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PICTURE GALLERY : Stephen McMahon Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM
TOUR OF IRELAND - Stage 3 Pictures
By Stephen McMahon
30 Aug 2008,

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The town of Ballinrobe in County Mayo hosted the start of Stage 3 of the 2008 Tour of Ireland. The race rolled out from the ‘The Cornmarket’ under darkening skies. ©: Stephen McMahon.

The King’s mount: Mountains Classification leader Matt Wilson’s Team Type 1 issue Orbea Orca. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Kieran Page (Pezula Racing Team) and Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) managed to go clear on the approach to the first KOH climb of the day. ©: Stephen McMahon.

The chasing peloton were led by Team Type 1 and Team Columbia defending their respective classification leads. ©: Stephen McMahon.

The early pace was brisk but steady. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Juan Francisco Mouron (Karpin Galicia) battled to stay clear of the peloton on the weather-beaten climb of Maumturk. ©: Stephen McMahon.

David George (MTN Energade) leads a group of riders in an attempt to stir it up on the third category ascent of Maumturk. ©: Stephen McMahon.

A gusting headwind was enough to encourage the peloton to stick together. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Visibility deteriorated as the main group wound its way through the hilly boglands with approximately 70 kilometres remaining. ©: Stephen McMahon.

The hazy sunshine added to the festival mood at the finish line in the seaside town of Salthill. ©: Stephen McMahon.

After a tumultuous final fifteen kilometres Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) prevailed yet again in a hectic bunch sprint along the seafront. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Cavendish, The Unstoppable Sprint Machine, made it three stage wins out of three. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Galway is known as the ‘City of the Tribes’ and ‘The Columbians’ showed their collective class by giving another exhibition in team work. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Mark Cavendish and Bernard Eisel celebrate Team Columbia’s third stage victory. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Cavendish’s victory was made all the more impressive by his recovery from a crash in the final 25 kilometres. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Cavendish was not the only victim of crashes. There were many bloodied knees and elbows after the finish of Stage 3. ©: Stephen McMahon.

The impressive stage winner’s Waterford Crystal trophy. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) receives his reward after a long day in the saddle. ©: Stephen McMahon.

The Manxman also took the lead in the An Post sponsored Points Classification. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Another day, another sprint, another win, another yellow jersey. Ireland has been good to Mark Cavendish so far but he made his own luck today. Fortune seems to favour the bold. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Alexander Kristoff (Joker Bianchi Team) dons the white jersey of best placed U-23 rider. The Norwegian rider is actually second in this classification behind you know who. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) has a 36 point lead in the Mountains Classification after scoring points on all of the day’s climbs. ©: Stephen McMahon.

Clad in an oversized yellow jersey and clutching a souvenir team bidon to his chest, this young fan will doubtlessly remember the day the Tour of Ireland came to Galway in 2008. ©: Stephen McMahon.

The only way is up for the leader of the 2008 Tour of Ireland. ©: Stephen McMahon.

It would not be unreasonable to say that racing and winning so emphatically in Ireland has markedly improved Mark Cavendish’s morale. Perhaps the cold shadow cast by his experience in Beijing is beginning to fade in the pale sunshine. Perhaps a winner heals their wounds by winning and Cavendish is most certainly a winner. ©: Stephen McMahon.


Stephen McMahon's Tour of Ireland Photo's are brought to you courtesy of Wheelwork Bike Shop - www.wheelworxbikes.com

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