and Oliver Hayward.
And while both Lavery and Lacey would each try to get clear solo on the run-in, it came to a sprint which Hennebry won after 150km into Waterville.
Trulock was 2nd and Lavery 3rd. Hennebry took yellow, Lavery claimed the climbers jersey and McDunphy kept the U23 jersey.
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