There will be a slight respite for the riders on the fifth stage, the profile being shorter and flatter and allowing the non-climbers to come back into the frame somewhat. The category three climbs at Glansharoon and Barnagh Gap come earlier than halfway through the 155 kilometres to Scariff and it’s quite possible that the peloton will be together as it hurtles through Ballina and Killaloe in the final half hour of racing, gearing up for a massive, uphill sprint finish.
----------
11.04: The race has started following a brief extension of the neutralised zone – a rider punctured before the flag dropped.
There were 151 riders at the start of what is a mainly flat 155 kilometre stage from Killorglin to Scariff. There are two category three climbs - Glansharoon and Barnagh Gap – but these come in the first half of the stage.
11.10: There have been no proper moves as yet.
11.17: Five riders are clear - Stephen Barrett (Ireland National Team), James Spragg (China Trek Marco Polo), Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken), Rune Jogert (Norway Giant-Veolia) and Rob Partridge (Britain Halfords Bike Hut).
Leon Van Bon (China Trek Marco Polo) has retired.
11.22: That group has been caught. Niko Eeckhout (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) punctured a short while ago but has got back to the bunch.
11.24: Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken) has a gap of ten seconds.
11.27: Several others are trying to get across to him, but the bunch closes everything down.
11.28: Three riders have attacked, 20 kilometres after the start. They are Neil Delahaye (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations), Pete Williams (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) and Josef Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers).
11.29: They have been joined by seven others - Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), Darren Lapthorne (Britain Rapha Condor), Benny De Schrooder (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Laurent Didier (Denmark Designa Kokken), Jaan Kirsipuu (Norway Giant-Veolia), Seán Downey (Ireland National Team) and Brian Kenneally (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC).
11.31: However the ten riders are not working well together and the peloton has brought them back.
11.35: Other riders have also clipped away, but each time they are brought back. Rapha Condor is putting a rider in each move; they have three riders in the top ten. Richardson is leading, while Darren Laphorne is three minutes and 24 seconds back in fourth. Newton is seventh overall, five minutes and 29 seconds back. As long as they get clear in the breaks, there is little incentive for the other challengers to persist.
11.40: It’s fairly quiet for the moment.
11.44: Matt Stephens (Britain Cheshire Sigmasport) is trying to get clear. He is a former pro, having ridden with the Linda McCartney team alongside Ciarán Power.
11.47: He’s been caught.
11.50: David McCann (Ireland National Team)has attacked but he’s just 50 metres ahead. However the acceleration in pace splits the bunch slightly.
McCann was going for KOM points at the Glansharoon climb.
Category three climb at Glansharoon (36.2km):
1, David McCann (Ireland National Team) 5pts
2, Jan Barta (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers) 4
3, Benny Deschrooder (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) 3
4, Josef Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers) 2
Rob Partridge (Britain Halfords Bike Hut)has a gap of 50 metres.
11.58: He’s been caught. The bunch has split behind.
11.59: David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken), Luke Roberts (Germany Kuota-Indeland), Rune Jogert (Norway Giant-Veolia), Chris Newton (Britain Rapha Condor), Rob Partridge (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), Pete Williams (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) and Eugene Moriarty (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC)
12.04: With 46 kilometres covered, the eight leaders are now 20 seconds clear. However Chris Newton is in this move, so that will mess things up a little. He’s under no obligation to work as his team-mate is leading.
12.06: The bunch has covered 46 kilometres in the first hour.
12.11: Stephen Barrett (Ireland national team) is chasing alone. We are passing through Abbeyfeale, 50.4 kilometres after the start.
12.12: He’s been caught. After 52 kilometres of racing, the eight leaders are 56 seconds clear.
12.18: We've been asked what time the race is expected to finish in Scariff - depending on how strong the tailwind is, it should be between 14.10 and 14.50.
12.21: Ian Bibby (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) is alone, one minute and 12 seconds down. The peloton is one minute 20 seconds back.
His team-mate David Fletcher has now attacked the bunch.
12.25: He sits up, realising it’s impossible to close.
The break is now one minute and 27 clear.
12.30: Those at or near the front of the bunch are: Eric van de Meent (China Trek Marco Polo), Stefan Ganser (Germany Kuota-Indeland), Bjorn Glasner (Germany Kuota-Indeland), Darren Lapthorne (Britain Rapha Condor), Kristian House (Britain Rapha Condor), Simon Richardson (Britain Rapha Condor) and Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor).
12.31: There was an oil spill earlier on the descent of the next climb but we understand it has been treated.
The results of the day’s second, and final, climb:
Category 3 at Barnagh Gap, 65.5 km:
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) 5pts
2, Rune Jogert (Norway Giant-Veolia) 4
3, Eugene Moriarty (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC) 3
4, Luke Roberts (Germany Kuota-Indeland) 2
So O'Loughlin has fortified his leada in that competition.
12.35: After 69 kilometres, the gap is one minute 27 seconds.
12.36: The leaders are approximately one minute and 30 seconds clear.
12.45: Rapha Condor are in no hurry to bring the break back. They are in a very strong position as Newton is the best-placed rider in the move. So if it gets a long way ahead, he’ll lead the race.
13.04: The gap continues to grow - it's two minutes and 25 seconds now..
13.13: James Stewart (Merseyside KuK Kinesis Bikes) has been chasing alone for quite some time. He’s a minute and five seconds back.
