Matt Teggart has won the first stage of Rás Tailteann 2022 in a bunch sprint after 140km of racing. The Cycling Ulster rider, who claimed a Rás stage win back in 2017 and also wore the yellow jersey, just edged out Rory Townsend of Team Ireland. Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrissey) was 3rd.
While there was no shortage of riders trying their luck off the front, and others suffering off the back, the most promising breakaway was caught inside the final 10km. Teggart and Townsend - both known from their sprints - were hard to separate on the line but it was an Ulster over Ireland win in the end.
Dean Harvey of Team Ireland holds the climbers' jersey after stage 1 while his team mate Townsend leads the points classification. Cigala took the 'county rider' award on the stage, and the Festina watch and classification leaders jersey that goes with it. Joseph Rees of (Britain Embark Bikestrong) leads the U23 classification.
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Today’s stage was the first time the Irish stage race was back on the roads since 2018 as the 2019 edition was cancelled because of a lack of sponsorship and the race was cancelled due to the pandemic last year and in 2020.
How it unfolded
Any suggestion this year’s edition of Rás Tailteann
would be “handy” was dispatched immediately the race started in Tallaght. Riders
began being dropped inside the first 5km; some a distance off the back after
even 3km as the speed ramped up immediately.
The famed Rás line-out was also quick to return, with the field hurtling along at 60km per hour as they raced towards Dunlavin for the first hot spot sprint just 33.6km into the race. That was claimed by Matteo Cigala (Cork Dan Morrissey) from Joe Rees (Embark-Bikestrong) and Rory Townsend (Team Ireland).
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With the race covering 48.8km in the first hour, no
breakaway was established off the front in the early phase, though a 13-rider
group managed to get some daylight about 90 minutes in. Jody Wright of Down
Powerhouse Sport claimed the second hot spot sprint with 61km covered.
The 13-rider breakaway soon whittled down to just seven
but proved short-lived and was caught on the first categorised climb of Rás
2022, the cat 3 at Glosna at the 75km marker. Once they were caught, more
riders were looking to get off the front, with Mark Shannon (Clare Burren CC)
and Joel Luke (Dublin UCD) making a move.
However, when one of the big Irish names in the race
– Daire Feeley (Cork All human-VeloRevolution) - tried to bridge across to
them, his effort caused a reaction and the escapees were swept up with 85km
covered.
That was soon followed by a five-man group breaking clear as the race sped towards the second climb of the day, the Cat 2 at Deenside after 93km. In that move were: Gareth O’Neill (Cycling Ulster), Darragh McCarter (Spellman Dublin Port), James McKay (Cycling Sheffield), Josh Housley (Spirit BSS) and Thomas Hartog (West-Frisia).
However, like Shannon, Feeley and Luke before them, the five leaders gained a gap – close to 30 seconds – before being closed down. But over the top of the Deenside climb, a four-man move went clear and they looked like they meant business, quickly gaining about 40 seconds.
In that group were: Dean Watson (Britain Embark
Bikestrong), Nathan Kurensky (Brocar-Ale), Lindsay Watson (Cycling Ulster) and
Ronan Killeen (Mayo Castlebar CC). Their 40-second gap became 50 and soon
slightly more, with Team Ireland then marshalling a chase on the front of the
peloton behind.
Once that chase became established, the gap stopped
growing and then began to drop, but only slightly. With 25km to go to the
finish in Horse and Jockey, the leaders had 46 seconds and Team Ireland
continued to chase, now joined by Cycling Sheffield. By 20km to go, the gap enjoyed
by the breakaway men was back to 35 seconds.
Shortly after that point, and as the breakaway
reached Urlingford with 18km to go, Dean Watson (Britain Embark Bikestrong)
attacked the break. He gained a 15-second gap over Lindsay Watson (Cycling
Ulster) and Ronan Killeen (Mayo Castlebar CC), though the peloton was now within
30 seconds.
As the race approached the final 10km Lindsay Watson
and Ronan Killeen were caught in the peloton, with Dean Watson still leading by
about 23 seconds. However, Watson was also soon caught, with the bunch together
with 5km to go, paving the way for the opening stage to end in a bunch sprint.
