Start: Killarney, High Street 11:30 - Glenflesk 11:50 - KOM3: Crohane 12:03 Baile Bhuine 12:11 - Macroom 12:29 - Coachford 12:48 - Dripsey 12:52 - Sprint: Blarney 13:12 - McCurtain Street, 1st Passage 13:25 - KOM1: St Patrick’s Hill 13:26 - Sprint: McCurtain Street, 2nd Passage 13:44 - McCurtain Street, 3rd Passage 14:03 - KOM1: St. Patrick’s Hill 14:04 - Sprint: McCurtain Street, 4th Passage 14:22 - Finish: Cork, McCurtain Street 1
(all times approximate)
11.34: Good morning and welcome to the final stage of this year’s Tour of Ireland. We are heading out of Killarney now, with the riders in the neutralised section.
Today’s stage has the potential to be a superb one, with things still very tight in the general classification. Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) leads overall but is just two seconds clear of Julian Dean, who has the strong Garmin Chipotle squad behind him. King of the Mountains leader Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) is eleven seconds back. Another fifteen riders are between twelve and eighteen seconds down, including An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly riders Daniel Lloyd (6th overall) and Daniel Fleeman (18th).
11.43: The riders have four laps of St. Patrick’s Hill in Cork, with another climb also featuring on the 15.4 kilometre finishing circuit. That gives plenty of opportunity for things to break up, and for a lot of fighting to be done.
11.49: The race has started, and the pace is high from the off. We anticipate plenty of attacks.
The scenery is beautiful, with rolling green mountains all around.
11.55: There have been many attacks, but things have been controlled so far.
11.59: Two riders got a gap at the early part of the King of the Mountains climb, 9.4 kilometres into the stage. It’s very long, but not steep – hence the fourth category ranking. The top is 15.2 kilometres into the stage.
Those two were brought back, then three scampered away. A fourth has got across. We have no identification of those as yet
12.02: There’s now six clear. Again, we are waiting to find out who they are.
Okay, that has dropped down to four riders: Frantisek Rabon (Columbia), Ilya Chemetskiy (Tinkoff Credit Systems), Mauro Richeze (CSF Group Navigare) and Frederiek Nolf (Topsport Vlaanderen) are those concerned.
12.06: The four are ten seconds clear. The peloton appears to be speeding up.
Nolf dropped back, and Thomas Rabou (Rabobank) and Fredrik Ericsson (Pezula) came up.
They crossed the top of the climb 29 seconds clear. So they are 15.2 kilometres into the race.
12.14: Five riders from the Pinarello CandiTV team are leading the peloton. Yellow jersey Downing is in tenth place at the moment, saving his energy for the big fight later.
Thomas Rabou is best placed overall. He is 19th overall, 40 seconds behind Downing.
12.22: Paul Healion has pulled out of the race: we think he has been having knee problems.
The breakaway is not working well, with a lot of jumping around taking place. Chemetskiy is trying to get clear, Rabou goes after him.
There had been some arguing earlier within the break.
12.24:Chemetskiy and Rabou have left the other two and are pulling clear. Rabou is race leader on the road.
The three others in the break have got back up to the leading two. Rabon and near-namesake Rabou have words with each other.
12.29: The gap remains at 42 seconds.
This break is not gelling at all. Chemetskiy attacks again and Rabon goes after him. They are then joined by Ericsson.
Rabou and Richeze sit up and go back to the bunch.
It appears that Rabou was bullied out of the break. He had started the day just 40 seconds back and the other riders put a lot of pressure on him to drop out of it. That’s hard for the 24 year old. They clearly felt that by him being there, the peloton would give them no leeway.
12.39: Sure enough, the gap has jumped up to one minute 22 seconds. The three leaders are working well together.
Ericsson is happy to hear they are pulling clear. “Excellent,” he says, giving the thumbs up to the commissare.
12.46: The leaders are working well together. They have covered 47 kilometres.
12.54: The break is now three minutes ten seconds ahead. They will try to build a big lead before the finishing circuit. Downing’s team will be happy to give them leeway as he’ll be happy for all the bonus sprints to be mopped up. And, if they can stay clear until the end, he’ll be happy with that too. The winner of the stage will get ten seconds, and he is just two ahead of Dean.
