Decisive Cathal Moynihan powers to biggest win of career at Kerry Group Rás Mumhan

A delighted Cathal Moynihan takes the chequered flag in Killorglin for victory in the opening stage at Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, with clear daylight behind (Photo: Pat Doherty)

Brian Canty

Former international rower turned bike rider, Cathal Moynihan won today’s opening stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, capturing the biggest win of his career and the first leader’s yellow jersey of this year’s race.

The Tralee BC-Manor West Hotel rider, who rowed for Ireland in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, made the decisive 11-man escape that broke away from the peloton after 75 kilometres.

They managed to pull out a gap of just under a minute by the end of the 105 kilometre trek which started and finished in Killorglin.

Moynihan played his cards to perfection on the swift run-in for home, jumping clear with Holland’s Sjors Dekker with 700 metres to go before beating him in the gallop for the line and pulling out a gap up the finishing ramp.

The stage saw relentless attacking from the drop of the flag, with numerous little groups clipping off the front but gaining no significant time on a peloton of over 200 riders.

Not even the day’s three punishing climbs could split the race up, though reigning champion Damien Shaw (Aquablue) did his best on several occasions to get away.

But with number one on his back courtesy of his win last year, he was a heavily marked man. The combined weight of the UCD team as well as the Dutch and English teams was allowing nothing get away.

But with around 35 kilometres of the stage remaining, the 11-man group formed and wasted no time in getting down to work to pull out a gap that almost immediately opened to 40 seconds, increasing in time to over one minute.

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That break included some real firepower in the shape of Moynihan and Dekker, 2011 winner Sean Lacey (Aquablue) and his teammate Ryan O’Donovan, Tino Haakman (West Fresia), Ben Carty (Felt Colbornes), Ian Richardson (UCD CC), Chris Reilly (Liquidworx-Fitscience), Gary Jeffers (Omagh), Jack Pullar (Scottish Cycling) and Sean McKenna (Ireland U23).

Indeed with so many different teams represented, the chase from the bunch stalled and with 10 kilometres to go it was clear they’d stay away, despite some of the big favourites being stranded in the peloton behind.

In the closing kilometres after Pullar took the third and final climbers’ prime of the day outside Milltown the Scottish national team rider went on his own but was caught, before what proved to be the race-winning move was launched at around 1km to go.

Pullar was third and Chris Reilly (Liquidworx-Fitscience) came home fourth. Grant Ferguson riding with the Scottish Cycling team takes the mountains jersey into today’s 144 kilometre leg that starts and finishes in Kenmare.