McConvey, third in line here, put in a really good ride today (Photo: [email protected])
Ireland’s Connor McConvey of the An Post-Sean Kelly team showed his credentials on the road to Gort on today’s second stage of the An Post Rás, going clear in the main escape and putting himself into a good position on the general classification.
However, while the Belfast man looked very strong on the tough roads that made up today’s 158km leg into the west, it was the Swiss contingent on this year’s race who took the spoils.
Pirmin Lang of the Atles Jakroo team got the better of his breakaway companions in the gallop into Gort after a nail biting finale saw the breakaway men just about hold off the chasing peloton.
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McConvey, who is not known as a sprinter, could only manage seventh of the seven men that made it to the line together. But he looked very strong today and has now moved up the GC to seventh overall.
All the breakaway men are now on the same time in the overall standings. The yellow jersey was awarded to stage winner Lang on count back.
He beat Dale Appely (Metaltek SCOTT) into second place on the stage, with James Moss (NODE4 Giordana) in third. Danish rider Christian Jerslid Jensen (Blue Water Cycling) was fourth, with Dan Craven (IG Sigma Sport) fifth and Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp) in sixth, followed by McConvey in seventh.
Just 28 seconds after the breakaway men finished, Sam Bennett led the bunch home in the gallop for eight place, with his An Post-Sean Kelly team mate and last year’s overall winner Gediminas Bagdonas just behind him in ninth on the stage.
That was enough to give Bagdonas the lead in the points classification. Craven, who enjoyed a very good day in the climbs in the breakaway today, takes the KOH jersey.
Unfortunately for Dubliner Philip Lavery (NODE4 Giordana), one of the day’s escapees – Handley – is an U23 rider and so he has relived Lavery of the lead in that competition. Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles) took the county prize.
The breakaway moved clear just after the 40km mark and almost immediately pulled out a lead of two minutes. That continued to grow as all of those up front rode hard, and at one point they had a lead of four minutes over the bunch.
A chasing group of six riders got to within one minute of the leaders before they fell back and were absorbed by the bunch.
That chase group featured no fewer than five Irish riders - Sean Lacey and Robin Kelly (both of Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes), Simon Ryan (DMG Visit Nenagh), Conor McAllister (Chainreactioncycles.com), and Patrick Clarke (Castlebar Western Edge) – along with Graeme Hatcher of the Isle of Man.
In the bunch, the Czech AC Sparta Praha Team and French AVC Aix en Provence team had both missed the boat and did most of the driving after the breakaway. David McCann (RTS Racing) was also very visible at the front and looked strong today in the closing stages.
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With three climbs in quick succession before the last 16km into the finish, the breakaway men did very well to hang on out there. The gap was down around the one minute mark with 10kms to go and kept creeping down all the way to the finish.
However, the leaders stuck to their task and drove it in the road to Gort, where Lang won a great gallop for the stage win and the yellow jersey.
We’ll have much more later folks and please remember the results below are provisional at this stage.
Ras Stage 2 - Kilkenny to Gort
1) Pirmin Lang (Atles Jakroo) 3:33:47
2) Dale Appleby (Metaltek)
3) James Moss (NODE4 Giordana)
4) Christian Jerslid Jensen (Blue Water Cycling)
5) Dan Craven (IG - Sigma Sport)
6) Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp)
7) Connor McConvey (An Post-Sean Kelly) all same time
8) Sam Bennett(Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) @ 28
9) Gediminas Bagdonas(Belgium An Post Sean Kelly)
10) Remi Sarreboubee(France AVC Aix En Provence)
General Classification
1) Pirmin Lang(Atles Jakroo)
2) Dale Appleby(Metaltek)
3) James Moss(NODE4 Giordana)
4) Richard Handley(Rapha Condor Sharp)
5) Connor McConvey (An Post Sean Kelly)
6) Dan Craven (IG - Sigma Sport)
7) Christian Jerslid Jensen (Blue Water) all equal time
8) Marcin Bialoblocki (NODE4 Giordana) @ 12 secs
9) Jacob Nielsen (Blue Water) @ 18 secs
10) Nicolas Baldo (Atlas Jakroo) @ 20 secs
County rider winner
Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles)
U23 jersey
Handley
Points jersey
Bagdonas
KOH jersey
Craven
