Breakaways are guaranteed on the penultimate day, a flat, fast 150 kilometre route to Clara. With only two stages remaining at this point, the battle for the final yellow jersey will be intense.
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11.02: Good morning, welcome to coverage from what is the penultimate stage of this year’s FBD Rás. We are in a damp Castlebar, and will be travelling 150km to Clara. This stage is flat, and so KOM leader David O’Loughlin (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) needs simply to finish the stage to retain his pink jersey.
With a maximum of 20 points up for grabs tomorrow, he’s looking in a very strong position to win the competition. Here’s how the KOM standings look at this point:
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) 55
2, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport) 45
3, David McCann (Ireland National Team) 38
4, Pete Williams (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) 30
5, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor) 27
11.06: The riders are rolling; we are awaiting the official start.
11.07: The race has started... 141have lined out today. Four riders did not do so - Adam Armstrong (Ireland Development U23), Bert Roesems (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), Mark Dowling (Dublin Zilcom-South Dublin) and David Brennan (Mayo Castlebar WesternEdge). We didn’t hear a reason, but do know that some riders in the peloton have been suffering from stomach problems.
Patrick Clarke (Mayo Castlebar WesternEdge) attacks immediately.
11.09: The field is all together.
Roesems had been fourth overall, so his withdrawal will be disappointing for him.
11.11: Peter Hawkins (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations), Russell Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) and Seán Downey (Ireland National Team) have attacked.
11.14: The field is back together.
11.15: Dale Appleby (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) and Ray Clarke (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies) are clear, and have been joined by four others - David Fletcher (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), Paidi O'Brien (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Matthew Stephens (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport) and Keith Gater (Waterford Comeragh CC).
11.17: Seán Downey (Ireland National Team) has also joined this group. So there are seven leaders at the moment.
11.19: The field is all together. It’s raining a little heavier now.
11.22: Seán Downey (Ireland National Team), James Sampson (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) and Keith Gater (Waterford Comeragh CC) have attacked. Downey’s clearly feeling good this morning.
11.23: They have a gap of seven seconds.
Some other riders get across, but the bunch has brought it all back.
11.26: Pete Williams (Britain CandiTV Marshall’s Pasta) has an eight-second gap.
11.29: With 18 kilomeres covered, he has sixteen seconds.
11.32: He has been reeled in. The peloton is keeping a tight rein on things.
11.39: Others have tried to attack but it’s all together.
11.41: Stephen Barrett (Ireland National Team) has attacked alone.
11.44: After 28 kilometres, he has 19 seconds lead.
11.55: The gap went up to 45 seconds at one point – it’s currently hovering at 33. It’s still raining – looks like it could be like that for the full day.
11.59: Barrett’s team-mate Sean Downey and James Sampson (Britain CandiTV Marshall’s Pasta) tried to attack.
12.00: We are slightly ahead of the leader, and going through Ballyhaunis. That means 41.2 kilometres have been covered.
12.03: Caught up with a fellow St. Tiernan’s club member yesterday and today – Brian Hayden is on the race, acting for soigneur for the Dublin Orwell Dundrum Town Centre team. He sends his greetings to the Tiernan’s guys.
He said the Orwell riders have been going well and are enjoying the race. Graham Hurley was 30th yesterday, but that was on a softening front wheel. Graham said this morning that he was feeling very good, so that must have been disappointing. We understand he was sitting very close to the front on the run-in, so he must be wondering how he would have otherwise have fared.
The beauty of the FBD Rás is that club riders have the chance to mix it with international teams.
12.07: The riders covered 44.8 kilometres in the first hour. There is a slight cross to tail-wind.
12.08: Barrett has 45 seconds now.
12.15: He’s still clear, with his advantage fluctuating between 30 and 45 seconds.
12.17: Despite being on the attack very early on today, it looks like Peter Hawkins (Usher IRC) is going to retire from the race.
He does so – we checked, and he has been suffering from a sore knee.
12.23: Barrett has 50 seconds now, 60 kilometres into the stage.
Two kilometres later, while coming out of Castlerea, he has 1’05”.
