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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
Almost a full year after he took the yellow jersey in the FBD Rás, British rider Simon Richardson regained the race leader’s position in the race when he successfully deposed Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) in Killorglin.
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| Simon Richardson in Yellow - Picture by John Troy |
The Britain Rapha Condor rider was part of a group that got clear of Wilkinson on the first category climb of the Conor Pass, bridging up to two earlier breakaway moves and then thundering on to the finish. These riders crossed the line three minutes and 55 seconds ahead of Wilkinson, dropping the former race leader down to sixth overall and handing Richardson the yellow jersey.
Australian rider Nicolas Walker was quickest at the end of the tough 178 kilometre race from Cahirciveen, proving best in the uphill gallop to the finish line. The 20 year old Australia Cinelli-Down Under rider beat Jan Barta (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), Russell Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls), Jaco Venter (China Trek Marco Polo) plus the rest of the large front group.
“It is the first win I have in a big race,” he said afterwards. “I was one of the last in my group going over the top of the Conor Pass but my team-mate Bert Roesems did a lot of work to get me back up with the leaders. He kept me out of the wind for fifty or sixty kilometres and set me up for the sprint.
“He dragged me to the front in the last kilometre. I was about fifth into the last corner – it was fairly mixed up there because of people taking different lines. Because of the steep finish I had a lot of speed – I came from a little bit further back and was just able to get past everyone.”
The Irish-registered An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team took fifth place courtesy of the Belgian Niko Eeckhout. Talented eighteen year old Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) was best of the home riders in sixth place, with Paul Healion (Ireland National Team, 9th) and David McCann (Ireland National Team, 10th) also to the fore.
“It was some day,” Bennett said afterwards. “I felt so good on the Conor Pass that I could hardly believe it. I was climbing superbly. I seemed to go with everything and the climb seemed to fly by. I knew immediately I hit it I was in great shape.
“When we got to the bottom Rapha Condor started drilling it at the front,” he said. “The pace was just unbelievable and we opened up nearly two minutes on the yellow jersey who was behind in another chasing group.
“I tried to recover as well as possible and then I felt brilliant coming up for the gallop. I got myself into good position but when a guy came up on the outside I had to brake and lost a couple of places.”
Richardson had started the day second overall, nineteen seconds behind Wilkinson. His Rapha Condor team had an excellent day, placing Tom Southam in a breakaway group that went clear almost immediately after the start, and then bridging up after the Conor Pass and driving the break to the finish.
“Things worked out perfectly for us,” he said afterwards. “I was really looking forward to the climb but I was being held back [by team-manager John Herety]. My team-mate Darren Lapthorne had attacked and I didn’t want to bridge up to him too early. But then towards the top I could see that Wilko (Wilkinson) was really suffering and it was great for me, I got to clip away. My team then drove it all the way to the finish.”
Richardson is now two minutes and 49 seconds ahead of Mads Christensen (Denmark Designa Kokken), and a further thirteen up on Barta. Wilkinson is now three minutes and 34 seconds back in sixth, while McCann is best of the Irish riders in eighth. He is six minutes and nine seconds back.
The Belfast rider had started the day in the King of the Mountains jersey but this passed to the shoulders of David O’Loughlin, one of three Irishmen with the An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team. He went clear in the early break, as did Eeckhout, Southam, Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken), Mark McNally (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport) plus four other Irish riders, namely Paídi O'Brien (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Stephen Halpin (Ireland Development U23), Peter Hawkins (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations) and Michael Fitzgerald (Dublin Eurocycles).
O’Loughlin was best overall in the break but while his group built a lead of five minutes and 50 seconds, he never overcame his overnight deficit of seven minutes and twelve seconds. However he did take maximum points on most of the day’s climbs and ended the stage in the pink jersey of best climber.
“I wasn’t really thinking about the race lead, it was more about going for the stage win and the mountains jersey,” he said.
The Mayo rider was first on four of the day’s six climbs, including the top-ranked Conor Pass, and finished second to Kit Gilham (Britain Cheshire Sigmasport) on the other two. That left him with a three point lead over Gilham. “I’ll try to get more points, but going for a stage win and moving up in the overall are nearly more important,” he said.
British rider Russell Downing remains in the green jersey of points leader, while McNally is wearing the white jersey of best under 23 competitor.
Richardson still has four more stages to go and he knows the race is far from won. But he’s happy with the support he has. “I couldn’t ask for four stronger team-mates, so I have got the best chance possible.”
