After a tough day in the mountains, the thirty year old Pinarello CandiTV hit the line in Dingle ahead of Gonzalo Rabunal (Karpin Galicia), mountains leader Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) and twenty others. Overnight race leader Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) lost contact with the leaders approximately 45 kilometres from the finish, slipping backwards on the category one climb of the Conor Pass, and eventually finished eight minutes 35 seconds down.
Mark Cassidy was best Irish rider on the stage, finishing two minutes four seconds adrift in 28th place. An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team-mate Stephen Gallagher was three places and two minutes six seconds further back.
Cassidy is now 24th in the general classification, two minutes 22 seconds away from the race lead, with Gallagher 27th.
New Zealand’s Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle) had started in Limerick this morning in second place overall and his team rode strongly to try to put him into yellow. Magnus Backstedt joined Wesley Sulzberger (SouthAustralia.com/AIS) and Peter Williams (Pinarello CandiTV) in an early break, forcing Cavendish’s team to chase. Then, once the Manx rider was dropped, David Millar drove hard after the climb to further distance him and to help Dean’s chances.
However that plan was foiled by Downing, who had started the day twelve seconds behind Dean but picked up a wedge of time bonuses via two intermediate sprint wins plus the stage victory. He finished up two seconds clear of his Kiwi rival and a further nine ahead of Wilson.
It is the latest result in a strong season for the British-based rider, who won three stages of the Cinturón Ciclista a Mallorca plus a host of Premier Calendar races.
The 2.1-ranked race concludes tomorrow with a tough stage from Killarney to Cork. The 144 kilometre leg takes in four ascents of the feared St. Patrick’s Hill and could well shake up the general classification once more. Seventeen riders are within eighteen seconds or less of Downing, guaranteeing a suspenseful finale to the event.
(more later)
Some pictures from the stage courtesy of SPORTSFILE
30 August 2008; Mark Cassidy, left, and Paidi O'Brien, of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team, ahead of the race. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 4, Limerick - Dingle. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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30 August 2008; Local An Post staff and family with, from left, Daniel Lloyd, of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team, An Post Chief Executive Donal O'Connell, Michael Cronin, An Post Retail Operations Manager South Region, and Kurt Bogaerts, Team manager of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team after the stage finish into Dingle, Co. Kerry. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 4, Limerick - Dingle. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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30 August 2008; Members of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team ahead of the stage, from left, Stephen Gallagher, Benny de Schrooder, Kenny Lisabett, Daniel Fleeman, Daniel Lloyd, Mark Cassidy, Paidi O'Brein and Kurt Bogaerts, Team Manager. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 4, Limerick - Dingle. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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30 August 2008; Daniel Lloyd, left, and Mark Cassidy, of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team, on the approach to the An Post sponsored sprint at Athea, Co. Limerick. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 4, Limerick - Dingle. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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Tour of Ireland (2.1), August 27 – 31:
Stage 4 - August 30: Limerick – Dingle:
1, Russell Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) 186 kilometres in 4 hours 19 mins 56 secs (42.93 km/h)
2, Gonzalo Rabuñal Ríos (Xacobeo Galicia)
3, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1)
4, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com – AIS)
5, Luca Mazzanti (Tinkoff Credit Systems)
6, Daniel Lloyd (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team)
7, Johan Coenen (Topsport Vlaanderen)
8, Nikolas Maes (Topsport Vlaanderen)
9, Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30)
10, Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker – Bianchi) all same time
Irish:
28, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 2 mins 4 secs
31, Stephen Gallagher (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 4 mins 10 secs
32, Roger Aiken (Irish National Team) same time
42, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team) at 8 mins 35 secs
54, Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing) same time
57, Miceal Concannon (Irish National Team) at 11 mins 8 secs
70, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) at 16 mins 19 secs
71, Sean Lacey (Irish National Team)
73, Andrew Roche (Pinarello Racing Team)
77, Stephen O'Sullivan (Irish National Team)
78, Paul Healion (Irish National Team) all same time
91, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 17 mins 23 secs
DNF: David O'Loughlin (Pezula Racing)
