Epic longest stage through scorching Donegal upends Rás
The speed of today did a lot more damage than the climbs of yesterday. And after 181km in the saddle, it came down to this - three breakaway men sprinting for victory from the initial six-rider escape. Kiwi Gough took the stage win into Dungloe (Photo: Morgan Treacy - Inpho)
Having been top of the world in the last few days on the An Post Rás with a stage win and yellow jersey, the Irish men lost out on today’s stage 5.
There were no Irish in the winning six-rider escape that was clear for over 100 of the 181km on the road from Buncrana to Dungloe.
And though the home men were represented in the chase group, overall victory by any of them now seems much more remote.
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The stage was won by Regan Gough (An Post-ChainReaction) from Cameron Meyer, the former WorldTour rider and current double world track champion.
They both finished on the same time with Daan Meijers (Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam) in 3rd at 1 second.
And it is James Gullen (JLT-Condor) who takes the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Matt Teggart (An Post-Chainreaction).
The Briton started the stage one of six riders at the top of the general standings equal on time with Teggart.
Ike Groen (Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam), who was also in the six-man breakaway today, was also equal on time with Teggart this morning.
But when Groen was distanced on the run-in to the finish today, Gullen stayed with the lead group and was 4th on the stage just 6 seconds behind the winner Gough.
That meant Gullen gained time on Groen - a significant 1:05 - and put himself into the race lead.
Best of the Irish was Robert-Jon McCarthy (JLT-Condor) who was in the chase group today. He took 7th on the stage, some 4:38 behind the stage winner.
There were a total of eight riders in the chase group that McCarthy led home. With him were Damien Shaw (An Post-Chainreaction), Mark Downey (Team Ireland) and Michael O'Loughlin (Team Wiggins).
Matteo Cigala (Aqua Blue Sport Academy) was best county ride; finishing 2nd in the sprint from the bunch which lost 9:22 to the winner.
Damien Shaw (An Post-Chainreaction) and Michael O'Loughlin (Team Wiggins) are now best placed of the Irish overall.
Shaw is 5th overall at 4:32 and O'Loughlin, having a superb race, is 9th at 7:13.
How it unfolded
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In the breakaway were Cameron Meyer (Australia National Team), Edward Laverack (Britain JLT Condor), Regan Gough (Ireland An Post Chain Reaction) James Gullen (Britain JLT Condor), Ike Groen (Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam) and Daan Meijers (Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam).
Groen and Gullen both started the day level on time with the yellow jersey. And with each of them having a team mate in the escape they were always going to commit to the effort.
They managed to pull clear not long after the cat 3 ascent of Ballymastocker with 75km completed.
And though nobody knew it at the time those riders proved too strong for the chase behind and they were never caught.
They quickly gained just over a minute on the peloton containing yellow jersey Matt Teggart (An Post-Chainreaction).
And sensing the move was really dangerous there was plenty of attacking after it, with two groups forming.
The first chase group contained eight riders: Mark Downey (Ireland National Team), Damien Shaw (Ireland An Post Chain Reaction), Robert-Jon McCarthy (Britain JLT Condor), Michael O’Loughlin (Britain Team Wiggins), Troels Ronning Vinther (Denmark Riwal Platform Cycling), Morgan Kneisky (France Armee de Terre), Thomas Rostollon (France Armee de Terre) and Stephane Poulhies (France Armee de Terre).
And the third group on the road was comprised of three riders: Sean McKenna (Ireland An Post Chain Reaction), Dexter Gardias (Britain Bike Channel Canyon) and Seán Lacey (Cork Aqua Blue Sport).
However, those latter three never made any real progress and the stage would settle into a pattern of the six leaders being pursued by the eight-man chase group.
And behind the peloton containing the classification jerseys fell further and further behind.
By 120, with the breakaway out front for about an hour, the leaders had 1:50 on the chasers. And the gap between leaders and peloton was a whopping six minutes.
