REPORT Rás Stage 1: NODE4 dominate, as Ireland’s Lavery takes U23 jersey

Stage winner Marcin Bialoblocki, Node4 Girodana celebrates as he crosses the line in Kilkenny during the opening stage of the 2012 An Post Rás. Dunboyne - Kilkenny. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

Stickybottle on the An Post Rás 2012 in Kilkenny

British pro team NODE4 Giordana dominated proceedings on the opening day of the An Post Rás today, Sunday, ending the stage with a victory for Polish rider Marcin Bialablocki and taking home all four classification jerseys.

Bialablocki led home a four-man breakaway that crossed the line with just six seconds to spare in Kilkenny’s Patrick Street, having gone clear in the final 15km of racing just when a bunch sprint finish seemed inevitable.

“It was a fast stage,” the 28-year-old British-based pro told stickybottle at the finish.

“Most of the day we had a tailwind and nobody could get clear but we managed to escape. I got away with about 15km to go. Simon Richardson came across with two others and we worked well together and yeah, we stayed away. I’m very happy.”

The slightly uphill finish saw the Polish strongman, who took second in the recent Lincoln Grand Prix in the UK, hold off a determined Jacob Nielsen of the Danish Blue Water Cycling Team with Swiss rider Nicolas Baldo (Atlas Personal) snatching third from 2009 Rás winner Simon Richardson (Britain Sigma Sport) two seconds later.

“I’m very happy with this stage win,” said Bialablocki after.

“I knew I had good legs, good form and I know I am going well. I’m not the best sprinter, but I’m strong. It would be nice to hold onto (the yellow jersey) but it’s going to be very hard. I’m not too worried about losing it.”

Of the Irish, Peter Hawkins (IG Sigma Sport) was best on the stage, taking seventh place, while Aaron Buggle of the Dan Morrissey-Speedy Spokes team took the county rider award for 17th.

“I was a little bit worried at the start because I haven’t raced at home in quite a while,” said French based Buggle at the finish.

“But it was quite similar to racing in France. I just got stuck in and found myself in the right position coming towards the end. I’m not a sprinter by any stretch of the imagination but I just had a go and ended up getting up there.”

Buggle however was denied the lead in the U23 classification by fellow Dubliner Philip Lavery (Node4 Giordana) who took a three second time bonus on the Hill of Allen, 54km into the stage. That was enough to add the white jersey to the yellow and green jerseys of Bialablocki and the King of the Mountains jersey of teammate Dave Clarke, who celebrated his 33rd birthday today.

“I knew the Hill of Allen was coming, so I just followed somebody out of the bunch,” said Lavery.

“The bunch stalled and a couple of seconds here or there counts. We won’t do anything to lose the jersey tomorrow but we certainly won’t go to the front and try to show a big force for eight days, because that’s not going to happen. Tomorrow is like the first stage all over again in the Rás and hopefully we won’t lose any time.”

How it unfolded:

Day one saw the peloton travel 147 kilometres from Dunboyne to Kilkenny and it was barely an hour into the race when several riders including Kristian Forbord (OneCo-Mesterhus) crashed just outside Prosperous in Co Kildare. Thankfully none of the riders involved were badly injured.

Shortly after a bunch of ten riders including Sam Bennett (An Post Sean Kelly) and Wouter Sybrandy (IG Sigma Sport) broke clear. However, they were quickly reeled in before the first hot spot sprint which was won by young Dubliner Philip Lavery (Node4 Giordana).

The following 40 kilometres saw a number of riders try to break clear, but nothing stuck until a group of five led by Nicolas Baldo of the Swiss Atlas Jackroo team opened up a 30 second gap. They forged on but after 120 kilometres of racing the group was caught on the second climb of the day and the peloton came together once more.

Swiss rider Jonathan Fumeaux (Switzerland Atlas Jackroo) was the next to attack, but he too was caught with a little over ten kilometres remaining. It was at this stage that the decisive break of the day got away as four riders, including Fumeaux’s team mate Baldo, and eventual race winner Bialoblocki got free.

They quickly built up a thirty second lead and despite the peloton’s best efforts they weren’t to be caught. As the finish drew closer it was Bialoblocki who had most left in the tank and he crossed the line with his arms aloft to take the first yellow jersey of the race.