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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
HANSEN WINS STAGE SEVEN OF AN POST RAS, BOGAERTS FRUSTRATED
By Shane Stokes
26 May 2012,
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| Photos by Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE |
Surging clear in the final ten kilometres with Kai Exner (Germany Bike Aid), Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) powered to victory on today�s seventh stage of the An Post R�s. The future Olympian, who will line out in the Omnium event alongside Martyn Irvine in London 2012, jumped in the last couple of kilometres and opened a seven second lead over Exner by the line.
�I had the plan all day to go away in the final, but I didn�t expect to do it with ten kilometres to go. I was a bit surprised to get away then,� the Dane said.
�This feels great�it was an amazing feeling to go around the last corner and to see finish line with the guy with the flag.�
The success is the second for the Denmark Blue Water team, which took stage four with Mark Pedersen on Wednesday. �This has been a cool week and we are really happy,� said Hansen of the team�s success. �We will try to win again tomorrow.�
Overnight leader Nicolas Baldo (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) finished in the main bunch and retained his thirteen second lead over Thomas Rostollan (France AVC Aix En Provence). Martin Hunal (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha) is a further four seconds back, while the leading Irish rider Connor McConvey (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) is 24 seconds off yellow.
The stage saw a small break clear for most of it; approximately 15 kilometres after the start, Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Martyn Irvine (RTS Racing) and Philip Lavery (Node4 Giordana) surged clear. They were joined by Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes), then by Mark Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) and 2009 race winner Simon Richardson (IG Sigma Sport).
This built a good lead prior to the day�s first climb, where Irvine slipped backwards. Pedersen later dropped backwards when Lavery attacked with 35 kilometres to go, but was able to get a back up when David McCann (RTS Racing) successfully bridged from the bunch.
The latter drove the break along but was then delayed temporarily by a mechanical on Kavanagh�s Hill, seventeen kilometres from the finish. Lavery and McLaughlin attacked, but the break came back together inside the final 15 kilometres. They were caught five kilometres later, after which Hansen and Exner made their successful move.
Hansen surged ahead and took the stage win, with Exner second and Sam Bennett (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) outsprinting team-mate Gedminas Bagdonas for third. He thought that he had won the stage, not realising that two riders were ahead.
General manager Kurt Bogaerts was not pleased with how the An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team had ridden, believing that they had missed a big chance to take a stage.
�My thoughts on today�s stage is that we as a team are very disappointed, we did a very bad ride,� he said soon after the finish, speaking frankly. �Everything was going perfect with Ronan in the breakaway, because we knew we had Sam and Bagdonas, the two fastest in the race, that was my opinion.
�But then my boys were not alert enough to neutralize the two breakaways at the end and they assumed that the leaders were closing the gap. There I think we made a big mistake�we had McConvey left, we had Downey left to chase, and the plan was that Bagdonas would lead it out out with Sam in the wheel.�
Bogaerts said that he would speak to the riders after the stage, seeking to underline what went wrong and to ensure the final stage went better.
How it happened:
All 150 riders who finished yesterday�s sixth stage lined out for the penultimate leg of the An Post R�s, a 161 kilometre race from Donegal to Cootehill. Although it had officially just two categorised climbs, the second cat. Bellavalley ascent (km 92.3) and the third cat. Kavanagh�s Hill, this longest stage of the race featured plenty of undulating roads which made it tougher than the bare details suggested.
Sam Bennett (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) attacked immediately after the drop of the flag and gained fifteen seconds. The move appeared to be a signal to the yellow jersey Nicolas Baldo and his Switzerland Atlas Jakroo team that he could expect a tough day�s racing.
Bennett was brought back, then soon afterwards, approximately 15 kilometres into the stage, his team-mate Ronan McLaughlin, Martyn Irvine (RTS Racing) and Philip Lavery (Node4 Giordana) surged clear. They were joined by Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes), then by Mark Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) and 2009 race winner Simon Richardson (IG Sigma Sport), and pulled steadily clear.
Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark Blue Water) and Robin Kelly (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) tried to get across, but were unable to do so.
After racing through Bundoran, setting for the stage 4 finish, the break headed on to Kinlough (km 28), where they had a gap of 40 seconds. Buggle was best placed overall but being ten minutes and 35 seconds back, he was of no threat to the race leader Nicolas Baldo.
