Krill Pozdnyakov, Synergy Baku, celebrates after crossing the line to win Stage 4 of the 2013 An Post Rás. Listowel - Glengarriff. (Photo:Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
After a very strong opening couple of stages in the An Post Rás where Irish riders won two of the first three stages and traded the yellow jersey, today’s fourth stage in Kerry saw the foreign invaders come out to play with UK–based Continental team Rapha Condor JLT in an all out assault to take charge.
However, despite really strong riding from their men Richard Handley and Mike Cuming, when the race ended in Glengarrif this afternoon after a savage 150km stage from Listowel, the Azerbaijani team of Synergy Baku took the stage win with its Russian rider Kirill Pozdnyakov.
The team, which boasts Irishman David McQuaid as general manager and former Rás winner and three-time Olympian David McCann as a director sportif, now also has Belfastman Connor McConvey in second place overall.
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McConvey came home in a small group with yellow jersey Marcin Bialbolocki (UK Youth) and top county rider Roger Aiken (Louth Charter Prague) just 28 seconds behind the winning four-man escape after a frantic charge to close them down over the last 20km.
And because the best placed of the four men up front was 46 seconds down on the yellow jersey and McConvey this morning, those two are now first and second overall.
After a really tough day in breezy conditions in the hills of Kerry, the Russian Pozdnyakov led in the four-man breakaway over the line, with Remi Pelletier-Roy (Canada) in second, Ben Greenwood (Scotland) in third and Rapha’s aforementioned Handley in fourth.
In the end, while the chase group was almost two minutes back well inside the last hour of racing, the gap was closed to 28 seconds on the line.
McConvey was best of the Irish on the stage in 7th place. And Aiken – whose aggression over the past four days has made him the man of the race so far and a real contender for the outright win – was best county rider in 10th place.
The Banbridge CC man riding for Louth Charter Prague came home in that small chase group on the same time as McConvey and yellow jersey Bialoblocki.
That result maintained Bialoblocki in the yellow jersey and he is now on equal time with McConvey in second place and Ramus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water) in third, also equal on time.
Handley may not have gained the 46 seconds he needed today to take the overall lead, but he has pulled himself to within 18 seconds of the yellow jersey and is in fourth place.
Aside from McConvey, Aiken is the only other Irishman in the top 10 overall, occupying 9th place at just 46 seconds after passing the first big test of the Rás with an A+ on the honours paper.
How it unfolded
The first significant attack of the day involved a large group of more than 20 riders that formed around 30 minutes into the stage after some very early attacking by Joseph Kelly (Great Britain), John Ebsen (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku), Eugene Moriarty (Meath Dunboyne DID) and Dan Barry (Britain Node4 Giordana).
The large group was made up of: Sam Bennett (An Post Chainreaction), Stuart Wight (Canada), Ben Greenwood (Scotland National Team), Jakub Kratochvila (Austria Arbo Gebrder Weiss), Connor McConvey (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku), Christoph Schweizer (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku), Martin Hunal (Czech Republic Ac Sparta Praha), Tomas Holub (Czech Republic Ac Sparta Praha), Daniel Foder (Denmark Blue Water Cycling), Lars Vierbergen (Holland Koga Cycling Team), Michael Cuming (Britain Rapha Condor Jlt), Edward Laverack (Britain Rapha Condor Jlt), Joseph Perrett (Britain Team Ig – Sigma Sport), Michael Northey (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing), Christian Varley (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing), Steve Lampier (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing), Rob Partridge (Britain Uk Youth Pro Cycling), Chris Reilly (Meath Stamullen M.Donnelly), Conor Dunne (Tipperary Carrick Iverk Prod.), Simon Yates (Great Britain National Team), Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling), Conor Murphy (Dublin West Eurocycles), Roger Aiken (Louth Prague Charter Team).
At the 35km mark their lead over the bunch was a modest 30 seconds, but that had gone out to one minute with 50km covered and 100km remaining.
In the early part of the stage the yellow jersey of Marcin Bialoblocki (UK Youth) had a mechanical but managed to get going again without too much trouble. When it became clear the breakaway was moving away from the peloton, Sean Downey (An Post-Chainreaction) and Jacob Rytlewski (USA Astellas Oncology Cycling) set off in pursuit of them and effectively got stuck in no man’s land for a long time before being caught by the peloton.