12.57: They are 55 kilometres into the stage.
Mobile internet coverage has been patchy again; we should get back online soon, and expect no problems closer to Cork.
13.10: The race leader has been to see the race doctor, who reports a very unusual injury. He had a thorn embedded in his tongue – presumably from an overhanging branch, or perhaps even some dried fruit he ate – which was removed by the doctor. The thorn, not his tongue.
He has been given an antihistamine and while his tongue is swollen, the doctor reported that it is not interfering with his breathing.
The leaders have three minutes 46 seconds.
13.25: The leaders have covered 75 kilometres; the will get onto the finishing circuit at km 77.
They have done so; the gap is 3 minutes 54 seconds, the highest yet.
The first ascent of St. Patrick’s hill starts 82.4 kilometres into the stage…so we are nearly there : )
Before that, the leaders hit another very steep climb. This is going to be a really tough stage.
13.36: They have just climbed St Patrick’s Hill for the first time…it’s as steep as ever, and the crowds were both very big and very enthusiastic. It looks super – if you can, watch this coverage on TV this evening!
All three stayed together, then turned left shortly after the top and dropped down a technical descent.
They are now on another climb! Wow, this is really, really tough…
The peloton is yet to hit the climb; we’ll keep you posted re what info we get on the radio. We are with the break.
Bernhard Eisel has abandoned the race. The gap is three minutes and five seconds between the break and the bunch.
The Tinkoff rider Ilya Chernetskiy has been dropped from the break – that climb after Patrick’s Hill did him in.
He is 12 seconds back.
13.42: The green jersey has been dropped from the main group. So Mark Cavendish is gone.
These descents really are technical…a lot of this circuit seems to be straight up or straight down.
Results from the first KOH:
1, Fratisek Rabon (Team Columbia)
2, Fredrik Ericsson (Pezula Racing)
3, Ilya Chernetskiy (Tinkoff Credit Systems)
4, Martijn Maaskant (Garmin Chipotle)
5, Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing)
6, Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank)
7, Kristian House (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk)
8, Neil McDonald (MTN Energade)
Mark Cavendish has abandoned the race. The leaders are two minutes 40 seconds ahead after 87 kilometres; they still have 57 to go! We suggest the riders are going to be spread out all over Cork by the finish…
13.48: The yellow, red (mountains) and white jersey holders are still in the peloton.
We are not getting much information as regards what is happening in the peloton, but when these gaps close up that should change.
This is probably the hardest circuit I’ve seen in Irish racing…really savage.
Four riders are two minutes and 50 seconds back, with the main field three minutes 15 in arrears.
They are Alexander Gottfried (Tinkoff Credit Systems), Matteo Priamo (CSF Group Navigare), Juan Mouron Doldan (Karpin Galicia) and Travis Meyer (SouthAustralia.com)
The main field has split, with a group of about fifteen riders moving clear. The yellow jersey of Russell Downing is there..
Chernetskiy has been caught by the chasers.
14.01: The two leaders have scaled St. Patrick’s Hill for the second time.
The five chasers are at two minutes 34 seconds, with Roger Aiken at three minutes and the main field at three minutes 15.
The chasers are on St. Patrick’s Hill. Aiken is stomping and closing up to the chasers on the climb. Chernetskiy has been dropped.
Ericsson appears to be the stronger of the two leaders. The Pezula team is most likely doing its last big race, and he’s doing what he can to get a deal for next year.
14.06: Aiken has been joined by Daniel Fleeman (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton) and the yellow jersey Downing!
They are joining the chasers, although Aiken is slipping back slightly.
Ericsson and Rabon drop down another technical descent, then get back to sharing the work. They must have a decent chance of staying clear, we think.
14.08: Downing and Fleeman join the chasers, Alexander Gottfried (Tinkoff Credit Systems), Matteo Priamo (CSF Group Navigare), Juan Mouron Doldan (Karpin Galicia) and Travis Meyer (SouthAustralia.com). We think that Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi) is also there.
Marco Pinotti (Columbia) has caught Aiken and is about 100 metres behind the Downing group. They have covered 99.5 kilometres. This group is at 2 minutes 50 with the main group at 3 minutes 17. Downing is defending his jersey in style.
