Now practically unbeatable in bunch sprints wherever he goes, Columbia HTC’s Mark Cavendish galloped to victory on today’s second stage of the Tour of Ireland. The Manx rider hit the line in Killarney comfortably ahead of Michael Van Staeyen (Rabobank), Stuart O'Grady (Team Saxo Bank) plus the rest of a 93 man main bunch.
19 year old first year senior Sam Bennett (Ireland) was a very solid 15th in the gallop, while the Belgian Steven Van Vooren took fifth on the stage for the Irish-registered An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team. It followed on from a very visible display of team colours for most of the 196 kilometre stage, thanks to a long break by Mark Cassidy and Dutch rider Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank).
Cavendish was, as always, delighted to take a victory. “It's always good to win,” he said afterwards. “Although it was a tough finish, we managed to take control of things with two kilometres to go. It was a team win, one guy crosses the line with his arms in the air, but it's a success for everybody.”
“It was a hard course. But once things came back together, it was a formality, really. The team was great. They are a super group of guys. We are not just team-mates, we are friends too. That morale makes things easier and if one has success, it is success for all.”
Overnight race leader Russell Downing finished 17th on the stage and maintained his position at the head of the general classification. The Candi TV Marshall’s Pasta rider was never under pressure, the GC riders content to leave things until tomorrow’s big showdown. He is five seconds ahead of Alexander Kolobnev (Team Saxo Bank) and a further two ahead of the latter’s team-mate Matti Breschel (Team Saxo Bank).
He said afterwards that there were no big attacks launched on the day’s first category climb, that of the Curragh. “Things were pretty controlled there,” he stated. “There was a headwind at the top. I think if the race had really been on there, I think there would have been some trouble. It was very open at the summit.”
Last year he led into the final stage but then lost his race lead on the last lap of a torturous finishing circuit in Cork city. He’s hopeful that this year ‘s finale could be different. “They’ve reduced the laps by one,” he said. “If it was three laps last year I would have won the race, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m feeling pretty good but there are a lot of strong riders close by – Saxo Bank have five, Astana have two, and there are others. We’ll see what happens. It is going to be a hard task but I will go down fighting, definitely.”
Philip Deignan (Cervélo Test Team) remains best Irishman in an excellent fourth overall, 10 seconds back, while 2008 Tour of Ireland champion Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia - HTC) is a further place and second behind.
“I think it will be down to the 23 riders who were in the break on the first day, any one of those could win,” Deignan said yesterday. “I am feeling good, we will play it by ear and see how it goes.”
One who seems certain to attack on the final leg is King of the Mountains leader Matt Wilson (Team Type 1). He missed the break on stage one and so is not in overall contention, but he showed good strength on today’s stage and boosted his KOM lead. He now has 39 points, four more than Van Winden.
His accelerations today to take the points from the bunch were very impressive and a big attack from him on St. Patrick’s Hill or one of the other climbs on the finishing circuit could bring him strong rewards.
“I went for it on the climbs and now I have a bit more comfortable lead going into the last day,” he said. “Tomorrow I am going to just make sure that the guys who are close to me don’t get up the road. I would really like to concentrate more on the stage victory tomorrow. These guys will be watching each over for the overall win.”
Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff holds the other major jersey, that of points leader. He was fourth on today’s stage and ended the day three points ahead of 2008 green jersey victor Downing. “It was a hard day,” he proclaimed. “Hills are not my best terrain, but it was okay today. I will get ready for tomorrow, but it is going to be really tough and tight for the overall.”
He’s ridden the race for the past two years and described St. Patrick’s Hill as “really hard.” He said that he would try to stay up with the other contenders, and also that he would try to help his team-mates.
How it unfolded:
Bright skies once again greeted the riders at the start of stage two of the Tour of Ireland, boosting spirits ahead of a 196 kilometre stage to Killarney. Immediately after the start on the outskirts of Clonmel Irishman Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) accelerated away and got a gap; he was joined soon afterwards by Dennis Van Winden and went across the An Post sprint prime line in Ardfinnan in that order.
The two knuckled down to extend their lead prior to the second category ascent of the crowd-thronged Vee, which topped out 19.6 kilometres after the start, and at the summit they were a very considerable 10’30 ahead of the peloton. Van Winden took the top points there ahead of Cassidy, while back in the bunch Jay Thomson (MTN Cycling), impressive first year senior Philip Lavery (Irish National Team) and KOM leader Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) were next over the line.
