Adam Armstrong (left) of Eurocycles edges out Richard Lang of Rapha Condor Sharp for third in Killybegs (Photo: Stephen McCarthy – Sportsfile)
Adam Armstrong of the Eurocycles team has taken Ireland’s first podium stage placing in the 2012 An Post Ras, finishing third on the sixth stage into Killybegs in Co Donegal today, Friday.
However, the day belonged to the Swiss Atlas Jakroo team, with the yellow jersey of Nicolas Baldo attacking the select group in the closing kilometres, getting a slender gap of five seconds and extending it slightly all the way to the line to take the stage win.
He held on for a really strong victory despite being chased down by the An Post-Sean Kelly team members in the leading group.
Ryan Sherlock (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers) came closest to catching the flying Baldo.
Advertisement
The Monaghan man attacked the lead group twice in the final three kilometres and on the second occasion got a gap on the group, but was caught just 150 metres short of the line after a great effort to grab second on the stage.
With Armstrong taking third place, David McCann (RTS Racing) was the next best Irish rider on the stage in 6th place.
A former winner of this race overall, McCann was briefly leader on the road when he got away with Krister Hagen (Oneco- Mesterhus) heading for the 10km to go mark. They built a gap of 30 seconds, with McCann having been just 29 seconds down on the yellow jersey of Baldo this morning.
However, by the time Hagen came up to McCann, the Irishman had been on the attack for a prolonged period. And the duo just did not have the firepower to remain out front, with an attack from the yellow jersey closing a lot of the gap up to them.
All of that activity was taking place off the front of a select group that formed over the cat 1 ascent of Glengesh Pass at the 101km point. Yellow jersey Baldo had punctured just before the climb but had little difficulty getting back on.
At the start of that climb a lead group of three riders was clear. They were: Remi Sarreboubee (AVC Aix en Provence), Simon Richardson (IG Sigma Sport) and Fredrick Johansson (UK Youth Cycling). McCann had been with them earlier, but decided to sit up out of the group.
With the An Post-Sean Kelly duo of Gediminas Bagdonas and Connor McConvey doing much of the damage on the front up the climb, the three leaders were quickly caught. Going over the top of the ascent, McConvey’s pressing had caused a split and he found himself in a breakaway of five riders.
With him were: Jonathan Fumeaux (Atlas Jakroo). David Clarke (Node4 Giordana), Martin Hunal (AC Sparta Praha) and Lasse Hansen (Blue Water).
McConvey had started this morning just 14 seconds down overall in 7th place while Hunal was third on GC this morning just seven seconds down on Baldo.
Related News
McConvey pressed on hard down the climb, but the lead group were caught with 25kms remaining - including two second category climbs.
With 18kms to go, David McCann attacked and got clear with three others, one of whom was last year’s GC winner Bagdonas. But they were reeled in after a few kilometres. And when that happened McCann attacked again. After leading on his own for a few kilometres he was joined by Krister Hagen (Oneco Mesterhus).
That duo pressed on hard and had a lead of 30 seconds at one point. However, the yellow jersey of Baldo sensed real danger and an attack by him effectively closed the gap, with the select group once again in tact as it hurtled into the finish well inside the 10km to go mark.
There were some more attacks coming in the road but nothing stuck until Baldo went again with 4km remaining. He got five seconds immediately and held that gap for a while, before pulling away slightly in the finish to take the stage by ten seconds, extending his GC lead.
Just behind him Ryan Sherlock’s attack was overhauled in the finishing straight, leaving Krister Hagen to take the sprint for second just ahead of Armstrong.
Rapha Condor Sharp had a good day, placing two men in the top ten on the stage – Richard Lang in 4th and Christopher Jennings in 7th – and they also maintained Richard Handley’s lead in the U23 classification.
Team manager John Herity said before this race that the team had refocused on development this year, and with some good performances this week it looks like he has some good raw material to work with over the next few years.
McCann clearly rode today to try to win the race overall, and was very aggressive and strong coming in the road. His crash in the Tour of Korea may have ruined his preparation for this race, but he is clearly in great form and his 6th place today bags him more Olympic qualification points.
We’ll have more later.
Stage 6: Buncrana - Killybegs
1) Nicolas Baldo (Atlas Jakroo) 3:06:44
2) Krister Hagen (Oneco- Mesterhus) @ 10 secs
3) Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles)
4) Richard Lang (Rapha Condor Sharp)
5) Pirmin Lang (Atlas Jakroo)
6) David McCann (RTS Racing )
7) Christopher Jennings (Rapha Condor Sharp)
8 Rolf Broge (Blue Water)
9) Michael Vingerling (Koga)
10) Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post-Sean Kelly) all same time
General Classification after 6 of 8 stages
1) Nicolas Baldo (Atlas Jakroo) 19:26:28
2) Thomas Rostollan (AVC Aix En Provence) @13secs
3) Martin Hunal (AC Sparta Praha) @17secs
4) Pirmin Lang (Atlas Jakroo) @18secs
5) Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp)
6) Marcin Bialoblocki (Node4 Giordana Racing) @21secs
7) Connor McConvey (An Post-Sean Kelly) @24secs
8 Jonathan Fumeaux (Atlas Jakroo) @29secs
9) Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post-Sean Kelly) @33secs
10) Remi Sarreboubee (AVC Aix En Provence) @37secs
Other GC Classifications
Points: Bagdonas
KOH David Clarke (Node4 Giordana)
U23 Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp)
Topics