14.12: Pinotti and Aiken get back to the chase group, which contains nine riders now.
Ouch…hard luck. Priamo has punctured out of the chasing group.
Downing’s group has been caught by many more; there’s about 50 behind the two leaders now. Has he gone too early? He’s certain to be under big attack on the final two ascents of Patrick’s Hill, plus the other climbs. This is gripping stuff…
Adam Semple (SouthAustralia.com) is two minutes 51 seconds down, with the peloton nine seconds further back.
There’s 37 kilometres left. The leaders have had a tough day up front but what may help them is that the GC contenders will be closely marking each other. They continue to ride strongly together, knowing that they could fight it out for the stage.
14.24: Semple is two minutes 50 seconds back, with the peloton now 3’25 down.
The leaders cross the start/finish line. We are going to stick our necks out and prk they will stay clear….
14.28: There’s going to be a lot of very, very tired bodies at the end. One of those will be Semple, who sat up.
Downing had some sort of problem and had to chase back on. Possibly a mechanical.
Ericsson is doing most of the work, it seems. He has to watch out, though, as Rabon looked stronger on St. Patrick’s Hill the last time. He’s been pedalling a smaller gear and saving his strength.
14.31: Six riders go clear, and are two minutes 49 seconds back. They are the yellow jersey Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV), Michael Barry (Columbia), Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle), mountains leader Matt Wilson (Team Type 1), Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com) and Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi).
Marco Pinotti (Columbia) also joins the leading group, as does the best young rider Gonzalo Rabunal and Kevin Evans (MTN Energade).
Nordhaug and Barry have attacked! But Clark brings them back together.
Barry goes again! The leaders have 25 km to go…
Barry is clear with Evans. Downing is leading the chase. Up front, Ericsson and Rabon press on. Barry started the day 18 seconds behind Downing.
14.41: Barry is now clear, alone! Downing is leading the group behind, trying to get him back. Dean will be happy with that; he’ll sit on him
Barry is two minutes 25 seconds back; the yellow jersey group is at two minutes 50. The peloton is coming back to the latter. Barry is now the race leader on the road….
This is a superb stage… The two leaders have settled into a good rhythm. They are tired, but the know that one of them should take the stage…
The leaders have 20 kilometres to go…and just one more ascent of St. Patrick’s Hill.
The time bonuses at the finish are ten, six and four seconds…
14.46: Michael Barry has 20 kilometres to go. He leads the race at this point..
Downing’s group goes past the 20 kilometre to go point. Barry is two minutes 20 back, the peloton is a further 25 seconds back.
These two still look strong, and very focussed. They cross the start/finish line – one lap to go!!
Back to St. Patrick’s Hill…last time…
They have 15 kilometres to the finish…
Ericsson leads up the climb, dreaming of another big win after his Swedish national TT championship victory. Can he do it for Pezula Racing?
14.52: He has just been announced as the most aggressive rider in the whole race..
Barry is two minutes seven seconds back. The peloton is two minutes 40 down.. Can Barry hang on? He needs to get back 18 seconds on Downing. He’d get four seconds if he lands third on the stage. However the peloton is likely to speed up between here and the finish…
If it goes down to a bunch sprint for third, Dean needs to win it to get back the time he needs on Downing. If not, the Briton will take the Tour of Ireland…and that would be an unexpected result, goin by pre-race predictions.
14.56: Barry continues to close up gradually. He is two minutes and five seconds behind the leaders. Downing is now 18 second back in a ten man chase group.
They are: Marco Pinotti (Columbia), Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle), Massimo Graziato (Tinkoff), Matt Wilson (Team Type 1), Daniel Lloyd and Daniel Fleeman (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Gonzalo Rabunal Rios (Karpin Galicai), Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com), Russell Downing and Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi).
Nordhaug attacks. Downing and Lloyd then go after him.
Nordhaug got across to Barry… So too Downing and Wilson. There may be another one or two there, the race radio is somewhat vague at times.
15.03: There are nine riders in the chase group now…including Barry and Downing.
Pinotti attacks! He is Italian time trial champion, and won the final stage of the Giro d’Italia. He started the day 18 seconds behind Downing – can he do it?
