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TOUR OF IRELAND 2009 - Stage 3 Results
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STAGE RACING : Tour of Ireland Last Updated: 14 Oct 2020 - 12:47:15 PM

MARCATO TAKES STAGE, VANDENBERGH TRIUMPHS, O'LOUGHIN THIRD
By Shane Stokes
26 Aug 2007,

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Team LPR rider Marco Marcato took the first victory of his 2007 season in today's final stage of the Failte Ireland-baced Tour of Ireland, hitting the line first on what was a very unusual day of racing.

Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank) was second while Irish road race champion David O'Loughlin posted the best home performance of the week in finishing a strong but disappointed - third. However the result plus his good effort in the closing kilometres of yesterday's fourth stage show that he is well able to compete with the top ProTour and Professional Continental team riders in the race.

Overnight race leader Stijn Vandenbergh came home in ninth place, finishing alongside all his main rivals and thus scooping the first stage race success of his professional career. The Belgian won Wednesday's first stage in Cork and he and his Unibet.com team successfully fended off all attacks by closest rivals Marcus Ljungqvist (CSC) and Aaron Olson (T-Mobile).

Today's big aggressors Marcato, Berkhout and O'Loughlin broke clear of the peloton after 62 kilometres of racing and worked well together to build a maximum lead of five and a half minutes. The main bunch then started to work to reduce the gap but appeared to miscalculate, hitting the finishing circuit over two and a half minutes back.

Although 24 kilometres remained at this point and it was mathematically possible for the peloton to overcome that time deficit, the short 2.4 kilometre laps on the finishing circuit instead saw the break lap the bunch and thus guarantee that victory would go to one of the three.

The main field was instructed to remain behind the break and the trio fought it out for victory between them. Berkhout attacked on the final lap and Marcato gambled that O'Loughlin would ride to bring back the Dutchman.

Racing on home soil, the Irish road race champion had the most to lose and was therefore forced to chase. Marcato capitalised on this by waiting, then coming off his wheel to close the final metres to Berkhout before attacking and hurtling up the finishing straight to take the win.

Vandenbergh ended the five day, 2.1 ranked event 20 seconds clear of Ljungqvist and 21 ahead of Olson. David McCann (Colavita Sutter Home) was best Irishman in 22nd place overall.


How it unfolded:

In mild conditions, 89 riders lined out for the start of the final day of the Tour of Ireland. This 147.7 kilometre race was almost completely flat, with the main flashpoints being bonus sprints at Kinnegad (56.4 km), Lucan (104 km) and on the third passage of the finish line in Dublin (130.9 km).

The route would take them into the heart of Ireland's capital city. Heading through the Phoenix Park and down the Grand Canal, the riders would then slug it out over ten laps of a 2.4 kilometre finishing circuit, which included Merrion Square and finished outside Government Buildings.

There was an aggressive start to the stage, with 13 riders going clear very early on. They were caught after five kilometres. The attacking continued and with 14 kilometres covered ten riders clipped away, pursued by three others. The initial ten were Michael Blaudzun (CSC), Jeremy Hunt (Unibet.com), Francesco Tomei (Ceramica Panaria Navigare), Kristian House (Navigators Insurance), Timothy Duggan (Slipstream Chipotle), Alessandro Maserati (Team LPR), Gene Bates (SouthAustralia.com/AIS), Martijn Maaskant (Rabobank), Evan Oliphant (Team DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed) and David McCann (Colavita Sutter Home).

They were then joined by Marcel Beima (T-Mobile), Daniele Colli (Ceramica Panaria Navigare) and Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank) and, at 22 kilometres, the gap was 1 minute and 25 seconds.

Bates punctured and this reduced the lead group to twelve. He was picked up by the bunch, led by the Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly team. Their efforts saw the gap falling to 45 with 30 kilometres covered.

Those in the break started attacking each other and with approximately 34 kilometres covered, House and UCI Europe Tour leader Maaskant went clear. However six kilometres later there was a regrouping of the break. With the bunch closing in Duggan, Van Poppel, Oliphant, Hunt and House then tried but after 42 kilometres of racing it was all together.