DNS: David McCann (Irish National Team)
Sprints:
Patrickswell:
1, Russell Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) 5 pts
2, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) 3
3, Maximiliano Richeze Ariel (CSF Group Navigare) 2
4, Alexander Gottfried (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 1
Athea:
1, Magnus Backstedt (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) 5 pts
2, Peter Williams (Pinarello Racing Team) 3
3, Wesley Sulzberger (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 2
4, Alexander Kristoff (Joker - Bianchi) 1
Dingle:
1, Russell Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) 5 pts
2, Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) 3
3, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 2
4, Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) 1
Mountains:
Cat 1: Connor Pass:
1, David George (Team MTN) 15 pts
2, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 12
3, Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) 10
4, Kevin Evans (Team MTN) 8
5, Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker - Bianchi) 6
6, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) 4
7, Michael Barry (Team Columbia) 2
8, David Millar (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) 1
Cat 2: Mount Eagle:
1, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 10 pts
2, David George (Team MTN) 7
3, Ilya Chernetskiy (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 4
4, Michael Barry (Team Columbia) 2
5, Luca Mazzanti (Tinkoff Credit Systems) 1
Teams:
1, Topsport Vlaanderen, 12 hours 59 mins 48 secs
2, Tinkoff - Credit Systems
3, Team Columbia, both same time
4, An Post Sean Kelly Team, at 2 mins 4 secs
5, Team Type 1 Cycling Team, at 4 mins 10 secs
6, SouthAustralia.com/AIS, at 5 mins 9 secs
Other:
14, Pezula, at 17 mins 10 secs
16, Irish National Team, at 23 mins 53 secs
General classification after stage 4:
1, Russell Downing (Pinarello Racing Team, 18 hours 14 mins 54 secs
2, Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) at 2 secs
3, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) at 11 secs
4, Gonzalo Rabuñal Ríos (Xacobeo Galicia) at 12 secs
5, Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) at 13 secs
6, Daniel Lloyd (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 15 secs
7, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) same time
8, Nikolas Maes (Topsport Vlaanderen) at 18 secs
9, Valery Kobzarenko (Team Type 1)
10, Michael Barry (Team Columbia) both same time
Irish:
24, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 2 mins 22 secs
27, Stephen Gallagher (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 4 mins 28 secs
28, Roger Aiken (Irish National Team) same time
36, Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing) at 8 mins 53 secs
69, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team) at 23 mins 52 secs
78, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 27 mins 21 secs
80, Miceal Concannon (Irish National Team) at 27 mins 41 secs
83, Andrew Roche (Pinarello Racing Team) at 29 mins 21 secs
84, Paul Healion (Irish National Team) at 29 mins 48 secs
85, Sean Lacey (Irish National Team) same time
90, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) at 32 mins 49 secs
92, Stephen O'Sullivan (Irish National Team) at 41 mins 27 secs
Points classification:
1, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) 57 pts
2, Russell Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) 52
3, Alexander Kristoff (Joker - Bianchi) 45
4, Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) 44
5, Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank Continental) 26
6, Kenny De Haes (Topsport Vlaanderen) 23
Irish:
12, Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing) 17
30, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) 5
Mountains classification:
1, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 79 pts
2, David George (Team MTN) 37
3, Travis Meyer (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 21
4, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 12
5, Fredrik Ericsson (Pezula Racing) 12
6, Johan Coenen (Topsport Vlaanderen) 10
Irish:
9, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) 8
11, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) 8
Young rider classification:
1, Gonzalo Rabuñal Ríos (Xacobeo Galicia) 18 hours 15 mins 06 secs
2, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) at 3 secs
3, Nikolas Maes (Topsport Vlaanderen) at 6 secs
4, Alexander Gottfried (Tinkoff Credit Systems)
5, Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker - Bianchi) both same time
6, Thomas Rabou (Rabobank Continental) at 28 secs
Irish:
9, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 2 mins 10 secs
42, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 27 mins 9 secs
44, Miceal Concannon (Irish National Team) at 27 mins 29 secs
47, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) at 32 mins 37 secs
Teams classification:
1, Topsport Vlaanderen, 54 hours 45 mins 36 secs
2, Tinkoff - Credit Systems
3, Team Columbia, both same time
4, An Post Sean Kelly Team, at 2 min 4 secs
5, Team Type 1 Cycling Team, at 4 mins 10 secs
6, SouthAustralia.com/AIS, at 5 mins 9 secs
Other:
15, Pezula, at 26 mins 50 secs
16, Irish National Team, at 35 mins 6 secs