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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
2011 AN POST RAS LAUNCHED
By Shane Stokes - An Post press release
7 Feb 2011,
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GPO, Dublin, 7th February: The 2011 An Post R�s route, which was announced earlier today at the GPO looks certain to provide a challenging test to its riders. The route covers 1247 kilometres over eight days with 28 categorised climbs, three of which are first category ascents.
This year�s R�s is the 59th in its history, and the first edition under the banner of new sponsor An Post. At today�s launch, R�s organiser Dermot Dignam revealed that this year�s route was planned by cyclist Stephen O�Sullivan, a seventeen year veteran of the race.
�I believe Stephen has devised a route that will test to the extreme each and every one of the riders from the ten countries expected to participate.� said Dignam �It is going to be a very challenging route with long, hard, gruelling stages, fast open stages and mountain climbs spread over seven of the eight stages of the race�.
The An Post R�s gets underway on Sunday May 22nd in Dunboyne, Co. Meath. It will then move counter-clockwise around the country, and includes stage finishes in Portumna, Kilrush, Castleisland, Castletownbere, Blarney, Tramore and Kildare, before concluding on Sunday May 29th with the now-customary crowd-thronged finale in Skerries, North County Dublin.
The five jerseys for the 2011 race were also unveiled for the first time today: The An Post R�s Yellow Jersey Classification � awarded to the rider with the least overall accumulated time at the end of each stage, the Post Office Sprint Jersey Classification � awarded to the rider with the most points at the finish of each stage, the One4All Bikes4Work King of the Mountains Jersey Classification � awarded to the best mountain climber in the race, the Irish Sports Council U23 White Jersey Classification � awarded to the best placed rider under 23 years of age and the One Direct Stage Jersey � awarded to the best placed rider on each stage who is not the recipient of a classification jersey.
Speaking at today�s launch, An Post Chief Executive Donal Connell said An Post is proud to sponsor the R�s. �We are delighted to support this world renowned race which, like An Post, is deeply ingrained in local communities throughout Ireland.�
�Over the past four years An Post has been the biggest supporter of Irish cycling at both elite and grass roots level through our association with the An Post Sean Kelly team, the Tour of Ireland and the An Post Cycle Series. The R�s is a great addition to our support for Irish cycling�.
�I commend all those local suppliers and local businesses for their ongoing and all-important support for the event, and I encourage others to become involved. Whether it�s at starts, along the route or at finishes, we all have role to play in ensuring the success of the R�s; in building an event celebrating the very best of Ireland and what�s Irish; in focusing our efforts on recovery and on a determined route back to prosperity and positivity,� he added.
2011 An Post Route
Stage 1, Sunday May 22: Dunboyne � Portumna, 148 kms
Stage 2, Monday May 23: Portumna � Kilrush, 164kms
Stage 3, Tuesday May 24: Kilrush � Castleisland, 175kms
Stage 4, Wednesday May 25: Castleisland � Castletownbere, 142kms
Stage 5, Thursday May 26: Castletownbere � Blarney, 156kms
Stage 6, Friday May 27: Blarney � Tramore, 172kms
Stage 7, Saturday May 28: Tramore � Kildare, 157kms
Stage 8, Sunday May 29: Kildare � Skerries, 133kms
Stage 1
The 2.2-ranked event begins with a mainly flat, fast 148 kilometres from Dunboyne to Portumna. Three An Post Hot Spot Sprints, at Allenwood, Mountmellick and Clonaslee, will shake up the racing and present valuable time bonuses that could prove crucial in the fight for the first yellow jersey of the first An Post R�s in Portumna.
Stage 2
Stage 2 heads 164 kilometres to Kilrush, passing through locations such as Gort and Lisdoonvarna and featuring the second category Corkscrew Hill just over 60 kilometres from the finish line.
Stage 3
Day 3 covers 175.3 difficult kilometres from Kilrush to Castleisland, and includes third category ramps at Barnagh Gap, Ahaneboy and Glanshearoon, plus a finishing circuit which takes in the fearsome category one climb of Crag Cave.
Stage 4
Stage 4 is equally gruelling, with the 142 kilometre race from Castleisland to Castletownbere covering some of the toughest roads in Cork and Kerry. The route includes the stunning second category climb of Ladies View, the similarly-ranked Molls Gap, the Tousist (category 3),Knockanoughanish (category 2) and the first category showdown on the Healy Pass, just half an hour from the finish line.
Stage 5
Stage 5 heads from Castletownbere to Blarney, with the 156 kilometre route beginning with a quartet of third category mountain primes, then ramping up over the second category climbs of Moskeagh and Windy Gap. The latter comes 25.3 kilometres from the end of the stage and will certainly set up a tremendously exciting finish in Blarney.