12.39: Barrett was second on the last stage of the Ras Mumhan. He has only been cycling a coupe of years, and is studying sports science in England.
He’s ticking along nicely here. Highly unlikely a solo rider could stay clear, but he’s gaining experience .
After approximately 75 kilometres, he is one minute 17” clear.
13.06: 92 kilometres have been covered in the first two hours, so 46 km/h average. Barrett is 59 seconds ahead of the Rapha-led peloton, soldiering on alone
13: 12: Barrett plugs away...his lead is now 1'06 at the 100km point. 50 km to go.
13.26: His lead has gone up slightly – it’s now one minute and 24 seconds. Rapha Condor continue to ride tempo behind. Their speed will certainly accelerate inside the final 20km – we’ll see then if Barrett has been keeping something in reserve.
It’s a tough task to stay clear of a whole peloton, but he looks to be riding strongly for now.
13.42: The sun is poking out between the clouds, helping to dry the roads. Rapha Condor remain on the front, doing a team time trial.
We are travelling with RTE’s Roy Willoughby...he’s asked us to let readers know that a range of cycling interviews can be found here:
(Just open up a new window and paste that link into your browsers).
And there’s also a documentary on ‘Iron Man’ Mick Murphy, who won the race 51 years ago.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/1101280.html
13.47: The lead is down to one minute. Another bunch sprint?
13.54: It's reduced further...46 seconds now.
14.08: 20 kilometres to go, and Barrett has 38 seconds. He’s going to be caught and a bunch sprint is looking very likely.
14.10: As John Moran pointed out, Stephen Barrett is the current Irish kilometre champion.
The gap is down now to 28 seconds....the riders are heading towards the 10km to go banner...should be there soon.
14.18: With approximately ten km remaining, he's been caught...the field is all together...
14.21: We have gone on to the finish and are awaiting what is almost certainly going to be a bunch sprint...
Meanwhile, in the Giro d’Italia, Philip Deignan is part of a breakaway group. They are three and a half minutes clear with approximately 70km to go. The group is:
Guillame Bonnafond (Ag2r), Giampaolo Cheula (Barloworld), Christopher Froome (Barloworld), Vasili Kiryienka (Caisse d'Epargne), Philip Deignan (Cervelo), Simon Gerrans (Cervelo), Giovanni Visconti (ISD), Andriy Grivko (ISD), Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre), Francesco Reda (Quick Step), Rubens Bertaglioti (Diquigiovanni), Evgeny Petrov (Katusha), Martin Müller (Milram) and Eduard Vorganov (Xacobeo).
14.23: The riders have five kilometres to go in stage seven of the FBD Rás.
14.26: Three km to go...all together...
Here we go...
Wow....it's Sam Bennett, riding his first Ras!!! He takes a big bunch sprint at 18 years of age..
Great result for such a young rider. He already took four top ten results this week. We think there's a big future ahead for this rider from Carrick on Suir, home town of Sean Kelly...
14.48: No major changes today, although Niko Eeckhout takes over the points jersey on countback from Downing.
Also, Bert Roesems' withdrawal means some other riders move up a place..he had been fourth overall..
We'll leave things there for now and go get some quotes etc...great ride by Sam Bennett. Thanks for reading!
1, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) 149.6 kilometres in 3 hours 21 mins 43 secs
2, Joachim Tolles (Germany Kuota-Indeland)
3, Jaan Kirsipuu (Norway Giant-Veolia)
4, Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)
5, Russ Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls)
6, Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under)
7, Paul Healion (Ireland National Team)
8, Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut)
9. Barry Monaghan (AN DÚN Newry Whs. CC)
10, Luke Roberts (Germany Kuota-Indeland)
11, Alexander Gottfried (Germany Kuota-Indeland)
12, Daniel Clifford (Kildare Projector World)
13, Colm Bracken (Kildare Murphy Surveys)
14, Aidan Crowley (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC)
15, Stefan Ganser (Germany Kuota-Indeland) all same time
County rider:
1, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) 3 hours 21 mins 43 secs
2, Barry Monaghan (An Dún Newry Whs. CC)
3, Daniel Clifford (Kildare Projector World) both same time
Cotter Hoose CI Category 2:
1, Daniel Clifford (Kildare Projector World) 3 hours 21 mins 43 secs
2, Shane Hurley (Dublin DTC Orwell Wheelers)
3, John Dempsey (Tipperary Dan Morrissey)
4, Graham Hurley (Dublin DTC Orwell Wheelers)
5, Sean McGreevy (An Dún Newry Whs. CC) all same time
International team:
1, Germany Kuota Indeland, 10 hours 5 mins 9 secs
2, Norway Giant Veoila
3, Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton
4, Denmark Designa Kokken
5, Britain Halfords Bike Hut, all same time
County team:
1, Tipperary Dan Morrissey, 10 hours 5 mins 9 secs
2, Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC
3, Dublin Zicom South Dublin
4, Waterford Comeragh CC
5, Dublin KTM Winning Solutions, all same time
General classification:
1, Simon Richardson (Britain Rapha Condor) 27 hours 32 mins 4 secs
2, Mads Christensen (Denmark Designa Kokken) at 2 mins 49 secs
3, Jan Barta (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers) at 3 mins 2 secs
4, Darren Lapthorne (Britain Rapha Condor) at 3 mins 24 secs
5, Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) at 3 mins 29 secs
6, Chris Newton (Britain Rapha Condor) at 5 mins 29 secs
7, Russ Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) at 6 mins 7 secs
8, David McCann (Ireland National Team) at 6 mins 9 secs
9, Alexander Gottfried (Germany Kuota-Indeland) at 6 mins 38 secs
10, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 6 mins 53 secs
11, Rune Jogert (Norway Giant-Veolia) at 7 mins 17 secs
12, Josef Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers) at 7 mins 18 secs
13, Benny De Schrooder (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) same time
14, Mark McNally (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) at 7 mins 23 secs
15, Brian Kenneally (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC) at 7 mins 46 secs
U23 Rider Overall:
1, Mark McNally (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) 27 hours 39 mins 27 sec
2, Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under) at 25 secs
3, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) at 33 secs
4, Jaco Venter (China Trek Marco Polo) at 41 secs
5, Stephen Halpin (Ireland Development U23) at 1 min 35 secs
CI Category 2 overall:
1, John Dempsey (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) 27 hours 49 mins 44 sec
2, Daniel Clifford (Kildare Projector World) at 23 secs
3, Chris Coyle (Mayo Castlebar WesternEdge) at 7 mins 31secs
4, Graham Hurley (Dublin DTC Orwell Wheelers) at 10 mins 53 secs
5, Chris Troy (Mayo Castlebar WesternEdge) at 16 mins 47 secs
County Rider Overall:
1, Brian Kenneally (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC) 27 hours 39 mins 50 secs
2, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) at 10 secs
3, Paul Griffin (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies) at 1 min 38 secs
4, Philip Lavery (Dublin KTM Winning Solutions) at 4 mins 23 secs
5, Micéal Concannon (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies) at 5 mins 15 secs
Points Competition:
1, Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) 70 pts
1, Russell Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) 70
3, Jaan Kirsipuu (Norway Giant-Veolia) 67
4, Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under) 66
Mountains Competition:
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) 55
2, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport) 45
3, David McCann (Ireland National Team) 38
4, Pete Williams (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) 30
5, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor) 27
International Team Overall:
1, Britain Rapha Condor, 82 hours 45 mins 5 secs
2, Denmark Designa Kokken, at 9 mins 42 secs
3, Austria Arbo KTM Junkers, at 10 mins
4, Australia Cinelli Down Under, at 13 mins 25 secs
5, Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly, at 13 mins 28 secs
County Team Overall:
1, Tipperary Dan Morrissey, 83 hours 12 mins 58 secs
2, Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC, at 1 min 22 secs
3, Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies, at 4 mins 37 secs
4, Dublin IRC Usher Insulations, at 5 mins 36 secs
5, Waterford Comeragh CC, at 25 mins 38 secs
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Here Live Reports were last updated:Feb 2nd, 2010 - 19:01:59
