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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
AN POST RAS: DOWNING BEATS BENNETT TO WIN STAGE ONE
By Shane Stokes
22 May 2011,
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British sprinter Dean Downing benefited from a strong team lead-out to scoop the first stage of the An Post R�s today, edging out young Irish rider Sam Bennett plus the rest of the main bunch into Portumna.
The Rapha Condor Sharp rider timed his move perfectly to hit the line ahead. An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly rider Bennett got his race off to a solid start with that runner up slot, while third place went to Erwan Brenterch (France AVC Aix en Provence).
Bennett�s fellow Irishman David McCann (Giant Kenda) also finished in the top ten, netting tenth.
�There was a headwind, but then when it went onto the crosswind sections, a lot of people were getting caught out,� said Downing afterwards. �Teams were going onto the front and smashing it a bit. It split quite a lot a few times. We took a gamble on it being a bunch sprint, and our riders did it perfectly.
�The Kiwis were doing a leadout�they are all track pursuiters, so they had a fantastic leadout. We were a bit to the side of them. With about one kilometre to go, James McCallum went for it. Dean Windsor took over with about 400 metres. They were down to one rider then, so Dean went for it. [Shane] Archibold had to go and I was just sat behind them. Dean did it to 200 metres and then swung off; I left that guy [New Zealand rider Archibold] on the front for a little bit more, and just hit out from 150. I�m happy to take the victory. It�s not a bad start for us boys.�
The buildup to the final sprint was one affected by some confusion due to the fact that the race was neutralised after a crash. Sean Downey (Ireland Team Skoda), Yuriy Agarkov (ISD Lampre Continental) and Pete Williams (Motorpoint) clipped away inside the final ten kilometres and had a lead of 32 seconds with approximately eight kilometres left to race.
A big crash in the bunch caused the road to be blocked and, unusually, the race commissaire decided that the race should be stopped. It was restarted after a couple of minutes with the same time differences being given to the break.
The trio did what they could to stay clear but were recaptured inside the final kilometre. Bennett tried to get past Downing but the Briton was took quick, picking up his first-ever stage win in the event. He also claimed the yellow jersey; with bonus seconds being factored into the standings, he ends the day four seconds clear of Bennett and six ahead of Brenterch.
Bennett wasn�t happy with the disruption to the finale. �After we stopped, the legs went to jelly�I didn�t have anything for the sprint,� he said.
�The team did most of the work for me, the lads all did a brilliant job of bringing me up and I would like to thank them.
�The crash was before the five kilometre to go point�it was at the back of the bunch, so I don�t know why they stopped it. They had no reason to stop it. Then they let the group that was ahead of us another eight or ten seconds ahead of us than they were. It was stupid.�
Bennett said that his preparation wasn�t ideal, but that he should be able to fight it out for results. �My form isn�t too good, my sprint is there,� he said. �Once I get to the finish, I have my sprint. My preparation hasn�t really been the best, but I�m happy with where I am and hopefully I will get a few more results. We will take every day as it comes, and see what comes our way.�
Bennett�s British team-mate Mark McNally won a bonus sprint and placed third in another. David McCann won the first sprint and ended the day fourth overall.
How things unfolded:
Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix en Provence) was the first attacker of the 2011 edition, going clear very soon after the drop of the flag and then being joined by Irishman Ronan McLaughlin of the An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team. They were caught soon afterwards, right before a heavy rain shower.
Eighteen kilometres into the stage, six riders attacked and opened a gap. Sean Downey (Ireland Team Skoda), Martyn Irvine (Asia Giant Kenda), Rhys Pollock (Australia Drapac Cycling), Ronan McLaughlin (Belgium An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Johannes Kahra (Germany Thuringer Energie) and Oleksander Martynenko (ISD-Lampre Continental) were soon joined by Nikolay Mihaylov (France AVC Aix en Provence), and held a 20 second lead 21 kilometres into the stage.
A strong head- and cross-wind made things tough for the riders, but also for the peloton, which briefly split before their recapture.