Team manager John Herety has already managed four winning Rás teams – Paul Manning in 2001, Chris Newton in 2003 and 2005 and Kristian House in 2006. He’s a very clever tactician and has, as Richardson said, a very strong line-up here. But he remains cautious for now.
“It is too early for confidence. I’ve been at this race too many times...it is not a logical race and it is very difficult to control it with five riders,” he stated. “But I also said before the start that it’s the strongest team that I’ve ever had. So we’ll see how it goes.”
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| The yellow jersey's team drilling it out - Picture by John Troy |
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| Breakaway lead up the Conor Pass - Picture by John Troy |
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| Team Rapha Condor group with their leader - Picture by John Troy |
How it unfolded:
The fourth stage of the FBD Insurance Rás was another tough one, with five category three climbs, at An Draighneain, Anascaul, Ballintaggart, Garrai na dTor, and An Draighneain plus the first category Conor Pass likely to split the field. That first cat climb was just over 60 kilometres from the finish, and was followed by the final two cat three climbs.
154 riders lined out for the start under overcast conditions, with Logan Hutchings (Australia Cinelli Down Under) and Michael Barry (Kildare Proejctor World) opting not to sign on.
Very soon after the flag was dropped, eight riders sped clear. They were stage one winner Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Paidi O'Brien (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Stephen Halpin (Ireland Development U23), Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor), Mark McNally (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport), Peter Hawkins (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations) and Michael Fitzgerald (Dublin Eurocycles).
Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken) bridged across soon afterwards, and this solo chase was successfully replicated by David O’Loughlin. That meant there were three riders from the Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team up front, one from the Ireland under 23 squad, three from British teams and two Irish county riders.
Stephen Barrett (Ireland National Team) and Barry Monaghan (An Dún Newry Wheelers) also tried to join, but neither were able to do so. Other groups also tried to get away, only to be closed down.
Thirty kilometres into the stage, Tour of Ulster winner Sean Downey managed to break the elastic. He was one minute and 22 seconds behind the break at that point, and soon received reinforcements He was joined by Mark Cassidy (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Adam Armstrong (Ireland Development U23), Ian Bibby (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), Robert Wardell (Merseyside KuK Kinesis Bikes), Matthew Stephens (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport). Stephen Surdival (Dublin DTC Orwell Wheelers) and John Mason (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC). However, almost immediately, Surdival punctured out of the group, making it seven chasers. Of those, neither Mark Cassidy nor Ian Bibby were working; Cassidy had three team-mates in the front group, while Bibby’s team-mate was leading the race.
In Killorglin, 37.3 kilometres after the start, the leaders were one minute and 52 seconds ahead of the chasers and two minutes and 22 seconds up on the peloton. After approximately 58 kilometres five others got across to the chase group, namely Paul Healion (Ireland National Team), Hannes Grundlinger (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), Barry Monaghan (AN Dún Newry Whs. CC), Derek Burke (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations) and Keith Gater (Waterford Comeragh CC). The main field was 2 minutes 35 back at this point, and Bibby dropped back to help his team.
Kit Gilham beat O’Loughlin to take the first climb of the day, the category 3 ascent of An Draighneain (km72.8), but O’Loughlin reversed that order on the next climb, that of Anascaul (78.5km). At that point the chasers were two minutes and three seconds back, while the peloton was four minutes down. O’Loughlin was best placed of the leaders but, having started the day 7’12 seconds back in 14th place, he was still over three minutes away from taking yellow. The situation was serious for Wilkinson, but not critical.
Showdown:
That was soon to change. At the base of the Conor Pass, 110km into the stage, the chasers were still a long way off. They were one minute and 52 seconds back, while the yellow jersey group was a full five minutes and 50 seconds down. This gap started to plummet, however, as attacks began to be fired off from the main bunch.
The pressure went on when Jan Barta attacked as soon as the slope reared up. He was joined by Stefan Poll, his Austria Arbo KTM Junkers team-mate, and then Rapha Condor’s Darren Lapthorne bridged across. More riders then attempted to do so.
Wilkinson’s team had been chasing all day and had gone south at the start of the climb. The race leader tried to contain the attacks but, plugging away into a slight headwind, was unable to match the sharp accelerations, and more and more riders got away.
Up front, O’Loughlin took maximum points at the top of the climb, 117.5 kilometres after the start. He beat KOM rival Gilham, Southam, Eeckhout, McNally, Kruse Brink and Hawkins into the lesser points. Halpin and O’Brien were slightly tailed off from the front group as they went over the top, but were able to get back on on the descent. However Wardell had suffered bike problems on the climb and was delayed for a considerable amount of time, losing his place up front.
