Italian former Grand Tour rider wins as Rás blows to pieces

Former Grand Tour rider Francesco Reda (Team Idea 2010 ASD) takes the opening stage of the Rás, when massive time gaps opened on stage 1 from Dunboyne to Carlow (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)

By Brian Canty

Former Quick-Step rider Francesca Reda from Italy is the first race leader of this year’s An Post Rás after a thrilling opening stage from Dunboyne to Carlow which saw the peloton lose over 10 minutes and Ian Richardson of UCD took the county rider prize.

The Team IDEA 2010 man edged out Lukas Postlberger (Tirol Cycling) in a two-up sprint to the line after they'd broken away from the 15-man escape that animated the stage.

Rob Partridge of NFTO led the remnants of that break over the line for third place.

The race was action stations from the off and with four category 3 climbs and three Post Office Hot Spot Sprint Primes – with time bonuses on offer - it was never likely to be ever anything but frenetic.

The riders faced 154 kilometres on the opening stage from Dunboyne to Carlow, and though conditions were less than sweltering, the opening exchanges were very much just that.

The first climb of the day came just 20 kilometres at Sallins and that was fought for with real vigour.

Unsurprisingly, cracks started to appear in the bunch and it was around this point that a sizeable group got off the front and quickly built up a lead.

That break would end up being the move of the day and in there was a decent Irish contingent which included the An Post Chainreaction duo of Ryan Mullen and Conor Dunne.

Martyn Irvine (Madison Genesis) was also there as was county rider Ian Richardson (UCD CC).

Ian Richardson has had a fantastic opening day on the An Post Rás into Carlow. He was the only county rider to make the main escape and took the county rider prize.

Also present and correct were; Lukas Postlberger (Tirol Cycling), Josef Benetseder (Hrinkow Advarics-Cycleangteam), Seb Schonberger (Tirol Cycling), Jaap de Man (Team 3M), Elliott Porter (Team 3M), Christophe Steurs (Team 3M), Rob Partridge (NFTO), Erick Rowsell (Madison Genesis), Mike Cuming (JLT Condor), Francesco Reda (Team IDEA 2010) and Marco Tizza (Team IDEA 2010).

With so many teams represented and some squads having at least two men, it was a very effective coalition.

Mullen crested the first KOM at the head of affairs in what is his debut Rás.

Irvine was next to impose himself, taking the Hot Spot Prime at Naas, and a very handy three second time bonus.

By this stage the riders had 30 kilometres raced and the gap between break and bunch tipped two minutes.

Sensing danger behind, Damien Shaw (Team ASEA) tried to bridge on his own but this proved futile.

But that didn’t dissuade his teammate Bryan McCrystal from having a go at trying to make the junction.

His case was helped by the fact he went clear in a group with Steven Lawley (Dublin South Eurocycles), Mario Schoibl (Tirol Cycling) and another Irishman Daniel Stewart (Antrim Phoenix CC).

Around 70 kilometres in and the gaps were 2’20” between break and bunch, with the four chasers around 90 seconds behind the break.

Lukas Postlberger (Tirol Cycling Team) looked very strong when attacking the escape on his way to an eventual 2nd place on the stage.

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Ireland's Meehan climbs with best on brutal Alpine terrain

The next KOH of the day was at Hacketstown and that went the way of NFTO man Rob Partridge, a seasoned Rás rider who has finished in the top 10 overall before.

But because Elliott Porter was up there on all categorised climbs it was he who took the mountains jersey for the day.

That 15-man break never relented and over the halfway mark their lead extended to over three minutes.

A second chase group formed approaching the final climb of the day at Kilcommon (94kilometres) with David Wohrer (Tirol Cycling), Ellern Norton (Subaru Albion), Rodolphe Marie (Team Pays De Dinan), Ronan McLaughlin (Cork Aquablue) and Robin Kelly (Mayo Fitscience) in there.

The second chase group was trimmed to three after Stewart lost contact but he slotted nicely into chase group number two.

A reshuffling of sorts saw that group trimmed to six with Andreas Hofer (Hrinkow Advarics-Cycleangteam), David Wohrer (Tirol Cycling), Ian Bibby (NFTO), William Elliott (Canada National team) and Matteo Malucelli (Team IDEA 2010) those present.

With 30 kilometres remaining the jumping started in the break as Postlberger (Tirol Cycling) and Reda (Team IDEA 2010) went clear and quickly built a lead of over a minute on the 13 chasers.

Meanwhile, behind, Irvine continued to mop up sprints and subsequent bonus seconds.

Postlberger and Reda worked very well and maintained that one-minute lead coming into the final 10 kilometres.

Behind, the 13 remaining breakaway riders kept chasing around a minute in arrears followed by a group of six and another group of 13 while the bunch was the fourth group on the road.

The two leading men rode their hearts out and stayed honest right up until the sprint that decided it, with Reda getting the verdict.

The 32-year-old has served a suspension for missing a drug test, though his ban was reduced when he agreed to give evidence to the CIRC. He has ridden in the WorldTour for three consecutive seasons.

Tomorrow’s stage takes the riders 137 kilometres from Carlow to Tipperary with two climbs; Ninemilehouse (cat 3) after 63 kilometres and Aherlow after 129 clicks.