Soon afterwards, 2004 race winner David McCann (Giant Kenda) and Wouter Sybrandy (Sigma Specialized) attacked. Mark McNally (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) and Dean Windsor (Rapha Condor Sharp) bridged across and together the quartet eked out a maximum lead of 25 seconds.
They were hauled back after approximately 37 kilometres of racing, but were away just long enough to fight it out for the first of three intermediate sprints between them. McCann was first to the line at Allenwood post office, picking up three bonus seconds as a result. Windsor and Sybrandy were second and third.
McCann�s Giant Kenda team-mate Martyn Irvine clipped away 39 kilometres into the stage and rode strongly into the wind to open a lead of over a minute. There was a long way left to travel, though, and he was hoping that other riders would bridge across.
Fellow Irishman Peter Hawkins (Ireland Team Skoda) and Mark Cassidy (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) plus Isle of Man rider Christian Varley tried to do just that, and were joined soon afterwards by five others. However the peloton wasn�t happy to let them go after Irvine, and reeled in the move.
Varley (Isle of Man Microgaming) tried again very soon afterwards, and joined by Felix English (Ireland Skoda) and Kohei Uchima (D�Angelo & D�Antenucci). Other riders also came up, but the peloton brought everything back approximately 60 kilometres after the start.
Oleksandr Sheydyk (ISD Lampre Continental) and Steve Lampier (Britain Sigma Specialized) clipped away approximately 15 kilometres later and were joined by 15 others. The group comprised that duo, plus Conor Dunne (Ireland Team Skoda), Marytn Irvine (Asia Giant Kenda Cycling Team), Floris Goesinnen (Australia Drapac Cycling), Lachlann Norris (Australia Drapac Cycling), Mark Cassidy (Belgium An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Mark McNally (Belgium An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Jakob Steigmiller (Germany Thuringer Energie), Ralf Matzka (Germany Thuringer Energie), Marcel Barth (Germany Thuringer Energie), Javier Benitez Pomares (Greece KTM Murcia), Henry Frusto (Italy D'Angelo & D'Antenucci), James McCallum (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp), Peter Williams (Britain Motorpoint), Anthony Walsh (Dublin UCD) and Simon Kelly (Meath 53 Degrees North Optimun)
These riders fought it out for the second hot spot sprint of the day at Mountmellick (km 80.2), where McNally beat Irvine and Willams for the points. The gap grew to a maximum of a minute and a half and while it dropped after that, the group was still over a minute clear when Cassidy beat Williams and McNally to win the An Post intermediate sprint at Clonaslee (km 94.6).
The French AVC Aix en Provence team missed the move and were chasing hard. The break wasn�t working very efficiently and after 104 kilometres of racing, the peloton was back together. Following an short-lived attack by a group of eleven, Peter Hawkins (Ireland Team Skoda) and Maksym Vasyliev (Ukraine ISD Lampre Continental) slipped clear and had a 13 second advantage when passing through Birr, 25 kilometres from the line.
They were joined by others but that group was then caught. A dual move by Marc Ryan (New Zealand) and Adam Semple (Drapac Cycling) met the same fate, as did a solo burst by Robin Kelly (Kildare Newbridge). A more promising effort was made approximately 12 kilometres from the end when Irish rider Sean Downey (Ireland Team Skoda), Yuriy Agarkov (ISD Lampre Continental) and Pete Williams (Motorpoint) went clear and quickly build a lead of 32 seconds.
Their momentum was unexpectedly disrupted when a crash in the bunch brought down several riders, blocked the road, and led the race commissaire to make the decision to stop the race. It was restarted a couple of minutes later but several riders said afterwards that the disruption took a toll on their legs. This number included stage winner Downing and runner-up Bennett, who were part of a main bunch which overhauled Downey, Agarkov and Williams with 500 metres to go, and fought it out for the stage win between them.
The race continues tomorrow with a 164 kilometre stage to Kilrush.