Several others clipped off then, including Karsten Kroon (CSC), Pieter Jacobs (Unibet.com), Ben Day (Navigators Insurance), Nazereno Rossi (Team LPR) and Maaskant. Moises Aldape Chavez (Ceramica Panaria Navigare) got across and this group were 23 seconds ahead of the field with 45 kilometres covered. However three clicks later it was all back together.

Ben Day attacked again, then this move was followed by a subsequent attempt by Rossi (Team LPR) and Joachim Bohler (Maxbo Bianchi). They too were hauled back.

The riders sprinted it out for bonus seconds in Kinnegad, 56.4 kilometres after the start. Matti Breschel (CSC) took the points ahead of Norwegian road race champion Alexander Kristoff (Maxbo Bianchi), Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Maxbo Bianchi). Breschel had started the day one point behind Boasson Hagen

Next to try were Irish national road race champion David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance), Marco Marcato (Team LPR) and Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank). They clipped away after 62 kilometres of racing and, seven clicks later, had 46 seconds. This lead then surged in the next three kilometres, jumping up to 1 minute and 36 seconds as the peloton stalled.

The gap ballooned soon after, increasing to five and a half minutes with some 84 kilometres covered. Pushed on by a slight tailwind, the trio were doing fifty to sixty kilometres per hour at times. Behind, the peloton started riding again and ramped up its own speed.

CSC and T-Mobile were leading the chase and with 50 kilometres to go the gap was 4 minutes 50 seconds. Given the old rule of thumb that a committed bunch can bring back one minute every ten kilometres, it was certainly possible at that point for the break to be caught. However over the next 15 kilometres the gap only dropped a further 35 seconds and, as time passed, it became clear that the break had a growing chance of staying clear.

Having passed through the Phoenix Park and travelled down the Grand Canal, the leaders raced onto the 2.4 kilometre finishing circuit based around Merrion Square. The time difference between break and bunch was well over two and a half minutes here; the significance of that was that once the bunch hit the circuit, the three leaders could see them in their sights. They upped their tempo and managed to catch the tail end of the peloton, meaning that victory was certain to go to one of the three.

With the bunch instructed to stop racing, O'Loughlin, Marcato and Berkhout moved through the field and back out off the front. They no longer had to worry about the other riders in the race but there was very much a big battle in store amongst the three. The cooperation continued until the final lap and then the tactics kicked in; Berkhout attacked on the second last corner, O'Loughlin chased hard to try to bring him back and then Marcato jumped off the Irishman's back wheel, came past Berkhout and thundered up the finishing straight to take a fine win.

Jean Paul Van Poppel's aptly named son Boy took the gallop for fourth, with points winner Matti Breschel making sure of his green jersey in placing fifth. Stijn Vandenbergh came across the line in ninth, arms aloft, taking the first stage race of his professional career and bringing the 2007 Tour of Ireland to a close.

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Tour of Ireland (2.1, August 22-26)

Stage 5 - August 26: Athlone � Dublin:

1, Marco Marcato (Team L.P.R.) 147.7 kilometres in 3 hours 4 mins 20 secs (48.076 km/h)
2, Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank Continental) same time
3, David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) at 8 secs
4, Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank Continental) at 2 mins 30 secs
5, Matti Breschel (Team CSC)
6, Frantisek Rabon (T-Mobile Team)
7, Joachim Bohler (Team Maxbo Bianchi)
8, Jeremy Hunt (Unibet.com)
9, Stijn Vandenberg (Unibet.com)
10, Michael Ford (South Australia.com / AIS)
11, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi)
12, Paidi O'Brien (Murphy & Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
13, Samuele Marzoli (Team L.P.R.)
14, Tony Gibb (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing)
15, Martijn Keizer (Rabobank Continental) all same time


Irish:

12, Paidi O'Brien (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) same time
20, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team)
37, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team)
41, Mark Cassidy (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
45, Derek Burke (Irish National Team)
48, Stephen Gallagher (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
53, David McCann (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
63, Isaac Speirs (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
64, Brian Keneally (Irish National Team) all same time