The gap reached 2:20 after 65km, but by the time the riders began climbing the ascent of Lady’s View, crested at 82.5km, the gap was around 40 seconds. On the climb the bunch was very close and a strong small group of riders jumped across the gap. They included: Ronan McLaughlin and Shane Archbold (An Post-Chainreaction), Richard Handley (Rapha Condor JLT) and the yellow jersey.
The leaders then continued on the lumpy roads towards the next KOH prime at Moll’s Gap, which was passed some 87km into the stage and with 63km still to go to the finish in Glengarrif. However, while there was a long hard road ahead it was on Moll’s Gap and over the top of it that the decisive move would go clear.
Handley, 5th overall last year and winner of the U23 classification, had come across to the large group on Lady’s View and immediately asserted himself. He took the prime at the top of Moll’s Gap, pulling ahead with his team mate Mike Cuming and Ben Greenwood of the Scottish national team.
When the first time checks began coming through after the riders came down off the climb and had around 100kms done, the gap between the leaders and what was left of the bunch was 1:30.
There were three men in between the leaders and the bunch in the shape of Remi Pelletier Roy (Canada), Kirill Pozdnyakov (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku) and Christian Varley (Britain Node4 Giordana).
They were 30 seconds off the leaders for a long time until Greenwood, Cuming and Handley eased back and waited. They formed a six-man group that had 1:40 with 45km remaining and four of them would survive to the finish.
However, very soon the six up front would become five as Varley faded. As the five later began the ascent of the 1st category Healy Pass they had a significant 2:30 on the bunch, though a small group of chasers had left the bunch to hunt down the breakaway men, who would eventually drop Cuming.
Among that chase group was the yellow-jerseyed Bialoblocki, McConvey and Aiken; the latter away again despite having been in a three-man 100km escape yesterday.
As the five chasers went over the top of the Healy Pass, with just 25km remaining, they had pegged the gap back to 1:05 to the men ahead.
From that point there continued a drag race to the line as the breakaway men buried themselves to hold off the pursuers; who were riding in search of both stage glory and time.
Handley and Pozdnyakov briefly distanced the others they were with, but the leaders regrouped and at the finish the Russian was simply too strong, leading home the sprint from the escape.
There was then a 28 second wait before the group of McConvey, Aiken and the yellow jersey – now swelled to seven men – crossed the line. Because those up front needed 46 seconds to dislodge the yellow jersey, Bialoblocki will start as leader again tomorrow.
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He said after the stage that having the lead brought pressure, but he felt both he and his team had ridden well and he expressed satisfaction with his climbing.
“Having the yellow jersey this early can mean a lot of pressure so today it was important that I managed to stay up near the front throughout the stage. I knew I had to work hard today as Richard Handley was only 47 seconds behind me in the GC, so I am very happy to still be in yellow”, said Bialoblocki.
The climbers’ jersey has gone to Cuming with Roger Aiken taking the county rider jersey, and Simon Yates (Great Britain) taking custody of theU23 jersey.
Stage 4, Listowel to Glengarrif, 150km
1, Kirill Pozdnyakov (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku) 3 hours 28 mins 17 secs
2, Remi Pelletier-Roy (Canada National Team)
3, Ben Greenwood (Scotland National Team)
4, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Jlt) all same time
5, Daniel Foder (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) at 28 secs
6, Simon Yates (Great Britain National Team)
7, Connor Mcconvey (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku)
8, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Uk Youth Pro Cycling)
9, Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling)
10, Roger Aiken (Louth Prague Charter Team) all same time
Overall Classification
1, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Uk Youth Pro Cycling) 13 hours 5 mins 29 secs
2, Connor Mcconvey (Azerbaijan Synergy Baku)
3, Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) both same time
4, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Jlt) at 18 secs
5, Remi Pelletier-Roy (Canada National Team) same time
6, Martin Hunal (Czech Republic Ac Sparta Praha) at 42 secs
7, Simon Yates (Great Britain National Team) at 46 secs
8, Daniel Foder (Denmark Blue Water Cycling)
9, Roger Aiken (Louth Prague Charter Team) both same time
10, Shane Archbold (Belgium An Post Chain Reaction) at 1 min 39 secs
