Bryan McCrystal (ASEA-Wheelworx) dishes out the hurt while trying to establish the breakaway on the Healy Pass during today's second stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan. To his left are Paddy Clarke (Killarney CC - Pink) and Denis Dunworth (Moda Sports/Kingdom Endurance). In the background about to bridge is Ruben Dorren (West Frisia-Combi Lift). (Picture: Brendan Slattery)
Brian Canty
Bryan McCrystal has said today’s win in the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan ranks as highly as anything he has ever won in cycling but has stressed there is still work to be done.
The big Dundalk man, riding for ASEA-Wheelworx, was the day’s main aggressor and was the last man standing at the end of a truly brutal day that took the riders on a 140-kilometre trek around Kerry and west Cork.
Advertisement
“It’s definitely up there with the best, it’s on a level par with a couple of others but we’d have liked to have taken the overall as well,” he said with a slight hint of regret.
“I was up there in the early move, Chris (McGlinchey) came across and looked strong, (Denis) Dunworth (Moda Sports Kingdom Endurance), Paddy Clarke (Killarney CC – Pink), Ali (Macaulay – teammate) and two Dutch lads.
“Two jerseys were there (yellow and mountains) - you wouldn’t often get that.”
The group pressed on, into Glengarriff and beyond but eventually, the group was whittled back to just the ASEA-Wheelworx pair (Macaulay and McCrystal) and McGlinchey.
“They weren’t doing any riding,” said McCrystal of the Dutch riders who were eventually spat out.
“Going for the KOH points on one of the climbs – more to protect the jersey for Ali than anything, I kept my effort up and the two of us got away.
“It made McGlinchey ride by (us) getting away and we had a minute on him at one stage.”
That, in fact, was at the top of the next climb (Reenaree) and I was very surprised he got back on, because we weren’t hanging around. It was a bit of a weird one.”
Related News
McCrystal crosses the line as winner of the stage as McGlinchey desperately tries to limit his losses behind. (Picture: Brendan Slattery)
That left the three of them clear, with the County Bounds to come (category two).
“McGlinchey was sitting on, he was getting a free ride. Myself and Ali were doing all the riding.
“I knew I needed to soften him (McGlinchey) up and force him to ride so I started to attack on the descent; I wanted to sacrifice myself.
“I got a gap on the county bounds and I just drove it from there.
“I got a minute while he was trying to get rid of Ali behind.”
Macaulay would suffer from cramp and drop back, meaning McGlinchey could go into full chase mode.
“I was holding 50 seconds to a minute coming in the road,” said McCrystal of his margin to the young Belfast man.
“I was hurting at 15k to go because I was riding all day, I had no rest.
“I was in the exact same place last year but got caught towards the end but I held on this time.
“The stage win was great but unfortunately, the gap didn’t hold (for me to take yellow), but it is what it is.
“Tomorrow is another one-day; it will be another epic with weather and terrain and Coomanaspic (category one climb), but it’s a funny race, it can turn its head at any point.”
Topics
