The Manxman took his third successive stage victory and thus further extended his overall lead in the race, ending the day twenty seconds ahead of his closest rival Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle).
Italian rider Bernardo Riccio (Tinkoff Credit Systems) was second in the 93-man dash to the line in Salthill, with Dean and Alexander Kristoff (Joker Bianchi) third and fourth.
Cavendish was clearly quickest in the sprint but, with thirty kilometres remaining, it wasn’t even certain that he’d be in the fight for the stage win. He was one of a large number of riders who crashed on the greasy descent off the final climb, and he had a long chase before he got back to the front group.
“When I came down, I was only 15 riders or so back,” he said afterwards. “One of the teams put the hammer down a bit because they knew I was dropped, but we had one guy out front and he was able to get into that group, so if they towed him to the finish he technically could have got the yellow jersey. That worked in my favour and I had two guys stay with me. They towed me back, they worked 100 percent, and even I had to work today.
“Normally I sit on while the guys tow something back, but when there is a group away I have to work, otherwise I am not in the bike race. So I had to ride today and help pull it back. We got back with about 20 kilometres to go and that was it. It was just a case of controlling it then until the finish, which the guys did a perfect job of doing, and I was able to finish it off with a win.”
Ciarán Power was once again the top Irishman, the Pezula rider sprinting in seventh. He also remains best of the home crew overall; Power ends the day twelfth, 34 seconds behind a dominant Cavendish.
He hopes to do something big before the conclusion of the 2.1-ranked race and thus secure a contract for next season. “I have nothing for next year, but definitely don’t feel like I am ready to stop,” he said. “I want to do something in this race. The run in was good, the lads looked after me well. I felt good again today, but slipped back a little bit before that last corner. I was wary because I had already crashed on the [earlier] descent and I thought that everybody was going to crash on that last corner.
“We came around it and I let rip really early and passed a load of guys, but then it was too late to move up even more. I was worried about crashing on that last corner, so I didn’t throw the bike into it. Anyway, I felt really, really strong today. It [the team] could be finished on Sunday so I don’t want to hold back. I think the next two days will be about who are the strong riders now. We will see how we are going…I feel all right.”
The 201kilometre stage began in Ballinrobe and took the riders on a loop through locations such as Cong, Westport, Louisburgh, Leenáun, Oughterard, Spiddal and Barna. It featured two category two climbs, a pair of category three ascents and three An Post intermediate sprints.
Following a succession of short-lived attacks, two riders succeeded in breaking the elastic and building a strong lead. Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) and Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) darted away inside the first twenty five kilometres, going clear before the category two climb of Finny, and together built a maximum lead of three minutes 55 seconds.
Hovelijnck pulled out of the break approximately 90 kilometres into the stage and went back to the bunch, leaving Page to continue alone. He plugged away over the following climbs and eked out a maximum advantage of five minutes ten seconds, collecting a cluster of points for the king of the mountains and sprint competitions.
29 August 2008; Daniel Lloyd, of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team, during a break-away on the approach to Keeagh, Co. Galway. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 3, Ballinrobe - Galway. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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However Cavendish’s team was determined to set things up for another sprint and dragged the gap back down once more. Page was caught and passed by Spanish rider Juan Francisco Mouron (Karpin Galicia) approximately 65 kilometres from the finish, with both riders being subsequently reeled in by the peloton.
“I think everybody knows what Galway roads are like,” said Page afterwards, referring to the heavy road surfaces. “It was hard, I was kind of hoping Mark [Cavendish] would get his boys to catch me earlier but they didn’t, so I just had to get on with it. It was a really nice day, it was a beautiful place to be out hurting yourself on your own. It was a shame I didn’t last a bit longer, but I was a bit cooked and not too well today.”
Page had had an upset stomach last night and still felt a bit off during the stage. However he, like the other Pezula riders, are riding what is perhaps their last race with the financially-challenged team, and they are very motivated to show themselves. “I have got nothing for next year,” he said. “This outfit is folding – it really folded long ago. We are here to showcase ourselves and get a ride for next season, really. It is obviously the aim.”
29 August 2008; Daniel Lloyd, of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team, examines his cuts after falling towards the end of the stage. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 3, Ballinrobe - Galway. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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Following his recapture, Daniel Lloyd (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) and Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com/AIS) went clear and carved out a lead of three minutes 12 seconds. They were out front for the final An Post sprint in Oughterard and the category two ascent of Keeagh, with Lloyd taking the first and Clarke the second, and stayed together until Lloyd crashed on the descent off the climb.
Cavendish, team-mate Adam Hanson and several others in the peloton also fell on the greasy roads, with Hanson injuring his shoulder and pulling out of the race.
Clarke dug deep but was finally recaptured inside the last 20 kilometres. Subsequent moves by Cameron Jennings (Pezula Racing) and then Kristian House (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) were also negated, as were a number of other attempts by riders. That paved the way for the third bunch sprint of the race, and the third successive sprint victory by a dominant Mark Cavendish.