An Post R�s (2.2), stage 1: Dunboyne to Portumna:
1, Dean Downing (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 147.8 kilometres in 3 hours 47 mins 53 secs
2, Sam Bennett (Belgium An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)
3, Erwan Brenterch (France AVC Aix en Provence)
4, Shane Archbold (New Zealand National Team)
5, Tobyn Horton (Britain Motorpoint)
6, Ralf Matzka (Germany Thuringer Energie)
7, Oleksander Martynenko (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental)
8, Javier Benitez Pomares (Greece KTM Murica)
9, Dean Windsor (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp)
10, David McCann (Asia Giant Kenda Cycling Team)
11, Fraser Duncan (Dublin Eurocycles)
12, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
13, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Motorpoint)
14, Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix en Provence)
15, Derek Finnegan (Meath Stamullen M. Donnelly) all same time
An Post sprint at Allenwood (km 36.5):
1, David McCann (Giant Kenda) 3 secs
2, Dean Windsor (Rapha Condor Sharp) 2 secs
3, Wouter Sybrandy (Britain Sigma Specialized) 1 sec
An Post sprint at Mountmellick (km 80.2):
1, Mark McNally (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 3 secs
2, Peter Williams (Britain Motorpoint) 2 secs
3, Martyn Irvine (Giant Kenda) 1 sec
An Post intermediate sprint at Clonaslee (km 94.6)
1, Mark Cassidy (Belgium An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) 3 secs
2, Peter Williams (Britain Motorpoint) 2 secs
3, Mark McNally (Belgium An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) 1 sec
County rider:
1, Fraser Duncan (Dublin Eurocycles) 3 hours 47 mins 53 secs
2, Derek Finnegan (Meath Stamullen M. Donnelly)
3, Alan Burke (Kildare Murphy Surveys Apex) both same time
International team:
1, Britain Motorpoint, 11 hours 23 mins 43 secs
2, An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly
3, France AVC Aix en Provence, both same time
County team:
1, Dublin Eurocycles, 11 hours 23 mins 47 secs
2, Mayo Western Edge Medical
3, Dublin Barnardos, both same time
General classification after stage 1:
1, Dean Downing (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 3 hours 47 mins 43 secs
2, Sam Bennett (Belgium An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 4 secs
3, Erwan Brenterch (France AVC Aix en Provence) at 6 secs
4, David McCann (Asia Giant Kenda Cycling Team) at 7 secs
5, Dean Windsor (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) at 8 secs
6, Shane Archbold (New Zealand National Team) at 10 secs
7, Tobyn Horton (Britain Motorpoint)
8, Ralf Matzka (Germany Thuringer Energie)
9, Oleksander Martynenko (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental)
10, Javier Benitez Pomares (Greece KTM Murica)
11, Fraser Duncan (Dublin Eurocycles)
12, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
13, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Motorpoint)
14, Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix en Provence)
15, Derek Finnegan (Meath Stamullen M. Donnelly) all same time
Post office sprints:
1, Dean Downing (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp)
2, Sam Bennett (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
3, Erwan Brenterch (France AVC Aix en Provence)
Irish Sports Council U23:
1, Sam Bennett (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
2, Shane Archbold (New Zealand National Team)
3, Ralf Matzka (Germany Thuringer Energie)
Fitz Cycles County rider:
1, Fraser Duncan (Dublin Eurocycles)
2, Derek Finnegan (Meath Stamullen M. Donnelly)
3, Alan Burke (Kildare Murphy Surveys Apex)
CI Category 2:
1, Christopher Coyle (Mayo Western Edge Medical Comm)
2, Mark Gill (Dublin South Dublin Zilcom)
3, Graham Hurley (Dublin Barnardos)
International team:
1, Britain Motorpoint, 11 hours 23 mins 43 secs
2, An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly
3, France AVC Aix en Provence, both same time
County team:
1, Dublin Eurocycles, 11 hours 23 mins 47 secs
2, Mayo Western Edge Medical, at 4 secs
3, Dublin Barnardos, at 17 secs
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