By Shane Stokes
Fifth on stage one, Odhrán Doogan went considerably better than that on the penultimate day of this year’s Rás Tailteann.
The Dublin Pinergy Orwell Wheelers rider is, at just 18 years old, the youngest rider in the race, but just as Sam Bennett did at the same age back in 2009, he is going shoulder to shoulder with the fastest riders in a bid to take a stage.
Doogan thundered in close behind Rory Townsend (Ireland National Team) in Kilbeggan, netting second on the stage and also winning the Festina Watches best county rider award.
“I am happy with second, I can’t really complain,” he told stickybottle after the podium presentation. “Especially against Rory Townsend, he is a strong sprinter.
“It was fast all day, then a break went with maybe 40k or so to go. The Irish boys went in the front and just lit it up to catch them. They caught them, a few boys tried to get up the road with ten kilometres to go. Again, the Ireland boys rode well all day. They caught them back and then I knew Townsend would be the wheel to follow.”
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“His wheel was on high demand, but I managed to get there in the end,” he explained. “I lit up the sprint then with 150 to go but couldn’t quite get around him. But I’m happy with second.”
Doogan finished ninth in last year’s junior national championships. This season he has settled in quickly into the senior ranks. He was second behind Matthew Teggart in the John Haldane Memorial in Newry in March and later that month was fourth on the final stage and ninth overall in the Rás Mhaigh Eo.
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Even better was to come in April: he was third on stage three of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and then was quickest on the final stage of the race, winning into Knocknagoshel.
More recently he showed strong pre-Rás form when he finished fourth in the Noel Teggart Memorial in Banbridge.
He’s clear on what his speciality is. “Sprinting is definitely my thing. Ever since I started cycling I just love sprinting.”
So if someone had told him before the Rás that he would end up being second on a stage, would that have been in line with his expectations?
“If you told me I'd be second I probably would believe you,” he said, showing confidence. “My goal is to get a stage win, and I know how big that goal is. But tomorrow is another day and it should suit me, so I'll try to get that stage win.
Asked if there is anything he needs to do differently on Sunday’s last stage, he believes the victory will be determined by the rider who is feeling best in the finale.
“I think it'll be who has the better legs,” he said. “I think it'll be very similar to today. A lot of people will be attacking, trying to get time with GC. But I think it'll be exactly the same…the boys will be controlling it, and it will probably be a bunch sprint.”
If so, you can expect to see him again, going shoulder to shoulder with many riders who are older and more experienced than him but, evidently, not quite as fast.