He was asked at the finish if he could take all five stages. “I don’t know, I think it is being optimistic if I think I am going to get five,” he said. “I knew I could win the first three stages, and I think that in other years I could maybe go for the GC here and all five stages, I think, but I lost a lot of form by going to China [the Olympics].
“I don’t think I am going to go for the overall here anyway. I think my job is done now…I will defend the yellow jersey as best as possible, but we have other options as well in case we need it.”
The 2.1–ranked race continues with two more difficult stages. Tomorrow’s leg takes the riders 186 kilometres from Limerick to Dingle, crossing the category one climb of the Conor Pass and the second-cat Mount Eagle in the final fifty kilometres and maybe, just maybe, loosening Cavenish’s strong grip on the yellow, green and best young rider jerseys.
Mountains leader Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) has been climbing well and has a chance to further increase his lead in that competition. He is one of those who could win the race, being just 31 seconds back.
“There is always a chance,” he said. “I am getting mixed reports about what the last stage is like. Today I was feeling really strong on the last climb. Now that I have got a bit of a lead in this, I think I will concentrate a bit more on that [the general classification].”
29 August 2008; Daniel Lloyd, of the An Post sponsored Sean Kelly team, examines his helmet with team-mate Benny de Schrooder after falling towards the end of the stage. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 3, Ballinrobe - Galway. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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How it unfolded:
The third stage of the Tour of Ireland began under clouded skies in the town of Ballinrobe. The stage was best described as lumpy, with two category two climbs and two category three climbs coming along the 201 kilometre distance. There were also three An Post intermediate sprints, in Westport, Louisburg and Oughterard.
There were a large number of attacks from the drop of the flag, with early moves including an attempt by Magnus Backstedt (Garmin Chipotle) and Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing) to build a big lead. They were eventually hauled back, as were other riders such as Mark Cassidy (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), David McCann (Ireland national team) and Gonzalo Rabunal (Karpin Galicia).
Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) and Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) had more success, attacking before the start of the category two KOM at Finny (km 26) and quickly drawing clear. Page led Hovelijnck over the top of the climb, over a minute ahead of KOM leader Matt Wilson (Team Type 1), Alex Surutkovych (Team Type 1) and Michael Barry (Team Columbia).
Riding well and being helped by a favourable wind, they covered 45 kilometres in the first hour of racing and opened up a lead of four minutes by the time Hovelijnck took the first An Post intermediate sprint of the day in Westport, 66.9 kilometres after the start. Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) and Juan van Heerden (MTN Energade) led the bunch over the line.
Page took the second An Post intermediate sprint of the day, in Louisburg (km 87.9). Columbia’s Mark Cavendish and Bernhard Eisel were third and fourth. The gap back to the peloton was under three minutes at this point and, sensing that the move wasn’t going anywhere, Hovelijnck stopped and waited for the bunch.
Page persisted and his advantage started to rise. He was five minutes five seconds clear after 111 kilometres of racing, and had a similar gap when he took top points at the category three climb of Leenáun. Wilson, David George (MTN Energade), Alex Surutkovych (Team Type 1) and Fabio Calabria (Team Type 1) led the bunch over the top.
The leader was by now showing clear signs of fatigue, however. He was freewheeling down the descents and also shaking out his legs, and was being reeled in quite quickly by the main bunch. He was caught and passed by Juan Francisco Mouron (Karpin Galicia) approximately 134 kilometres after the start, but both of them were in turn hauled back by the bunch before the category three climb of Maumturk (km 136.3).
Wilson got the points there, crossing the summit ahead of Surutkovych, Filippo Savini (CSF Group Navigare) and Moises Aldape Chavez (Team Type 1). Very soon afterwards Daniel Lloyd (An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) and Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com/AIS) kicked clear and, by the time they hit kilometre 150, had two minutes and 30 seconds. It went up to a maximum of three minutes twelve seconds, then began to fall once more.
Lloyd took the final intermediate sprint of the day in Oughterard, with Pinarello CandiTV team-mates Downing and Malcolm Elliott netting third and fourth. The leaders then raced on to the final climb of the day, the category two ascent of Keeagh, which topped out 30 kilometres from the finish. Clarke appeared stronger there and led Lloyd over the top, while Wilson and Kristian House (Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk) took the points in the peloton.
The leaders still had a decent gap at this point, but the chances of the break staying clear dropped when Lloyd crashed on the descent. More riders also fell when the bunch reached the same section of road. Adam Hansen (Columbia) was one of the worst off, hurting his shoulder and having to pull out of the race, while overall leader Mark Cavendish also crashed. He remounted and, assisted by his team-mates, was able to get back to the peloton before the finish.
Clarke was caught inside the final 20 kilometres, and subsequent attacks by compatriot Cameron Jennings (Pezula Racing) were also reeled in. Cavendish then proved too strong in the ensuing bunch sprint, hitting the line ahead of Bernardo Riccio of Tinkoff Credit Systems, Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle), Alexander Kristoff (Joker Bianchi) and the rest. Power was best of the Irish in seventh.
