British rider Louis Sutton (Spain Brocar Ale) has won stage 2 of Rás Tailteann into Castleisland; the 20-year-old making the main breakaway today and then attacking from it on the final climb to claim victory. He finished solo just seconds ahead of Willian Perrett (Spellman Dublin Port), with Michael Chadwick (Britain Embark-Bikestrong) a little further back in 3rd place.
George Kimber (Spirit Racing) was 4th and Matt Teggart (Cycling Ulster) was 5th; those two coming out of the bunch and a chasing group in the latter stages to chase after the four still up the road from the early breakaway.
Irish rider Daire Feeley (Cork All human-VeloRevolution), who was among the four breakaway riders that kicked on from the main escape, placed 6th on the stage.
The remains of the main peloton split to pieces on the final climb, Crags Cave, with stage 1 winner and yellow jersey Matthew Teggart (Cycling Ulster) getting clear from the bunch and setting off in pursuit of the leaders and a chasing group.
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While Teggart and Kimber, who was among the chasing group, managed to catch and pass Feeley, the other three riders from the original breakaway mopped up the stage podium placings.
The stage winner has just turned 20-years-old and is based in Spain, where he has enjoyed considerable success so far this year. He won a stage and the overall at the Grande Prémio Azores stage race in Portugal last month, also claimed the points and climbers’ jerseys.
How it unfolded
Today’s stage from Horese and Jockey in Co Tipperary to Castleisland in Co Kerry was 154.8m and included the two late climbs. The first of those ascents, at Freemount after 98.7km, was followed by the Crags Cave Cat 2, starting at 148.8km, with his over 5km to go to the finish.
Because of the fatigue starting to build in the peloton, and especially the location of the late climbs, today was always seen as a possible crucial day for the general classification when the 2022 race route was confirmed.
However, though that final climb was expected to be a real test – and a possible launch pad for attacks for the best riders in the race – that did not deter many from trying to get up the road early.
There was the characteristic lightening fast start to, it seems, every Rás stage, with repeated attacks trying to form. After 15km of racing, a very strong three-men group had a gap of about 10 seconds on the main field – Daire Feeley (Cork All human-VeloRevolution), Kevn McCambridge (Trinity Racing) and Mark Shannon (Clare Burren CC).
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However, they were kept on a very tight leash and were quickly brought back as the race averaged 50km per hour in the first 30 minutes. As the field hurtled through Tipperary Town there were two crashes, though all riders were soon back on their bikes.
During that phase of the race, six riders got free of the bunch and they very quickly established a gap of over 50 seconds. In that group were: Paul Kennedy (Clare Burren CC), Odhran Doogan (Dublin Orwell), Richie Maes (Cork All human-VeloRevolution), Willian Perrett (Spellman Dublin Port), Joe Hill (Britain Spirit BSS) and Michael Chadwick (Britain Embark-Bikestrong).
As the leader’s gap went out a 10-man chasing group set off in pursuit of them. And as the stage reached the halfway mark there was 1:40 between the six leaders and the bunch, with the chasing group in between, just 30 seconds off the leaders.
By the time the two groups merged, their number, combined, had fallen to 12 and included: Paul Antoine Hagan (Team Ireland). Gareth O’Neill (Cycling Ulster). Daire Feeley (Cork All human-VeloRevolution), Louis Sutton (Spain Brocar Ale), Jim Kes (Netherlands West Frisia), Alex Malacarne (Britain Trinity Racing), William Perrett (Spellman Dublin Port), Darragh McCarter (Spellman Dublin Port), Odhran Doogan (Dublin Orwell), Richie Maes (Cork All human-VeloRevolution), Michael Chadwick (Britain Embark-Bikestrong) and Joe Hill (Britain Spirit BSS).
In the bunch behind, Cycling Sheffield and Team Ireland lead the chase as the race climbed the first ascent at 95km. Up over that climb, the breakaway remained together and when the time check came through it showed a gap of 1:17 over the peloton.
However, as the breakaway then began to attack each other, the gap back to the peloton began to fall, but only slightly, with 40km to go. McCarter of Spellman Dublin Port and Malacarne of Trinity Racing, a Brazilian MTB international, lost their places in the lead group, which was reduced to 10.
As the leaders approached the final 25km of racing, the gap they enjoyed over the main pack was still at 1:15, giving them a very real chance of making it all the way.
In that lead group, Hagan of Team Ireland was the next to lose contact and his team mates ramped up the chase behind, bringing the gap back down close to 50 seconds again. And as Trinity Racing joined the chase, the tumbling down of the gap gathered pace.
With the advantaged down towards 30 seconds, the breakaway split and four men pushed forward; Feeley (Cork All human-VeloRevolution), Sutton (Brocar Ale), Chadwick (Embark Bikestrong) and Perrett (Dublin Spellman Port).
Behind them, a chasing group emerged from the bunch featuring Adam Ward (Team Ireland), George Kimber (Britain Spirit BSS), Stefan Appelman (Netherlands West Frisia), Conor Hennebry (Carlow Dan Morrissey) and Devin Shortt (Carlow Dan Morrissey).
When the race hit the final climb of Crags Cave, it was Sutton who went clear up front; the British riders leaving the other escapees behind as the road kicked up.
And in the bunch behind, yellow jersey Matt Teggart (Cycling Ulster), points classification jersey Rory Townsend (Team Ireland) and Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrissey) began to go clear. Teggart then pressed on alone, and set off in pursuit of the four ahead.
However, the escapees survived, with Sutton winning solo by a few seconds over Perret, with Chadwick in 3rd, Kimber 4th, Teggart taking 5th and Feeley 6th.