The break averaged 44 kilometres in the first hour, despite winds, and had a gap of over one and a half minutes after 50 kilometres of racing. Nine kilometres later, Lavery was first at the Post Office hotspot sprint in Glenfarne, then the break raced on to the second category Bellavalley category two climb (km 92.3). Irvine, who has increasingly focussed on track racing since winning the seventh stage last year, got into difficulty on the climb and slipped back. Lavery led Richardson and Buggle over the top, while Irvine crossed the prime line approximately 40 seconds down.
He chased hard, but very strong winds going over the summit and afterwards made his an impossible task, and he sat up several kilometres later.
After 100 kilometres of racing, the gap between break and bunch was two minutes twelve seconds. It was practically identical with 50 kilometres to go, but dwindled to one minute 41 seconds over the next fifteen kilometres. Concerned by that, Lavery attacked.
He opened an eighteen second gap over the others, although Pedersen slipped further back. Lavery remained solo for approximately 20 minutes, but the other riders drew back up to him and he waited.
Meanwhile 2004 race winner David McCann clipped away from the peloton and started to close down the break. He told Irishcycling.com after stage six that he was frustrated by the negative tactics shown by many teams, believing not enough was being done to take the fight to the race leader�s squad.
With approximately 25 kilometres to go, McCann had caught Pedersen and was one minute ten seconds back; the peloton was at two minutes. The RTS Racing Team rider did all the driving and brought the Denmark Blue Water back up to the leaders just before twenty kilometres to go.
McCann continued to push the pace, but suffered a mechanical problem on the third category climb of Kavanagh�s Hill (km 144.4). While he would get back to those ahead, this cost him energy and them impetus. It also affected the cohesion of the group, as Lavery and McLaughlin surged and pushed ahead before he returned.
The peloton was approximately a minute back going over the top, and closing all the time. Inside the final 15 kilometres the six leaders regrouped, but had just 28 seconds over the peloton then. The break finally came to an end with ten kilometres remaining.
Very soon afterwards, Kai Exner (Germany Bike Aid) attacked. He was joined by Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark Blue Water) and Christopher Reilly (Meath Stamullen M. Donnelly), and together they eked out a lead of sixteen seconds.
Reilly was then dropped, but the other two raced onwards and held a sufficient lead to fight it out for the finish. Hansen attacked on the final run-tim to the line, reaching it seven seconds clear of Exner. Sam Bennett (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) outsprinted team-mate Gedminas Bagdonas for third, but didn�t realise that there were two riders ahead.
Marcin Bialoblocki finished behind Bagdonas and Roy Eefting (Netherlands Koga Cycling), but hung onto the points jersey by virtue of a countback. It means that things remain as tight as possible heading towards the final stage of the race tomorrow.
An Post R�s stage 7, Donegal to Cootehill:
1, Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) 4 hours 13 mins 21 secs
2, Kai Exner (Germany Bike Aid Cycling Team) at 7 secs
3, Sam Bennett (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) at 12 secs
4, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly)
5, Roy Eefting (Netherlands Koga Cycling)
6, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing)
7, Rostislav Krotky (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha)
8, Richard Lang (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp)
9, Peter Hawkins (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport)
10, Pirmin Lang (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo)
11, Taylor Gunman (New Zealand National Team)
12, Rolf Nyborg Broge (Denmark Blue Water Cycling)
13, Christian Varley (Isle Of Man Bikeline P/B Micro)
14, Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix En Provence)
15, Krister Hagen (Norway Oneco- Mesterhus) all same time
Primes:
An Post Prime at Glenfarne (km 59.3): Philip Lavery (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing)
KOM cat 2 at Bellavalley (km 92.3):
1, Philip Lavery (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) 10 pts
2, Simon Richardson (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport) 8
3, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy) 6
4, Ronan McLaughlin (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) 4