After 52 kilometres they reached their maximum lead of 14 minutes and 50 seconds. At that point they had 144 kilometres to go, and so the bunch had kept them within reach. Race leader Russell Downing’s Candi Tv Marshall’s Pasta team, Cervélo and Saxo Bank were leading the chase and by the time Van Winden and Cassidy took first and second in the An Post sprint in Castletownroche (km 81.5), the advantage had dropped under 13 minutes.
Cassidy is coming back from a long-running injury and it was uncertain as to how he’d hold up on the climbs against the leaner Van Winden. He finally got distanced on the category two ascent of Musheramore, which peaked 135.2 kilometres after the start and 61km from the finish; Van Winden went over the top well clear, while KOM leader Matt Wilson once again jumped away from the rest of the bunch to bolster his points advantage.
Van Winden had a two minute lead in Millstreet (km 144.7) over Cassidy, taking yet another crowd-thronged An Post bonus sprint there. With just over 50 kilometres remaining he was 5’21 ahead of the peloton. This gap fell considerably on the ferociously steep category one Curragh climb; Cassidy was caught by the peloton before the summit, while the leader crossed the top approximately two and a half minutes clear of Wilson and Juan Van Heerden (MTN Cycling). The overall contenders did not attack here and, surprisingly, the peloton stayed largely together.
With 20 kilometres remaining Van Winden was just 37 seconds ahead and he was caught very soon after that. Several attacks were fired off but nothing could stay out front due to the high pace being set by the Astana and Columbia-led peloton. That ensured a big bunch gallop and Cavendish had no problem in racing home for what was his fourth career Tour of Ireland stage win and his 21st victory of the 2009 season.
Michael Van Stayen (Rabobank) and Stuart O’Grady (Saxo Bank) were second and third, while Russell Downing finished 17th and successfully defended his race lead.
Tomorrow’s stage sees the race reach its finale on a 185 kilometre run from Bantry to Cork. The finishing circuit includes the ferocious St. Patrick’s Hill plus two other steep ramps, and will be covered three times. With rain forecast it has all the makings of an utterly epic, decisive stage, and riders such as Downing, Kolobnev, Breschel, Deignan, Pinotti and Armstrong will all be thinking of taking the final victory.
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We will have live updates from this crucial final stage of the race here. A less detailed version can be found on www.twitter.com/LiveProRace.
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Tour of Ireland (2.1), August 21 – 23:
Stage two, Clonmel to Killarney:
1, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia - HTC) at 5 hours 7 mins 33 secs
2, Michael Van Staeyen (Rabobank Continental)
3, Stuart O'Grady (Team Saxo Bank)
4, Alexander Kristoff (Joker Bianchi)
5, Steven Van Vooren (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
6, Martin Reimer (Cervélo Test Team)
7, Ian Wilkinson (Team Halfords)
8, Christoff Van Heerden (MTN Cycling)
9, Pierpaolo De Negri (ISD - Neri)
10, Juan Van Heerden (MTN Cycling)
11, Ramon Sinkeldam (Rabobank Continental)
12, Martin Kohler (BMC Racing Team)
13, Antonio Cruz (BMC Racing Team)
14, Kenny Lisabeth (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
15, Sam Bennett (Irish National Team) all same time
Other:
33, David McCann (Irish National Team) same time
36, Jef Peeters (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
37, Philip Deignan (Cervélo Test Team)
49, Benny De Schrooder (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
60, Philip Lavery (Irish National Team)
72, Ronan McLaughlin (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
93, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team) all same time
99, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team) at 9 mins 18 secs
100, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) at 9 mins 31 secs
DNF: Sean Downey (Irish National Team)
DNF: Niko Eeckhout (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
Results:
1, Rabobank, 15 hours 22 mins 39 secs
2, An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team
3, ISD - Neri
4, BMC Racing Team
5, Team Columbia - HTC
6, Cervélo Test Team, all same time
Other:
12, Irish National Team, same time
An Post Sprint, Ardfinnan:
1, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 5 pts
2, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank) 3
