Armstrong again takes the county prize today (Photo: Sportsfile)
Peter Hawkins (IG Sigma Sport) and Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles) have again forced their way into the top ten stage result on the An Post Ras, finishing 7th and 10th respectively after a savage day in the hills of Donegal today, Thursday.
The duo were among just six Irish riders in a group that came home in Buncrana today some 39 seconds behind the very impressive stage winner, Frenchman Thomas Rostollan (AV Aix En Provence).
Also among that group were Connor McConvey (An Post-Sean Kelly), who is 7th overall now, Ryan Sherlock (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers), David McCann (RTS Racing) and Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne).
They were the only six Irish riders in that 16-man group.
Stage winner Rostollan rode with a supreme confidence today that was matched by his ability to seal the win with some very powerful riding when the road went skywards going over Mamore Gap.
Advertisement
He was one of five riders that went clear some 80km into the 149km stage from Bundoran to Buncrana. As well as the Frenchman, that group included: German Daniel Bichlmann (Bike Aid Cycling Team) and Britons Richard Lang (Rapha Condor Sharp), Matthew Higgins (Node4 Giordana) and Christian Varley (Isle of Man).
By the 100km mark, they had around one minute on a group of 12 riders than had gotten away from the peloton. That chase group included in the yellow jersey Pirmin Lang (Atlas Jakroo). Also in that group were: Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Sean Kelly), Martin Hunal (AC Sparta Praha), Rostislav Krotky (AC Sparta Praha), Rolf Broge (Blue Water Cycling), Dave Clarke (Node4 Giordana), Fredrick Johansson (UK Youth Cycling), Rhys Lloyd (Metaltek SCOTT), Daniel Clifford (Dunboyne DID), Rapheal Tapella (AVC Aix En Provence), Christopher Jennings (Rapha Condor Sharp).
An Irish trio of Robin Kelly (Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes), Stephen O’Sullivan (Meath East Spin 11) and Stephen Halpin (Metaltek SCOTT) had also gone clear after the five leaders but were reabsorbed by the peloton.
Before the KOH prime at Old Mountain at the 112km mark, Rostollan got away on his own. He ploughed on with the chase group containing the yellow jersey never too far behind.
However, that chase group was caught by what was left of the peloton on the approach to the first category ascent of Mamore Gap.
At the bottom of the climb, Rostollan was still leading on his own, this time with a gap of 1:27 on the bunch – with two chasers in the shape of Raphael Tapella (Rapha Condor Sharp) and Rhys Lloyd (Metaltek SCOTT) just ahead of the bunch.
Once the climb started, Jonathan Fumeaux (Atlas Jakroo) made his move and went after the lone leader, quickly closing the gap to him to 50 seconds.
The group behind containing the yellow heresy of Pirmin Lang (Atlas Jakroo) and the other main favourites then began to fragment. The points leader Marcin Bialoblocki (NODE4-Giordana) was now moving forward in pursuit of the leaders on the road, while the yellow jersey of Lang was seemingly in trouble, slipping backwards.
At the top of Mamore it was Rostollan who still led from Fumeaux, with Irish riders David McCann (RTS Racing) and Connor McConvey (An Post-Sean Kelly) at the fore just behind trying to get on terms.
Charging down the climb with just 12kms to the finish and then up the last ascent – the third cat Old Mountain – Rostollan was still leading by around 20 seconds from Czech rider Fumeaux, who was then joined by his team mate Nicolas Baldo and Martin Hunal (AC Sparta Praha).
Related News
But Rostollan simply had too much firepower and stayed ahead into the finish in Buncrana, with the chasing trio behind closing him down to within 9 seconds on the line.
Hunal took second from Fumeaux, with Baldo a further two seconds back in fourth.
Some 39 seconds after the winner came across the line, last year’s An Post Ras champion Gediminas Bagdonas won the sprint for fifth at the head of a chase group containing the yellow jersey; with Hawkins 7th and Armstrong 10th.
However, the time gained by Baldo was enough for him to lift the yellow jersey from his team mate Lang’s shoulders.
Stage winner Rostollan, who was the man of the race today, is now second on GC just three seconds down, with stage runner up Martin Hunul (AC Sparta Praha) now third on GC just seven seconds down.
Lang may have lost the jersey today, but he is still fourth on GC just eight seconds down, with the U23 classification leader Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp) putting in a very good ride this week now holding fifth on GC.
Bialoblocki, who really made a great bid for the yellow jersey on Mamore, was in that group 39 seconds down today and he now occupies 7th on GC, at 11 seconds. Ireland’s McConvey is then best of the Irish in 8th at 14 seconds, while Fumeaux – who put in a really great rider today – now 9th at 19 seconds.
Then rounding off the top ten is Bagdonas at 23 seconds. With such small gaps at the head of the GC after such a tough stage, it’s still very much all to play for as the race enters its final three stages. Next up is 134kms tomorrow from Buncrana to Killybegs featuring the long cat 1 climb of Glengesh Pass.
We’ll have more later – all results below are provisional.
Stage 3: Bundoran - Buncrana
1 Thomas Rostollan (AVC Aix En Provence) 3:31:28
2 Martin Hunal (AC Sparta Praha) @ 9 secs
3 Jonathan Fumeaux (Atlas Jakroo)
4 Nicolas Baldo (Atlas Jakroo) @ 11 secs
5 Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post Sean Kelly) @ 39 secs
6 Marcin Bialoblocki (Node4 Giordana)
7 Peter Hawkins (IG-Sigma Sport)
8 Remi Sarreboubee (AVC Aix En Provence)
9 Pirmin Lang (Atlas Jakroo)
10 Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles) all same time
GC After 5 Stages
1 Nicolas Baldo (Atlas Jakroo) 16:19:44
2 Thomas Rostollan (AVC Aix En Provence) @ 3 secs
3 Martin Hunal (AC Sparta Praha) @ 7 secs
4 Pirmin Lang (Atlas Jakroo) @ 8 secs
5 Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp)
6 James Moss (Node 4 Giordana)
7 Marcin Bialoblocki (Node4 Giordana) @ 11 secs
8 Connor McConvey (An Post-Sean Kelly) @ 14
9 Jonathan Fumeaux (Atlas Jakroo) @ 19
10 Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post-Sean Kelly) @ 23
U23: Handley
Points: Bagdonas
KOH: Rostollan
Topics