Stage 6
Stage 6 will be a very nervous one, covering six category three ascents on the 172 kilometres between Blarney and Tramore, and concluding with an uphill finish on Main Street.
Stage 7
More edgy racing is guaranteed on the penultimate stage between Tramore and Kildare, with the 157 kilometres taking in the category two slopes of Brown Mountain plus the category one climb of Clogrennane. It is continuously up and down, and could provoke a change in the race leadership heading into the final day.
Stage 8
At 133 kilometres, the race between Kildare and Skerries is the shortest of the eight stages, but the five category three climbs it features will keep things up in the air. The Hill of Allen comes very early on and could provoke a long break, then later the riders will tackle the ascents of Pluckhimin, Cross of the Cage, plus the Black Hills climb on each of the two 13.8 kilometre finishing circuits in Skerries. As ever a huge crowd is anticipated at the seaside town, providing a fitting finale after eight days of battle.
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Detailed analysis:
As was the case last year, the 2011 An Post R�s will begin in the Co. Meath village of Dunboyne, where the field of international riders will line out on Sunday May 22. Rolling out at 12.30, the peloton will head through Maynooth and Clane en route to the first Hot Spot Sprint at the An Post office in Allenwood. This comes after 36.5 kilometres.
After fighting there for the bonus seconds which will have an effect on the first general classification, the peloton will speed onwards to the second prime at Mountmellick post office (km. 80.2), and the third at Clonaslee post office (km. 94.6). This will be followed by a feed zone, where the riders will grab food from their teams in order to boost energy levels prior to the finish in Portumna.
�It is the traditional-type of opening stage and interesting in that we go from the border of Dublin and Meath and into county Galway in one big leap,� says Dignam. �I reckon it will be very fast, and we will get some indication of the sprinters in the race by the three hot spot sprints along the way. I would expect a bunch sprint, but as you know, we have expected those before and the race has completely fragmented: nothing is a given in the R�s.�
That 148 kilometre opening stage will be followed by a longer 164 kilometre race to Kilrush the next day. Passing through locations such as Ballinakill, Gort, Kinvarra and Lisdoonvarna, it is also mainly flat and will see high speed, aggressive racing from riders who are still fresh and remain in reach of the yellow jersey. There is one categorised climb just over 50 kilometres from the line, namely the second category Corkscrew Hill (km. 92.7) and it could act as a platform for a break to go clear.
That ascent is followed by Post Office Primes at Lahinch (km 116.7) and Quilty (km. 134.5), then a flat-out battle on and through Kilrush along the coastal road at Cappa before a fantastic finish on the wonderfully wide Francis Street in Kilrush.
�It is tough stage right down through Clare�beautiful, but heavy going all the way,� says Dignam. �The Corkscrew is a tough hill and will certainly provoke attacks by guys who can climb. I can imagine a break getting clear, as it is the type of stage that will take a fair amount of energy from the riders. With the climb coming at that point in the stage, you could very easily see a break going away and maybe staying clear until the finish.�
Those opening two days of the race could play into the hands of the sprinters, but things should start to change on day three�s difficult 175.3 kilometre race from Kilrush to Castleisland. It starts out steadily enough with a Post Office prime at Lissycasey (km. 26.1) and, after passing through Ennis and Newmarket-on-Fergus, another sprint at Patrickswell (km. 86.2).
However the climbers will start to feel more at home thanks to the third category ramps at Barnagh Gap (km. 124.5) and Ahaneboy (km. 153.6), which rear up before the peloton crosses the finish line for the first time. Once on the 12.8 kilometre finishing loop, things will get even more serious due to the inclusion of the highly difficult category one climb of Crag Cave (km. 167.2). The summit comes a mere eight kilometres from the finish line and will pay a major part in both the outcome of the stage and also the shape of the general classification.
�This is the longest stage of the race and will be an interesting one as there are a lot of fast open roads where wind direction could wreak havoc� said Dignam. �Near the end we have the Crag Cave climb which is really very, very steep. If the bunch is still together going across the finish line the first time in Castleisland, it definitely won�t be together after Crag Cave�it will split all over the place.
�It�s a long time since we used the climb, and it is a very hard one. It will be a tremendous spectacle, particularly in sports-loving Castleisland.�
When the dust has settled, the riders will gather for what could be an even tougher and more decisive fourth stage of the race. Starting in Castleisland and finishing 142 kilometres later in Castletownbere, it will take in some of the toughest roads in Cork and Kerry and will ensure a worthy yellow jersey at the halfway point.
