By Shane Stokes
He was hampered somewhat by an iffy stomach on stage four by Liam O’Brien remains hopeful that Team Ireland can pull off another final-day surprise at the Rás Tailteann.
This time 12 months ago Dillon Corkery stole the show, going up the road in a break which also contained riders such as his-then Ireland teammate Aaron Wade and this year’s stage three winner Cormac McGeough.
That group helped him overcome a 19 seconds deficit in a final day turnaround unseen in recent years.
Lighting rarely strikes twice but the Team Ireland squad remain optimistic that they can once again turn things around, and will go all out on the roads between Maynooth and Bective to do so.
“The way it finished last year, anything can happen,” O’Brien said at the end of stage four to Kildare town. “We still have two strong options there, so it could change.”
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He begins Sunday’s final stage level on time with race leader Dom Jackson (UK: Foran CT) and Conn McDunphy (USA: Skyline-Cadence), who outsprinted O’Brien to win stage two this week.
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Asked after Saturday’s stage what the plan would be for the Rás concluder, he said things would be discussed with the team.
“We have to see tonight,” he answered. “Obviously, today was probably the harder of the two days and didn't really work out for us. The middle bit was hard, but we had a break up the road and they were riding well. But Foran and Skyline, they did a lot of work to bring it back.
“When it came back I tried a few moves then. But big roads, a marked man…it was difficult to get away.
“We will give it another go tomorrow. On the finishing circuit you don't know what could ever happen.”
Still just 19, O’Brien is learning and growing stronger with each passing year. He is part of the Lidl-Trek Future Racing team, the feeder squad to the WorldTour outfit, and impressed with third overall in the Flèche du Sud earlier this month.
He told stickybottle this week that he tends to grow stronger as a stage race goes on; how did he feel on Saturday?
“My legs feel good. But actually my stomach didn't feel too good. I got through it all right, my stomach was a bit off but hopefully it settles a bit now.”