Newton is, as expected, sitting on the back. He doesn’t have to work, and won’t.
13.14: The main bunch is coming back at them...one minute and 54 seconds now.
Steward presses on alone, pushed along by a tailwind. But so too is the break and the bunch.
13.18: The Austria Arbo KTM Junkers team are chasing hard now...they want to protect their third place overall.
The Denmark Designa Kokken team is also contributing – their rider Mads Christensen is second overall.
13.18: The Austria Arbo KTM Junkers team are chasing hard now...they want to protect their third place overall.
The Denmark Designa Kokken team is also contributing – their rider Mads Christensen is second overall.
13.23: Stewart is inching closer...57 seconds to the break..
The main field is at one minute and 45 seconds. They have covered 105 kilometres, so just 50 to go.
13.29: It’s cloudy but dry. Kinda chilly for May, methinks, but the riders will be happy it’s not bucketing down today.
13.37: And that’s the unpredictable nature of Irish weather – it’s now sunny!!
13.38: Stewart is stubbornly persisting. He’s 45 seconds behind the leading eight riders now
The peloton is now just one minute 27 seconds back...they are starting to give it welly. Will there be a bunch gallop?
13.40: There was a bit of messing around in the break and Luke Roberts attacked, 120 kilometres into the stage and 35 clicks from the finish. The former Olympic team pursuit gold medallist has opened a 20 second lead over the other seven.
Stewart is one minute and 17 seconds behind Roberts, with the bunch a further 13 seconds back.
13.48: Rob Partridge (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) attacked to try to get clear and chase Roberts, but the others got him back.
Stewart has been caught by the peloton.
13.52: Roberts has 34 seconds on the others. Newton tried to get clear but the others got him back.
13.56: Roberts now has just 25km to go. He’s 40 seconds ahead of the seven chasers, and 1’40” ahead of the peloton. We think this is looking good for him...still quite a way to go, but the hunch is that he can do it.
13.57: His lead is actually 50 seconds now. The bunch is 1’42” back. If he wins that will be back to back Australian victories.
14.02: David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) and Chris Newton (Britain Rapha Condor) have attacked the seven man group and gone clear in pursuit. That’s the only way someone can catch Roberts – get away from the bigger, non-working group and knuckle down.
Austria Arbo KTM Junkers are continuing to work at the head of the peloton.
14.03: O’Loughlin and Newton are making inroads into Roberts’ lead. With 20km to go they are 22 seconds back now.
The other chasers are 40 seconds back, while the peloton is at 1'20. We are passing through Ballina.
14.08: They are about to catch Roberts. The five chasers are at 22 seconds...
14.09: We have had hit record numbers this week...we had 6007 visitors on Monday, from 4197 different IP addresses. They clocked up 591,612 hits. There’s similar figures for Tuesday and Wednesday, so that’s a lot of traffic.
The Twitter feed has also been popular. Thanks for reading, and for your positive feedback thus far!
14.14: Coming up to 10km to go, the five chasers are just 13 seconds behind the three leaders!
If it comes down to a sprint, Newton will most likely be quickest.
14.15: The five chasers are now just five seconds back!!!
The peloton is 1’15 behind Roberts, Newton and O’Loughlin.
14.18: The first two groups have merged...eight leaders...
We are ahead of the riders and have just passed the ten km to go sign. There is a bit of a drag there – perfect for anyone trying to get clear.
14.22: The bunch is now just 35 seconds back! It has sped up, but it looks like the break has started messing around again too. Newton has done very little work all day and is a strong sprinter, so nobody wants to bring him to the line.
14.25: There’s been a bit of attacking but the bunch is nearly on them...
David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Luke Roberts (Germany Kuota-Indeland), Pete Williams (Britain Candi TV Marshalls), Rob Partridge (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) and Eugene Moriarty (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC) are ahead.
The main field is just nine seconds back.
14.27: Just before the 5km to go board, the bunch got them back...all together...
Mads Christensen (Denmark Designa Kokken) attacked with 3km to go...he has a slight lead...
14.33: One big bunch with 2km to go...
A KTM rider has attacked with one kilometre to go...
14.34: He was caught...big sprint...
We need to confirm the winner...it was either Jaan Kirsipuu or yesterday's victor NIcholas Walker...think it was Kirsipuu...bear with us..
It's going to a photo finish, we understand...
14.42: Walker gets it! Second stage win in a row...he beat Kirsipuu by a tyre's width..
14.45: With lightning speed, the judges have generated the top ten today:
FBD Rás stage 5, Killorglin to Scariff (155km)
1, Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under)
2, Jaan Kirsipuu (Norway Giant-Veolia)
3, Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut)
4, Joachim Tolles (Germany Kuota-Indeland)
5, Paul Healion (Ireland National Team)
6, Russell Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls)
7, Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)
8, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey)
9, Daniel Clifford (Kildare Projector World)
10, Jaco Venter (China Trek Marco Polo) all same time
We don't expect any major changes in the general classification...
Great win for Walker a young rider with a bright future. Kirsipuu is a good scalp to get, given that he's won over 130 races, including four stages of the Tour de France.
We'll leave it there for now - time to get quotes and also get cracking on the post-stage reports...
Thanks for reading - today was a good stage. Come back later for more results, reports and photos.
Please send us your feedback on Live Reports Click
Here Live Reports were last updated:Feb 2nd, 2010 - 19:01:59
