Anto Walsh, leading, has taken the biggest win of his career on stage 3 of Rás Mumhan (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Riding for Team Aquablue, Anto Walsh has taken the biggest victory of his career after claiming 3 of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan.
The Dubliner blasted across the finish line in Waterville ahead of his breakaway companions after 135km that included the feared cat 1 ascent of the Coom an Easpaigh.
Walsh came home just ahead of Daire Feeley (iTap) and 2014 outright winner Mark Dowling (ASEA-Wheelworx).
That trio had been part of an eight-man breakaway that also included Adam Armstrong (ASEA Wheelworx), Darragh O’Mahoney (Irish Development Team), Mark O'Callaghan, Jack Barrett and Paddy Clarke.
Dowling hit out for home with a long range attack and built a gap over Feeley and Walsh that reached a maximum of about one minute.
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And as the yellow jersey Chris McGlinchey fell further and further back on the road, it looked like the head of the overall standings may change considerably.
However, as Walsh and Feeley very gradually caught Dowling to make it three men at the head of the race fighting for stage honours, McGlinchey took off on his own back the road and caught and passed a large number of riders.
And while it was Walsh who took the stage from Feeley and Dowling in that order, McGlinchey incredibly did enough to hold onto his yellow jersey.
How it unfolded
After a savage stage 2 on Saturday, the riders once again face inclement weather on Sunday’s trek starting and finishing in Waterville.
Chris McGlinchey took the yellow jersey into battle. He had a gap of 1:06 on Bryan McCrystal with Ali Macaulay (both ASEA Wheelworx) 3rd a further 19 seconds back.
And in a real indication of how hard the racing had been for the opening two stages; some 5:34 covered the top 10 on the general standings.
One of those was the emerging Daire Feeley, filling 5th place at 4:31 down. And the iTap man was clearly on a mission.
He was very lively from early on the stage but not until after a group of around 15 riders, including the classification jersey wearers, forged clear and pulled out 20 seconds before being reabsorbed.
But by the time the junction was made with under 20km completed, the bunch was already decimated.
Shortly after that piece of action was concluded, Feeley took off a couple of times before pulling clear solo and cresting the first categorised climb of the day leading alone.
No sooner were the riders over that ascent of The Glen than Jamie Lowden of Surrey-Casco and Ali Macaulay of ASEA-Wheelworx got clear of what was left of the peloton and went in pursuit of the lone leader.
However, with just over 30km completed, the two chasers were caught by the peloton and Feeley remained out front about 20 seconds clear.
To his great credit, Feeley ploughed on and the gap went out to around 45 seconds.
This time it was eventual stage winner Anto Walsh (Team Aquablue) who went after him.
And that would prove the start of the big picture that would animate the race.
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A group of six took off from the bunch and caught Walsh, leaving seven men chasing the impressive Feeley.
In that chase group behind the lone leader were: Adam Armstrong (ASEA Wheelworx), Mark O'Callaghan (Team Aquablue), Mark Dowling (ASEA-Wheelworx) Jack Barrett (Team Bikehaus), Paddy Clarke (Killarney CC) and Eugene Moriarty (Dunboyne CC).
With 45km completed, Feeley decided to wait for the chasers, leaving eight up front with a gap of just under 30 seconds.
Moriarty would soon lose his place and despite the Irish Development Team chasing the breakaway in defence of their man McGlinchey’s yellow jersey the gap continued to grow, hitting two minutes with about 65km raced.
The breakaway combined very well, fanning across the road to allow for the crosswinds and continuing to plough on to build their lead.
And with almost 90km raced the leaders had 3:30 on the bunch, with a group of chasers around halfway in between.
In that group behind were Sean Lacey (Team Aquablue), Paidi O’Brien (Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles), Eoin Morton (UCD-Fitzcycles), Joury Ottenbros (Combi Lift-WF ST), Jamie Lowden (Surrey League), Conor Hennebry (Team Aquablue) and Tino Haakman (Killorglin CC).
As the breakaway reached the early slopes of the cat 1 ascent of the Coom an Easpaigh, it was Clarke and Barrett who lost contact with the lead group first followed by Armstrong.
The chasers were now 1:30 behind the breakaway, with the yellow jersey reduced peloton almost four minutes back.
And as the climb really began to hurt everyone, Dowling took off on his own.
Incredibly, despite all his efforts earlier, it was Feeley who hunted him down followed by Walsh and one to watch Mark O’Callaghan.
Dowling took the KOH points at the top of the climb alone, with just under 30km remaining to the finish into Waterville.
And he also took the final KOH of the day, with Feeley and Walsh now combining to try and catch the lone leader.
Dowling had a gap on the two chasers of one minute with 20km remaining as the yellow jersey group was still four minutes behind the head of the race and the remainder of the breakaway was in the middle of that gap.
But McGlinchey decided to take matters into his own hands sensing he needed to limit his losses even if he was never going to get near the front of the race again.
With 5km remaining, it looked like the game was up for Dowling as Feeley and Walsh were only 10 seconds behind him, with a chasing group just over a further minute behind while McGlinchey was now just three minutes off the leader.
Dowling was absorbed by Walsh and Feeley well into the final 4km, with the time gaps showing the chasing group was now only 36 seconds back and McGlinchey had closed to within 2:50.
But while the gaps continued to reduce all the way to the line and the leading trio began attacking each other, none of the groups joined up.
And when the head of the race reached Waterville it was Walsh who won from Feeley with Dowling in 3rd.
Not long after Dowling came home it was Adam Armstrong who took 4th from the chase group, with Eoin Morton in 5th, Joury Ottenbros in 6th followed by Sean Lacey in 7th.
Jamie Lowden was in 8th and Mark O’Callaghan and Darragh O’Mahoney rounded out the top 10.
McGlinchey retained his race lead.
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