5, Mark Sehested Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) 3
6, Martyn Irvine (Taiwan RTS Racing) 1
KOM cat 3 at Kavanagh�s Hill (km 144.4):
1, Philip Lavery (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) 5 pts
2, Ronan McLaughlin (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) 4
3, David McCann (Taiwan RTS Racing) 3
4, Simon Richardson (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport) 1
Cuchulainn Crystal county rider:
1, Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre) 4 hours 13 mins 33 secs
International team:
1, Germany Bike Aid, 12 hours 40 mins 34 secs
2, Belgium An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly, at 5 secs
3, Switzerland Atlas Jakroo
4, Norway Oneco Mesterhus
5, Britain Rapha Condor Sharp, all same time
County team:
1, Dublin West Eurocycles, 12 hours 40 mins 39 secs
2, Louth Cuchulainn Crystal
3, Tipperary Carrick Iverk Produce
4, Meath Stamullen M. Donnelly
5, Meath Dunboyne DID Electrical, all same time
General classification:
1, Nicolas Baldo (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) 23 hours 40 mins 1 sec
2, Thomas Rostollan (France AVC Aix En Provence) at 13 secs
3, Martin Hunal (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha) at 17 secs
4, Pirmin Lang (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) at 18 secs
5, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) same time
6, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) at 21 secs
7, Connor McConvey (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) at 24 secs
8, Jonathan Fumeaux (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) at 29 secs
9, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) at 33 secs
10, Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix En Provence) at 37 secs
11, David McCann (Taiwan RTS Racing) at 39 secs
12, Wouter Sybrandy (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport) same time
13, Peter Hawkins (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport) at 44 secs
14, Adam Armstrong (Dublin West Eurocycles) at 52 secs
15, Bouke Kuiper (Netherlands Koga Cycling) same time
Post Office sprints:
1, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) 23 hours 40 mins 53 secs
2, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) at 7 secs
3, Pirmin Lang (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) at 8 mins 54 secs
4, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy) at 9 mins 43 secs
5, Conor Murphy (Dublin West Eurocycles) at 11 mins 59 secs
One4All Bikes4Work King of the Mountains:
1, David Clarke (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) 75
2, Martin Hunal (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha) 61
3, Thomas Rostollan (France AVC Aix En Provence) 48
4, Sondre Hurum (Norway Oneco- Mesterhus) 31
5, Gruffudd Lewis (Britain UK Youth Cycling) 29
Irish Sports Council Under 23:
1, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 23 hours 40 mins 19 secs
2, Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) at 4 mins 18 secs
3, Pieter Bulling (New Zealand National Team) at 5 mins 8 secs
4, Christopher Jennings (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) at 5 mins 9 secs
5, Julien Ammendola (France AVC Aix En Provence) at 8 mins 1 sec
CI category 2 overall:
1, Art MacManusa (Dublin South UCD) 24 hours 3 mins 2 secs
2, Christopher Reilly (Meath Stamullen MartinDonnelly) at 3 mins 34 secs
3, Keith Walls (Meath Stamullen MartinDonnelly) at 13 min 48 secs
4, John O'Shea (Tipperary Carrick IverkProduce) at 26 mins 51 secs
5, Sean McFadden (Antrim Chain Reaction Cycles) at 26 mins 58 secs
Fitz Cycles county rider:
1, Adam Armstrong (Dublin West Eurocycles) 23 hours 40 mins 53 secs
2, Ryan Sherlock (Tipperary Carrick IverkProduce) at 7 secs
3, Patrick Clarke (Mayo Castlebar Western Edge) at 8 mins 4 secs
4, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy) at 9 mins 43 secs
5, Conor Murphy (Dublin West Eurocycles) at 11 mins 59 secs
International team:
1, Switzerland Atlas Jakroo, 71 hours 47 secs
2, Netherlands Koga Cycling, at 4 mins 34 secs
3, Britain Rapha Condor Sharp, at 6 mins 57 secs
4, France AVC Aix en Provence, at 7 mins 10 secs
5, Belgium An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly, at 8 mins 2 secs
County team:
1, Dublin West Eurocycles, 71 hours 26 mins 34 secs
2, Tipperary Carrick Iverk Produce, at 12 mins 28 secs
3, Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes, at 36 mins 29 secs
4, Meath Dunboyne DID Electrical, at 44 mins 11 secs
5, Mayo Castlebar Western Edge, at 49 mins 6 secs
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