Conn McDunphy, wearing the points classification green jersey today, got to the front and drove it over Wicklow Gap and into the finish in Baltinglass to ride himself into yellow with just one stage to come (Photo: Caroline Kerley)
Conn McDunphy (APS Pro Cycling) started today’s penultimate stage of Rás Tailteann 2nd overall, 1t 14 seconds, but has now seized the yellow jersey from Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) after a fantastic performance on the Wicklow Gap.
The new race leader stormed across the gap to the remainder of the breakaway - numbering five riders on the climb. Race leader Shoreman lost time, with his team mates waiting for him.
Once McDunphy got to the front of the race, he found himself in a group of seven, with the rest of the field blown to pieces behind; much of that damage done before the race even reached the cat 1 ascent.
And then McDunphy got to the front, virtual leader of the race on the road, to make sure he took yellow. He now looks poised to win the race tomorrow, though with still a tough stage left and he will not be taking anything for granted.
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On the run-in to the finish in Baltinglass today, two of the men from the front group –Joshua Dike (Natural Greatness Rali Ale) and Tom Martin (Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) – attacked, going to win the day by 23 seconds to four chasers.
Tom Martin wins an epic stage in the sunshine into Baltinglass after getting away from the lead group on the run-in (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)
Martin got the verdict over Dike to win the stage, with stage 1 winner Rowen Baker (Isle of Man) winning the sprint for 3rd place from the four-man group.
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Ewan MacKie (Connacht Cycling) and Karl Hall (Germany Hucare Factory) were 4th and 5th on the same time as Baker, all at 23 seconds. And then came McDunphy in 6th place.
Indeed, having ridden so hard, into yellow, in the final of the stage, McDunphy was at the back of the four sprinting for 3rd, slightly off the back – by four seconds - and looked shattered. But he had done one of the best days work of his career, and now has Rás yellow.
Ruairi Byrne (UCD Cyclinc Club) also put in a great ride today and was in the leading group but lost his place there, after the climb, reducing that group from seven to six.
After the leading group today, George Peden (Team PB Performance) was next, in 7th at 1:36 and in the company of Williem O’Connor (O’Leary Stone Kanturk), who was 8th on the same time.
Then came two of the fast men in this field – both putting in a great performance over the climbs. Patrick O’Loughlin (Galway Bay CC) was 9th at 2:20, just ahead of Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey) rounding out the top 10.
Today is the first time McDunphy has ever been in the race leader’s jersey at the Rás and he will want to make it count and keep it to be crowned outright winner.
McDunphy now leads the race overall by 53 seconds from today’s stage winner, Martin, with MacKie in 3rd at 1:31. Then comes deposed yellow jersey Shoreman, at 1:39, and Baker in 5th at 1:45.
Dornan Rás Mumhan winner Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CC) is 6th at 2:02 and Willem O’Connor (O’Leary Stone Kanturk) is 7th at 2:26 – O’Connor and McDunphy the only two Irishman now in the top 10.
O’Connor still holds the lead in the young rider and county rider classifications. Shoreman leads the points classification, from McDunphy, while Liam Crowley (Team Ireland) still holds the mountains classification jersey.
