The final stage was like the rest of the race; groups of quality riders forging clear. Both the peloton and a large lead group broke up, but Matto Cigala came out on top to win the final stage (Photo: Toby Watson)
Matteo Cigala wins Tour of Ulster final stage
Matteo Cigala has taken the final stage of the Victus Tour of Ulster in a bunch sprint at the end of an all-out circuit race into Banbridge.
The Viner-Caremark-Pactimo rider took the gallop after the last eight men standing from a big front group were caught with just a couple of kilometers remaining.
He took victory from Marc Heaney; the Carn Wheelers man showing some fine finishing speed but just beaten to a big win.
While more than 20 riders had pulled out a gap of over 1:30 just after the halfway point in the 70 mile, seven-lap, stage; race leader Joe Evans of St Piran held on to win.
Advertisement
He could be seen doing a lot of the riding on the front of the bunch as it set about catching the leaders on the closing two laps.
Slowly but surely the gap came down, with many riders losing their place in both the main field and the large front group which was being hunted down.
Related News
In the end, the breakaway that numbered about 25 riders at one point came down to just eight.
Those last men to survive were: John Buller (Banbridge CC), Eoin O'Connell (Blarney CC), Mark Dowling (Cycling Leinster) and stage 1 winner Conn McDunphy (Lucan County Dublin).
Also at the front were Oliver Hayward (Rhino Velo), William Harper (St Piran), Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) and Jordan Levasseur (VC Toucy).
However, while there were some very strong men in that group, the race was all back together again as it hurtled into the final 2km.
And at the finish it was Cigala who won the day; the former Italian U23 international showing he is coming good at the right time for the Rás.
However, Evans rode a fantastic race, especially today and yesterday and was a deserved winner.
He missed the crucial escape yesterday but when the gap came down he jumped across it. And as the lead group disintegrated to leave just nine men out front, Evans was there.
It would split again on the run-in with three breaking clear. And though Ronan McLaughlin (Viner-Caremark-Pactimo) and Liam Holohan (Rhino Velo) were 1st and 2nd, Evans took 3rd place and the race lead.
And though he was put under extreme pressure today, on a day when attack after attack went off the front; he came through the test with his Cornwall-based team to claim the Tour of Ulster title for 2018.
More to follow.
Topics