Over 20 riders got clear of Wilkinson on the long, spectacular drag up to the summit. This group included Benny De Schrooder (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), David McCann (Ireland National Team), Bert Roesems (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), Jan Barta (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), Stefan Pöll (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), Josef Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), Jacques j.v.Rensburg (China Trek Marco Polo), Jaco Venter (China Trek Marco Polo), Mads Christensen (Denmark Designa Kokken), Laurent Didier (Denmark Designa Kokken), Martin Grashev (Greece Heraklion-Nessebar), Alexander Gottfried (Germany Kuota-Indeland), Chris Newton (Britain Rapha Condor), Darren Lapthorne (Britain Rapha Condor), Kristian House (Britain Rapha Condor), Simon Richardson (Britain Rapha Condor), Russ Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls), Wouter Sybrandy (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport), Paul Griffin (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies), Brian Kenneally (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC) and Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey).
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| Sam Bennett talented novice on Conor Pass - Picture by John Troy |
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| Ian Wilkinson fighting only to lose his Yellow jersey to Simon Richardson. - Picture by John Troy |
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| Hugh Mulhearne, County rider Dan Morrissey - Picture by John Troy |
After the descent off the climb, they then caught the first chase group, which comprised Sean Downey (Ireland National Team), Mark Cassidy (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Adam Armstrong (Ireland Development U23), Matthew Stephens (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport), John Mason (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC), Paul Healion (Ireland National Team), Hannes Grundlinger (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), Derek Burke (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations) and Keith Gater (Waterford Comeragh CC).
The group had slashed the lead of the leaders down to just one minute and 20 seconds, while behind Wilkinson had lost over a minute to main GC rivals Richardson and Christensen. His yellow jersey was in big danger.
So too was the mountains jersey held by McCann. O’Loughlin had been gathering points all day and he continued to do so, finishing second to Kit Gilham on the category 3 climb at Ballintaggart (km 127), then finishing ahead of Michael Fitzgerald on the category 3 climb at Garrai na Tórt (km 135). He was first once again in the sixth and final KOM of the day, the third category An Draighneain (km 144.5), where Gilham and Southam took second and third. That would put him three points clear of Gilham in the mountains classification, earning him the pink jersey of KOM leader.
At the summit of this final climb, the large chase group containing Richardson and Christensen was 30 seconds back; the yellow jersey group was a further one minute and 30 seconds back, ensuring that Wilkinson would lose his lead.
The two front groups then merged at Inch, 30 kilometres from the end of the stage. Richardson’s Rapha Condor team keep their bullet-like pace going, ensuring that nobody could clip away before the finish and also, more importantly, that they put as much time as possible into the yellow jersey. By the time that Nicholas Walker took the uphill sprint and snagged the stage, Wilkinson had lost three minutes and 53 seconds and, with it, his tenure at the top of the general classification was over. It was a spectacular display of strength and tactics by the Rapha Condor team, and one which suggests they could well go on to win this race.
What’s next:
The race has reached the halfway point and continues tomorrow with a flatter 155 kilometre stage from Killorglin to Scariff. It features the category three climbs of Glansharoon and Barna Gap in the first half of the stage, and then has an undulating run in towards the finish.
