Tim Shoreman (Cabtech-Wheelbase-Castelli) has won stage 3 of Rás Tailteann, after 163.8km of racing from Cong in Co Mayo to Miltown Malbay in Co Clare after a brutally hard day out in the west of Ireland.
Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey-Pissei) was 2nd from Sebastian Brenes (Canel’s-Java) and former stage winner and former yellow jersey Matt Teggart (Banbridge CC), with Charles Page (Foran CT) in 5th.
Race leader, Odhrán Doogan (Cycling Ulster), and George Peden (PB Performance) both launched attacks with about 10km to go. Peden managed to pulled out an advantage of just over 10 seconds, briefly putting him in the yellow jersey on the the road.
However, he was caught by a chase involving Doogan and Team Ireland, paving the way for a sprint from a much reduced bunch after the speed, climbs and rain did a lot of damage today.
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That bunch formed after the riders tackled Corkscrew Hill, with an established breakaway being mopped up by the best of the riders in the bunch as Dean Harvey (Team Ireland) had attacked solo on the climb, leading for a time on his own.
Shoreman adds his win today to the victory he took on the opening stage of the race, with the British rider also claiming victory in Co Meath on the last stage of the 2024 edition.
How it unfolded
With just over 20km completed, and with the heavens opening, a large breakaway group got clear, with the yellow jersey, Odhrán Doogan (Cycling Ulster) missing from the move, which soon had one minute.
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In that breakaway were: Rás winner Daire Feeley (Burren CC), Jordan Giles (DAS Richardsons), John Buller (Banbridge CC), Will Tidball (Great Britain CT), Paul Kennedy (Team Skyline), Cameron McLaren (TAAP Kalas), George Kimber (Cycling Club Isle of Man), Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase-Cabtech-Castelli), Lindsay Watson (Cycling Ulster), Josh Charlton (Great Britain CT), Conn McDunphy (Team Skyline), Ruairi Byrne (Team Ireland), Dean Harvey (Team Ireland) and Jack Conroy (Bray Wheelers).
Cormac McGeough (Canel’s - Java) was also in that breakaway group initially but, unfortunately, he needed a bike change. His stop for that change resulted in him losing his place in the group.
George Peden (Team PB Performance), who was also on the attack yesterday, and Evan Keane (Pinergy-Orwell Wheelers) chased for a long time, managing to get about 30 seconds on the bunch. However, they closed the gap to the breakaway to about 40 seconds but did not get across.
For the first 30-40km of the breakaway, after the gap became established, it remained at about one minute, coming down a little at times.
With 85km completed, Harvey and Conroy crashed in the breakaway, with Harvey getting back into the group, though only after chasing for about 10km. For Conroy - who has been going very well this year - the news was worse. He got caught in no man's land between the breakaway and bunch. And after chasing solo for a period, he sat up and went back to the bunch.
With 100km completed, and with Corkscrew Hill looming around 15km down the road, the gap was holding at one minute. Once the riders hit that climb, both breakaway and bunch began to fragment on the hairpin 2.8km ascent.
Though Dean Harvey had earlier crashed, and was forced into a chase, he dropped his breakaway companions on the climb and took maximum points at the top, out front on his own.
However, after persisting solo for a time after the climb, the chasing group was closing in on Harvey and he decided to wait. And when he was caught, it was by a large group; his former breakaway companions with the remains of the peloton.
That made for a lead group, or bunch, of about 50-60 riders as they headed for the climbs of Doonagore Cross and Cliffs of Moher. The Doonagroe cat 3 climb was taken by Jude Taylor (Team PB Performance) from Jamie Meehan (Team Ireland), Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) and race leader Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster).
On the cat 2 Cliffs of Moher, Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) took maximum points from Jamie Meehan (Team Ireland), Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT), yellow jersey Doogan (Cycling Ulster), Pau Doménech Callau (Connacht Cycling) and Will Tidball (Great Britain).
With about 15km to go to the stage finish in Miltown Malbay the front group split, with race leader Doogan in the front section and proving attentive at the front marking the moves. Indeed, in Lahinch, with 11km to go, he attacked.
When he was caught, it was the ever-impressive Peden who made a move; the Performance PB rider clearly in great form this week but just needing a bit of luck to convert his form into a major result.
Unlike Doogan's move, Peden's attack saw him eke out a gap, which nudge just over 10 seconds after a few kilometre. And with his TT abilities, the only question was who would take up the chase in the group.
Peden had started the stage just 11 seconds down on Doogan, in 14th, meaning he was briefly yellow jersey on the road. However, Doogan's Cycling Ulster and Team Ireland set about a chase and caught him, bringing his hopes to an end. That paved the way for a sprint from a reduced bunch, won by Shoreman.
