Mel Spath gets the verdict ahead of Team Ireland team mate Olivia Dillon after a savage stage 2 in Co Clare, though US-based pro Dillon has seized the leader's jersey on a day for the Irish (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)
Melanie Spath (Team Ireland) won stage 2 of the An Post Rás na mBan today, Thursday, in Carron, Co Clare.
She was one the two riders left from a five-woman breakaway instigated by teammate Caroline Ryan just twenty kilometres into the race. The national champion got the better of former race winner and teammate Olivia Dillon in a close uphill sprint to the line.
The stage was named the Beast Of The Burren, with five categorised climbs and a foggy and bleak atmosphere on the Burren at this time of year. It made for a tough and psychologically draining stage.
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The rain made for a cagey start with several attacks. These early moves were brought back each time almost immediately by Team Ireland.
Iona Sewell (Team GB Cycles), Lydia Boylan (Team Ireland) and Elinor Huusko (Team Rygter) were all part of these early moves that were enough to shed a few riders off the back of the bunch but not strong enough to establish a breakaway.
By the top of the first categorised climb the pace was causing the race to split. It was then that Caroline Ryan (Team Ireland) launched her attack, taking Jenifer Letué (Team Trek Norway) with her for what would become the decisive move of the day.
Ryan took the QOM points, and the duo opened a 45 second gap on the rest of the depleted bunch.
A group of three chasers formed behind, catching the leaders to form a five woman strong breakaway: Caroline Ryan, Melanie Spath and Olivia Dillon (Team Ireland ), Irish woman Jenny Fay (Bike Aid.de) and French woman Jenifer Letué (Trek Norway).
The category 2 climb of Corkscrew Hill split the breakaway, leaving the original duo Letué and Ryan behind.
From then on Spath, Fay and Dillon continued to work together building a gap of almost 4 minutes on the pursuers.
With 10 kilometres to go to the mountain top finish, Olivia Dillon launched an attack to which Spath responded to immediately, leaving a tired Jenny Fay behind.
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From that point on it was clear that the leader’s jersey was going to be decided between these two teammates. The riders worked together until it came to an uphill sprint started at 100 metres to go, with former winner Dillon the first to strike.
She gritted her teeth as she overtook her teammate to win the stage, while Dillon takes the overall lead. She is equal on time with Spath, with Fay in third place a whopping 3:02 behind with just two of six stages completed.
Tomorrow Spath and Dillon work together in the Team Time Trial to extend their lead in the overall classification.
“Today was very hard,” said Spath afterwards.
“It was a long stage with a lot of climbing, the weather was epic today, there was a lot of wind and rain and the roads were slippery. The roads are very dead as well.”
“You could barely see anything with all the fog, you could see a few hills on one side a few more on the other was, but that was pretty much all you could see."
“We (Spath, Dillon and Fay) were chasing after Caroline Ryan and Jenifer Letué and we finally caught them. We worked together for a good while before losing two of the girls.”
“Jenny, Olivia and I worked really well together. Everyone was taking turns at the front. Near the last ten kilometres mark Jenny was suffering a little bit, so Olivia attacked and got away. Jenny couldn't respond so I said I am going to try and get across to Olivia and the two of us worked together up until a hundred metre to go.”
Olivia sprinted, I sprinted and I thought : ‘ah, I’m going to go for it’, and I overtook her in the last few metres.”
“It’s a great situation to be in, the two of us at the front together. Now there are two people the team can play with.”
“We have a very strong team for tomorrow’s Time Trial and we should be able to put in a good performance.”
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