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| Simon Richardson dons the Yellow after stage 4 - Picture by John Troy |
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FBD Rás (2.2), stage 4: Cahirciveen – Killorglin:
1, Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), 178km in 4 hours 20 mins 55 secs
2, Jan Barta (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers)
3, Russell Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls)
4, Jaco Venter (China Trek Marco Polo)
5, Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)
6, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey)
7, Benny De Schrooder (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)
8, Alexander Gottfried (Germany Kuota-Indeland)
9, Paul Healion (Ireland National Team)
10, David McCann (Ireland National Team)
11, Josef Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers)
12, Laurent Didier (Denmark Designa Kokken)
13. Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport)
14, Martin Grashev (Greece Heraklion-Nessebar)
15, Bert Roesems (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), all same time
County rider:
1, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey), 4 hours 20 mins 55 secs
2, Paul Griffin (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies)
3, Peter Hawkins (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations), both same time
KOM primes:
Category 3 climb of An Draighneain, 72.8km:
1, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport), 5pts
2, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), 4
3, Michael Fitzgerald (Dublin Eurocycles), 3
4, Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), 2
Category 3 climb at Anascaul (78.5km):
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)5pts
2, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport)4
3, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor)3
4, Michael Fitzgerald (Dublin Eurocycles)2
Category 1 climb, Conor Pass (km117.5):
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)15
2, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport)12
3, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor)10
4, Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)8
5, Mark McNally (Britain Halfords Bike Hut)6
6, Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken)5
7, Peter Hawkins (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations)3
Category 3 climb at Ballintaggart (km 127)
1, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport), 5pts
2, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), 4
3, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor), 3
4, Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken), 2
Category 3 climb at Garrai na Tórt (km 135)
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)5pts
2, Michael Fitzgerald (Dublin Eurocycles)4
3, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport)3
4, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor)2
Category 3 climb at An Draighneain (km 144.5)
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)5pts
2, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport)4
3, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor)3
4, Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken)2
International team:
1, Austria Arbo KTM Junkers, 13 hours 2 mins 45 secs
2, Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly
3, Ireland National Team
4, Britain Cheshire Sigmasport
5, Britain Rapha Condor, all same time
County team:
1, Tipperary Dan Morrissey, 13 hours 10 mins 31 secs
2, Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC, same time
3, Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies, at 6 mins 36 secs
4, Dublin IRC Usher Insulations, at 10 mins 43 secs
5, Waterford Comeragh CC, at 13 mins 48 secs
General classification:
1, Simon Richardson (Britain Rapha Condor), 16 hours 54 mins 44 secs
2, Mads Christensen (Denmark Designa Kokken), at 2 mins 49 secs
3, Jan Barta (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), at 3 mins 2 secs
4, Darren Lapthorne (Britain Rapha Condor), at 3 mins 24 secs
5, Bert Roesems (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), same time
6, Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), at 3 mins 34 secs
7, Chris Newton (Britain Rapha Condor), at 5 mins 29 secs
8, David McCann (Ireland National Team), at 6 mins 9 secs
9, Russ Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls), at 6 mins 12 secs
10, Alexander Gottfried (Germany Kuota-Indeland), at 6 mins 43 secs
11, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), at 6 mins 53 secs
12, Rune Jogert (Norway Giant-Veolia), at 7 mins 17 secs
13, Josef Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), at 7 mins 18 secs
14, Mark McNally (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), at 7 mins 23 secs
15, Benny Deschrooder (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), same time
Points:
1, Russ Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshalls), 41
2, Niko Eeckhout (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), 37
3, Jan Barta (Austria Arbö KTM Junkers), 32
4, Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), 28
5, Jaan Kirsipuu (Norway Giant-Veolia), 26
Mountains:
1, David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), 45
2, Kit Gilham (Britain C'Shire Sigmasport), 42
3, David McCann (Ireland National Team), 30
4, Pete Williams (Britain Candi TV Marshalls), 30
5, Tom Southam (Britain Rapha Condor), 27
Under 23:
1, Mark McNally (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), 17 hours 2 mins 7 secs
2, Ole Jorgen Jensen (Norway Giant-Veolia), at 5 secs
3, Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under), at 30 secs
4, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey), at 38 secs
5, Jaco Venter (China Trek Marco Polo), at 46 secs
CI Category 2:
1, Daniel Clifford (Kildare Projector World), 17 hours 8 mins 2 secs
2, John Dempsey (Tipperary Dan Morrissey), at 4 secs
3, Graham Hurley (Dublin DTC Orwell Wheelers), at 6 mins 42 secs
4, Chris Coyle (Mayo Castlebar WesternEdge), at 11 mins 53 secs
5, Don Feighery (Waterford Comeragh CC), at 12 mins 24 secs
County rider:
1, Brian Kenneally (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC), 17 hours 2 mins 30 secs
2, Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey), at 15 secs
3, Paul Griffin (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies), at 1 min 38 secs
4, Neil Delahaye (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations), at 3 mins 50 secs
5, Peter Hawkins (Dublin IRC Ushers Insulations), at 3 mins 52 secs
International team:
1, Britain Rapha Condor, 50 hours 53 mins 5 secs
2, Denmark Designa Kokken, at 9 mins 47 secs
3, Austria Arbo KTM Junkers, at 10 mins
4, Australia Cinelli Down Under, at 13 mins 35 secs
5, Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton, at 13 mins 38 secs
County team:
1, Tipperary Dan Morrissey, 51 hours 18 mins 7 secs
2, Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC, at 2 mins 56 secs
3, Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies, at 6 mins 12 secs
4, Dublin IRC Usher Insulations, at 8 mins 32 secs
5, Waterford Comeragh CC, at 18 mins 52 secs
Go to www.FBDRas.com for full coverage options.
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