The first half of the stage is relatively flat, travelling through Killorglin and Killarney before tougher terrain kicks in. The stunning second category climb of Ladies� View (km. 73.4) is quickly followed by the similarly-ranked Moll�s Gap (km. 78.1), then Tousist (category 3, km. 101.9) and Knockanoughanish (category 2, km. 107.7). From there the fragmenting peloton will speed towards the first category battleground of Healy Pass, which comes just 23.4 kilometres from the finish, and will see some all-out attacks.
�The part from Castleisland into Killorglin into Killarney is straightforward enough. But from there the riders are faced with the energy-sapping climbs of Ladies View and up Moll�s Gap, so there will be a lot of pressure that day,� he predicts. �Then with the Healy Pass coming so close to finish, the race will certainly break up. It could be crucial sort of a stage.�
The second half of the race gets underway in Castletownbere on Thursday May 26th with an undulating 156 kilometre stage to Blarney. A quartet of third category mountain primes will animate the race at Traflask (km. 16.8), Loughavaul (km 25), Derrycreha (km. 36.8) and Ardyhoulihane (km. 53), giving breakaway groups scope to go clear prior to the Post Office Prime sprint at Ballineen (km. 94).
After heading through Bandon, the peloton will clash on the second category climbs of Moskeagh (km. 120.2) and Windy Gap (km 130.7). Those mountains should be tough enough to split the field, and the stronger riders will slug it out in the battle for the yellow jersey between the summit of the latter and the finish in Blarney some 25.3 kilometres later.
�With six KOM climbs on the way to Blarney, I think it will certainly be a ding-dong battle all the way,� says Dignam.
The sprinters have a slightly better chance on the following day�s 172 kilometres between Blarney and Tramore, even though there are six categorised climbs. The official start of racing begins at the Donal Crowley memorial, and the peloton will hurtle through Ballyhooly en route to the first of those category three ramps. Killathy (km 49.6) is followed by a Post Office Prime at Tallow (km 77.7), and then five more Cat. 3 ascents: Kilmore (km 80), Grange (km 104.8), Tankardstown (km 148.3), Benvoy (km 151.1) and Ballygarran (km 156.4). While the road is constantly up and down, the lack of a particularly tough climb could ensure a group fights it out for the win.
�There are a cluster of climbs heading to Tramore and then three or four hundred meters of an uphill finish to the top of Main Street,� says Dignam. �It is a tough uphill finish, especially coming after six KOMs. It is going to be a great stage.�
A mass gallop is possible on the penultimate day of racing on Saturday May 27th . This covers 157 kilometres from Tramore to Kildare and while it is mainly flat, it does include the category two slopes of Brown Mountain (km 34.2) and the category one climb of Clogrennane (km. 98.8). The racing will also be shaken up by Post Office Primes at Gowran (km. 70.2) and a memorial prime for R�s great Paddy Flanagan in Kildangan (km. 145.7).
Despite those stimuli to aggressive racing, the distance between the top of the Clogrennane climb to the finish could potentially be long enough for some of the sprinters who had been distanced to get back to the front.
In other years, the second-last day has seen the riders slug it out over several peaks in the Wicklow Mountains. Dignam explains why O�Sullivan has opted not to choose this type of course. �Stephen is of the opinion that on a stage where there are three or four category one KOMs, the race breaks up on the first hill and everyone falls into their own group. But on the type of stage he has designed here, riders might be getting it tough but be able to hang on, then attack later.
�So, rather than hitting the mountains early and the whole thing splitting up and staying that way, here you will hopefully have the leading groups changing and being caught, and more attacks going. It makes for a really interesting penultimate stage. Also, something that is very different to the usual mountain finale we would have on the Saturday.�
The final day is, at 133 kilometres, the shortest of the eight stages, but plenty of fast racing and determined attacking is certain. It�s the last chance for the yellow jersey�s rivals to take time back, and the efforts may well go as early as the category three Hill of Allen. This is just 7.2 kilometres after the start in Kildare.
After passing through Prosperous plus the aptly-named Painstown and Dunshaughlin, the riders will race on towards the first of four fourth-category climbs. Pluckhimin (km. 77.7) is followed by Cross of the Cage (km. 97), which comes just before the entry to the 13.8 kilometre finishing circuit.
The riders will cross the finish line twice before the final sprint, scrapping it out on the Black Hills climb after 110.2 kilometres of racing and again after 119.4. Those will be the last of the 29 climbs on this year�s An Post R�s, and will give the general classification contenders the final chance to go clear before the final sprint.
�Again, there are five KOMs and 133 kilometres to cover,� says Dignam. �No matter how much of a lead the yellow jersey will have, he will need to be very much alert and very much to the front of the bunch. He could lose his lead on this final stage. The outcome is very open until we cross the finish line in Skerries.�
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