Ireland's Mark Dowling off front at Rás as An Post win again

Ireland's Mark Dowling off front at Rás as An Post win again

Przemek Kasperkiewicz (An Post Chain Reaction) winning the final stage from a five-man break that included Irish domestic rider Mark Dowling (Photo: Ryan Byrne - Inpho)

By Brian Canty

James Gullen has won the An Post Rás title this afternoon after successfully safeguarding the yellow jersey he took on stage five into Dungloe.

The 27-year old JLT Condor rider came into the stage with a lead of 1’05” over his closest challenger Ike Groen.

But Gullen stuck to him - and the rest of his nearest rivals - all afternoon to ensure there would be no late drama.

It wasn’t easy, of course, and on the 129-kilometre leg from Ardee to the north Co Dublin town of Skerries there were attacks galore and groups going and coming all afternoon.

Thankfully for Gullen he had the legs to make the important splits. And with plenty teams, and riders from other squads, searching for the final-day win the pace was once again furious from the drop of the flag.

A chase group got across to an initial 20-man move and after a further reshuffle a break of 22 was formed.

In there were Eoin Morton (Ireland National Team), Matthew Teggart (Ireland An Post Chain Reaction)
Sean McKenna (Ireland An Post Chain Reaction), Cameron Meyer (Australia National Team), Michael Storer (Australia National Team), Sasha Weemaes (Belgian National Team), Alexandre Blain (Britain Madison Genesis) Joe Evans (Britain Madison Genesis), Joey Walker (Britain Team Wiggins), Elliott Porter (Britain Neon Velo Cycling Team), Jeremy Durrin (Britain Neon Velo Cycling Team), Stefan Djurhuus (Denmark Riwal Platform Cycling), Troels Ronning Vinther (Denmark Riwal Platform Cycling), Jonas Jorgensen (Denmark Riwal Platform Cycling), Jerome Mainard (France Armee de Terre), Dennis Bakker (Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam), Mitchell Mulhern (Netherlands Delta Cycling Rotterdam), Matic Groselj (Slovenia ROG Ljubljana)
Conn McDunphy (Donegal Voodoo Performance), Darnell Moore (Down Bikehouse), Felix English (Westmeath Team Planet X Carnac) and Keith Finn (Westmeath Team Planet X Carnac).

Of that group, Meyer was the highest-placed on GC at 2’35” so Gullen and the rest of the JLT Condor team got down to work and went to the front to limit the damage.

James Gullen rode a great Rás, supported so well by the JLT-Condor team, and is a really worthy 2017 champion (Photo: Ryan Byrne - Inpho)

The two first climbs came within 10 kilometres of each other, at 61 and 68 kilometres. And McKernna was clearly going well because he was first over the summit at Bellewstown.

Only Wednesday’s stage winner in Buncrana Michael Storer (Cycling Australia) had his measure at Snowtown Hill.

McKenna was again to the fore at the third climb of the day after 80 kilometres, the category three-ranked Ringfort View.

With 50 kilometres remaining on the stage the gap began to tumble, chiefly due to the driving of the yellow jersey and his team at the head of affairs.

McKenna, Storer and Teggart were 1-2-3 over the ascent of the Black Hills the first time around and just after the 100-kilometre mark there was a regrouping of sorts with the leaders being joined by the yellow jersey group.

Up the second ascent of the Black Hills it was An Post Chain Reaction again dictating things with An Post's Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz taking top points ahead of the ever-impressive Storer.

That battle, in fact, was one of the really big subplots of the day because starting the stage Kasperkiewicz was 19 points clear of Storer.

But the young Australian was closing fast and was determined to take the jersey from the Pole.