Sprints

Sprint 1, Kinnegad:

1, Matti Breschel (Team CSC) 5 pts
2, Alexander Kristoff (Team Maxbo Bianchi) 3
3, Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile Team) 2
4, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) 1

Sprint 2, Lucan:

1, Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank Continental) 5 pts
2, David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) 3
3, Marco Marcato (Team L.P.R.) 2
4, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) 1

Sprint 3, Finish line third passage:

1, Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank Continental) 5 pts
2, Marco Marcato (Team L.P.R.) 3
3, David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) 2
4, Matti Breschel (Team CSC) 1


Final General Classification:

1, Stijn Vandenberg (Unibet.com) 21 hours 20 mins 21 secs
2, Marcus Ljungqvist (Team CSC) at 20 secs
3, Aaron Olson (T-Mobile Team) at 21 secs
4, Wesley Sulzberger (South Australia.com / AIS) at 24 secs
5, Pieter Jacobs (Unibet.com) at 27 secs
6, Craig Lewis (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) at 28 secs
7, Glenn Bak (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 43 secs
8, Valeriy Kobzarenko (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) at 2 mins 37 secs
9, Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank Continental) at 11 mins 3 secs
10, Marco Marcato (Team L.P.R.) at 12 mins 30 secs
11, Matti Breschel (Team CSC) at 13 mins 12 secs
12, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) at 13 mins 20 secs
13, Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile Team) at 13 mins 28 secs
14, Borut Bozic (Team L.P.R.) at 13 mins 34 secs
15, Daniel Lloyd (DFL - Cyclingnews / Litespeed) at 13 mins 43 secs

Irish:

22, David McCann (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) at 13 mins 45 secs
29, David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) at 14 mins 31 secs
35, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team) at 15 mins 54 secs
38, Mark Cassidy (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) both same time
41, Brian Keneally (Irish National Team) at 16 mins13 secs
64, Paadi O'Brien (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 41 mins 59 secs
71, Stephen Gallagher (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 42 mins
72, Isaac Speirs (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) same time
77, Derek Burke (Irish National Team) at 42 mins 35 secs
79, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team) at 44 mins 2 secs


Sprint classification:

1, Matti Breschel (Team CSC) 60 pts
2, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) 51
3, Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile Team) 43
4, Borut Bozic (Team L.P.R.) 41
5, Wesley Sulzberger (South Australia.com / AIS) 34

Mountains classification:

1, Roger Beuchat (Team L.P.R.) 67 pts
2, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 38
3, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 36
4, Marcus Ljungqvist (Team CSC) 23
5, Valeriy Kobzarenko (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) 20

Best young rider classification:

1, Stijn Vandenberg (Unibet.com) 21 hours 20 mins 21 secs
2, Wesley Sulzberger (South Australia.com / AIS) at 24 secs
3, Pieter Jacobs (Unibet.com) at 27 secs
4, Craig Lewis (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) at 28 secs
5, Thomas Berkhout (Rabobank Continental) at 11 mins 3 secs
6, Marco Marcato (Team L.P.R.) at 12 mins 30 secs

Irish:

18, Mark Cassidy (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 15 mins 54 secs
29, Paadi O'Brien (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 41 mins 59 secs
34, Isaac Speirs (Murphy and Gunn/ Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 42 mins
38, Derek Burke (Irish National Team) at 42 mins 35 secs
40, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team) at 44 mins 2 secs


Team classification:

1, Unibet.com, 64 hours 15 mins 12 secs
2, Team LPR, at 11 mins 19 secs
3, Team CSC, at 13 mins 44 secs
4, T-Mobile Team, at 13 mins 48 secs
5, Team Maxbo-Bianchi, at 13 mins 49 secs
6, Team Slipstream, same time

Other:

7, Navigators Insurance Cycling, at 15 mins 45 secs
12, Irish National Team, at 33 mins 53 secs
14, Murphy & Gunn, at 44 mins 30 secs
15, Colavita Sutter Home Cycling, at 1 hour 19 mins 18 secs






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