15.06: Pinotti is one minute 27 seconds back. Many others have joined up with the chasers…
They are two minutes seven seconds back. Pinotti is 40 seconds ahead, and now virtual race leader!!
15.07: Downing tries to get the chase going….
Pinotti is riding well…
15.09: The leaders have five kilometres to go..
Many riders are rejoining the chase group…that suggests a lack of pace. Pinotti is one of the friendliest riders in the peloton and would be a popular winner.
He is one minute two seconds back now
The peloton is one minute 55 seconds back. If Pinotti keeps this up, he can do it! He has four kilometres to go…
Rabon attacks! He jumps on a steep climb inside the final three kilometres. Ericsson cracks… looks like a Team Columbia stage win
Pinotti passes three kilometres to go. He’s just 48 seconds back now!
15.14: Rabon is inside the final kilometre, and is ten seconds clear...!
He wins in front of massive crowds....! Ericsson is second...
Who will take the Tour?
Pinotti finishes...how far back is Downing? He would have got a four second bonus for third...
That's Pinotti, not Downing... We think Pinotti has won...bear with us...
Confirmation! The Italian takes the overall classification - we are awaiting more results. That's a super victory for the three-time Italian national tt champion, adding to his Giro stage win. He's strongly anti-doping, speaking out regularly on the issue, so it's a very good sign for the sport that he is having his best-ever season.
Superb finale to this race - the tv coverage will be spectacular.
Thanks for bearing with us – the interviews were held very soon after the finish and so we had to get quotes. The top ten results for stage and general classifications are below.
Frantisek Rabon beat Ericsson by 15 seconds, with Pinotti one minute four seconds back in third place. Downing, Nordhaug, Dean and Barry came in 33 seconds later, followed soon after by Clarke, Graziato and Wilson.
Roger Aiken was best Irishman in 20th, 1 minute 59 seconds back.
The strong ride today saw Pinotti take the overall, finishing the race 19 seconds ahead of Downing and a further two up on Dean.
Wilson, Barry and Clarke filled the other placings in the top six. Aiken was best Irishman in 22nd overall,
Downing took a stage plus the green jersey, Wilson won the mountains classification and Clarke was best young rider. Columbia won the teams classification and essentially dominated the race – its riders won four stages plus the final yellow jersey.
Super showing by Ericsson on behalf of the Pezula team… It has a good race, despite the financial troubles which mean its folding.
The An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team have also performed strongly, placing Daniel Fleeman and Daniel Lloyd in thirteenth and fifteenth overall.
We’ll leave the live coverage there and get working on a report – come back later for that. Thanks for following the race on Irishcycling.com and a very big thanks to An Post, who backed this coverage and thus made it possible. Don’t forget to watch the race on TV tonight – today’s stage was superb!
ITV4 at 7.00pm
RTE2 at 11.00pm
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Tour of Ireland (2.1), Ireland, August 27th – 31st:
Stage 5, Killarney – Cork:
1, Frantisek Rabon (Team Columbia) 143.6 kilometres in 3 hours 27 mins 4 secs
2, Fredrik Ericsson (Pezula Racing) at 15 secs
3, Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) at 1 min 4 secs
4, Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) at 1 min 37 secs
5, Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi Team)
6, Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle)
7, Michael Barry (Team Columbia)
8, Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com/AIS) at 1 min 40 secs
9, Massimo Graziato (Tinkoff Credit Systems)
10, Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) both same time
First Irish:
20, Roger Aiken (Irish national team) at 1 min 59 secs
Final overall standings:
1, Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) 21 hours 43 mins 16 secs
2, Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) at 19 secs
3, Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle H3O) at 21 secs
4, Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) at 33 secs
5, Michael Barry (Team Columbia) at 36 secs
6, Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com/AIS) at 37 secs
7, Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi Team) same time
8, Gonzalo Rabunal (Karpin Galicia) at 38 secs
9, Nikolas Maes (Topsport Vlaanderen) at 44 secs
10, Kevin Evans (MTN Energade) at same time
First Irish:
22, Roger Aiken (Irish national team) at 5 mins 9 secs
(Full results can be downloaded from our front page)