Around 10km later the gap between the break and chase group was 2:10, with the peloton a further two minutes back having gotten more organised and closed the gap by two minutes.
And as the race continued with a tailwind the gaps were to shoot out further. With just 25km remaining the leaders had 3:35 on the eight chasers and over seven minutes on the peloton.
With those gaps it was no surprise there was no regrouping before the finish in Dungloe.
The only real development was Laverack losing contact with the leaders in the closing kilometres.
In the end it was Gough who would take the stage from Meyer after 181km in the saddle.
Thurs 25th: Buncrana-Dungloe (181km)
1 Gough,Regan Ireland An Post Chain Reaction 4h11’20″
2 Meyer,Cameron Australia National Team
3 Meijers,Daan Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam @01″
4 Gullen,James Britain JLT Condor @06″
5 Laverack,Edward Britain JLT Condor @01’06″
6 Groen,Ike Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam @01’11″
7 McCarthy,Robert Britain JLT Condor @04’38″
8 Ronning Vinther,Troels Denmark Riwal Platform Cycling @ s/t
9 Kneisky,Morgan France Armée de Terre @ s/t
10 Poulhies,Stéphane France Armée de Terre @ s/t
11 Downey,Mark Ireland National Team @ s/t
12 Shaw,Damien Ireland An Post Chain Reaction @ s/t
13 O’Loughlin,Michael Britain Team Wiggins @ s/t
14 Rostollan,Thómas France Armée de Terre @04’51″
15 Weemaes,Sasha Belgian National Team @09’22″
16 Cigala,Matteo Cork Aqua Blue Sport @ s/t
17 Ryan,Fintan Westmeath Team Planet X Carnac @ s/t
18 Blain,Alexandre Britain Madison Genesis @ s/t
19 Bakker,Dennis Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam @ s/t
20 Teggart,Matthew Ireland An Post Chain Reaction @ s/t
21 O’Mahony,Darragh Ireland National Team @ s/t
22 Bjergfelt,William Britain Neon Velo Cycling Team @ s/t
23 Maes,Richard Kerry Killarney @ s/t
24 McGlinchey,Chris Cycling Ulster @ s/t
25 Trulock,Dermot Donegal Voodoo Performance @ s/t
General Classification
1 Gullen,James Britain JLT Condor 17h07’50″
2 Groen,Ike Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam @01’05″
3 Meyer,Cameron Australia National Team @02’35″
4 Ronning Vinther,Troels Denmark Riwal Platform Cycling @04’32″
5 Shaw,Damien Ireland An Post Chain Reaction = s/t
6 Kneisky,Morgan France Armée de Terre @05’34″
7 Poulhies,Stéphane France Armée de Terre @05’49″
8 Rostollan,Thómas France Armée de Terre @07’10″
9 O’Loughlin,Michael Britain Team Wiggins @07’13″
10 Meijers,Daan Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam @08’30″
11 Gough,Regan Ireland An Post Chain Reaction @09’01″
12 Teggart,Matthew Ireland An Post Chain Reaction @09’16″
13 Jørgensen,Jonas Denmark Riwal Platform Cycling = s/t
14 Downey,Mark Ireland National Team @09’23″
15 Rucigaj,Ziga Slovenia ROG Ljubljana @09’35″
16 Feeley,Daire Galway Team iTap @10’18″
17 Porter,Elliott Britain Neon Velo Cycling Team = s/t
18 Storer,Michael Australia National Team @10’31″
19 O’Mahony,Darragh Ireland National Team @10’33″
20 McKenna,Sean Ireland An Post Chain Reaction = s/t
21 Finkst,Tilen Slovenia ROG Ljubljana @11’35″
22 Webber,Mitchell Britain Bike Channel Canyon = s/t
23 Mulhern,Mitchell Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam @11’40″
24 Kasperkiewicz,Przemyslaw Ireland An Post Chain Reaction @11’41″
25 Sitler,Jacob USA CCB Velotooler @11’54″
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