3, Philip Deignan (Cervelo TestTeam) 2
4, Andrey Grivko (ISD – Neri) 1
KoM Cat.2: The Vee:
1, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank) 10 pts
2, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 7
3, Jay Thomson (MTN Cycling)
4, Philip Lavery (Irish National Team) 2
5, Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) 1
An Post Sprint, Castletownroche:
1, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank) 5 pts
2, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 3
3, Philip Deignan (Cervelo TestTeam) 2
4, Martin Reimer (Cervelo TestTeam) 1
KoM Cat.2, Musheramore:
1, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank) 10 pts
2, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 7
3, Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) 4
4, Jay Thomson (MTN Cycling) 2
5, Shawn Milne (Team Type 1) 1
An Post Sprint, Millstreet:
1, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank) 5 pts
2, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 3
3, Andrey Grivko (ISD – Neri)
4, J McCartney (Team Saxo Bank) 1
KoM Cat.1: Curragh:
1, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank) 15 pts
2, Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) 12
3, Juan Van Heerden (MTN Cycling) 10
4, Jesus Hernández (Astana) 8
5, Jason McCartney (Team Saxo Bank) 6
6, Jose Luis Rubiera (Astana) 4
7, Matti Breschel (Team Saxo Bank) 2
8, Stuart O'Grady (Team Saxo Bank) 1
General Classification:
1, Russell Downing (Candi TV - Marshalls Pasta) 10 hours 18 mins
2, Alexander Kolobnev (Team Saxo Bank) at 5 secs
3, Matti Breschel (Team Saxo Bank) at mins 7 secs
4, Philip Deignan (Cervélo Test Team) at 10 secs
5, Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia - HTC) at 11 secs
6, Haimar Zubeldia (Astana)
7, Frederik Wilman (Joker Bianchi) both same time
8, Jakob Fuglsang (Team Saxo Bank) at 17 secs
9, Stuart O'Grady (Team Saxo Bank) at 22 secs
10, Andrey Grivko (ISD - Neri) at 23 secs
11, Daniel Lloyd (Cervélo Test Team) at 25 secs
12, Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank Continental) at 26 secs
13, Denys Kostyuk (ISD - Neri)
14, Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi)
15, Craig Lewis (Team Columbia - HTC) all same time
Other (Irish/An Post team riders):
34, Steven Van Vooren (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) at 2 mins 22 secs
47, Jef Peeters (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
48, Sam Bennett (Irish National Team)
49, David McCann (Irish National Team)
51, Benny De Schrooder (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team)
58, Ronan McLaughlin (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) all same time
83, Kenny Lisabeth (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) at 14 mins 27 secs
89, Philip Lavery (Irish National Team)
96, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team)
100, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team) all same time
101, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) at 23 mins 51 secs
102, Andrew Roche (Candi TV - Marshalls Pasta) at 31 mins 7 secs
Young rider:
1, Matti Breschel (Team Saxo Bank) 10 hours 18 mins 7 secs
2, Frederick Wilman (Team Joker Bianchi) at 4 secs
3, Jakob Fuglsang (Team Saxo Bank) at 10 secs
4, Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank Continental) at 19 secs
5, Craig Lewis (Team Columbia-HTC) same time
Points Classification:
1, Alexander Kristoff (Team Joker Bianchi) 18 pts
2, Russell Downing (CandiTV - Marshalls Pasta) 15
3, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia - HTC) 15
4, Alexander Kolobnev (Team Saxo Bank) 14
5, Philip Deignan (Cervelo TestTeam) 14
6, Michael Van Staeyen (Rabobank Continental) 14
Other:
11, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 11
13, Steven Van Vooren (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 11
Mountains Classification:
1, Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) 39 pts
2, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank Continental) 35
3, Jay Thomson (MTN Cycling) 27
4, Philip Lavery (Irish National Team) 14
5, Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team) 14
6, Jose Luis Rubiera (Astana) 12
Team General Classification:
1, Team Saxo Bank, 30 hours 54 mins 39 secs
2, ISD – Neri, at 24 secs
3, Cervélo Test Team
4, Astana, same time
5, Team Columbia – HTC, at 2 mins 20 secs
6, Joker Bianchi, same time
Other:
10, An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly Team, at 6 mins 27 secs
15, Irish National Team, at 18 mins 32 secs