29 August 2008; Mark Cavendish, Team Columbia, after being presented with the An Post sponsored green jersey by Gerry Kearney, An Post Retail Operations Manager Western Region. 2008 Tour of Ireland - Stage 3, Ballinrobe - Galway. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
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Pictures of Stage 3 courtesy of Sportsfile
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Tour of Ireland (2.1), Ireland, August 27-31:
Stage 3 - August 29: Ballinrobe – Galway:
1, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) 210 km in 4.57.01 (39.59 km/h)
2, Bernardo Riccio (Tinkoff Credit Systems)
3, Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30)
4, Alexander Kristoff (Joker - Bianchi)
5, Kenny De Haes (Topsport Vlaanderen)
6, Kenny Lisabeth (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team)
7, Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing)
8, Ruben Bongiorno (CSF Group Navigare)
9, Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank Continental)
10, Michael Van Staeyen (Rabobank Continental)
Other Irish:
17, Paul Healion (Irish National Team)
37, Roger Aiken (Irish National Team)
53, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing)
54, Stephen Gallagher (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team)
55, Stephen O'Sullivan (Irish National Team)
60, David O'Loughlin (Pezula Racing)
61, David McCann (Irish National Team)
68, Sean Lacey (Irish National Team)
80, Miceal Concannon (Irish National Team)
82, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team)
89, Andrew Roche (Pinarello Racing Team)
90, Paul Griffen (Irish National Team)
92, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) all same time)
Sprints:
Westport:
1, Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) 5 pts
2, Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) 3
3, Russel Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) 2
4, Juan Van Heerden (Team MTN) 1
Louisburgh:
1, Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) 5 pts
2, Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) 3
3, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) 2
4, Bernhard Eisel (Team Columbia) 1
Oughterard:
1, Daniel Lloyd (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) 5 pts
2, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 3
3, Russel Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) 2
4, Malcolm Elliott (Pinarello Racing Team) 1
Mountains:
Cat 2: Finny:
1, Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) 10 pts
2, Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) 7
3, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 4
4, Alexandr Surutkovych (Team Type 1) 2
5, Michael Barry (Team Columbia) 1
Cat 3: Leenáun:
1, Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) 6 pts
2, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 4
3, David George (Team MTN) 2
4, Alexandr Surutkovych (Team Type 1) 1
Cat 3: Maumturk:
1, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 6 pts
2, Alexandr Surutkovych (Team Type 1) 4
3, Filippo Savini (CSF Group Navigare) 2
4, Moises Aldape Chavez (Team Type 1) 1
Cat 2: Keeagh:
1, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 10 pts
2, Daniel Lloyd (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) 7
3, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 4
4, Kristian House (Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk) 2
5, David Millar (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) 1
Teams:
1, Topsport Vlaanderen, 14 hours 51 mins 3 secs
2, Pinarello CandiTV
3, Tinkoff - Credit Systems
4, Karpin Galicia Cycling Team
5, Pezula
6, Joker Bianchi Team
Other Irish:
13, An Post Sean Kelly Team
14, Irish National Team
General classification after stage 3:
1, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) 13 hours 54 mins 42 secs
2, Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) at 20 secs
3, Alexander Kristoff (Joker - Bianchi) at 25 secs
4, Kurt Hovelijnck (Topsport Vlaanderen) at 29 secs
5, Maximiliano Richeze Ariel (CSF Group Navigare) at 30 secs
6, Daniel Lloyd (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 31 secs
7, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) same time
8, Russel Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) at 31 secs
9, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS)
10, Juan Van Heerden (Team MTN) at 33 secs
Irish:
12, Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing) at 34 secs
32, Stephen Gallagher (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
34, Roger Aiken (Irish National Team
46, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) all same time
56, David McCann (Irish National Team) at 2 mins 7 secs
75, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 10 mins 14 secs
84, Andrew Roche (Pinarello Racing Team) at 13 mins 18 secs
86, Paul Healion (Irish National Team) at 13 mins 45 secs
87, David O'Loughlin (Pezula Racing)
88, Sean Lacey (Irish National Team) both same time
90, Paul Griffen (Irish National Team) at 15 mins 33 secs
92, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) at 16 mins 46 secs
93, Miceal Concannon (Irish National Team) at 16 mins 49 secs
100, Stephen O'Sullivan (Irish National Team) at 25 mins 24 secs
Points classification:
1, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) 54 pts
2, Alexander Kristoff (Joker - Bianchi) 44
3, Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30) 34
4, Russel Downing (Pinarello Racing Team) 27
5, Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank Continental) 26
6, Kenny De Haes (Topsport Vlaanderen) 23
Irish:
8, Ciarán Power (Pezula Racing) 17
25, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) 5
Mountains Classification:
1, Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 57 pts
2, Travis Meyer (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 21
3, Kieran Page (Pezula Racing) 16
4, David George (Team MTN) 15
5, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) 12
6, Fredrik Ericsson (Pezula Racing) 12
Irish:
9, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) 8
15, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) 4
Young rider classificationP
1, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) 13 hours 54 mins 42 secs
2, Alexander Kristoff (Joker - Bianchi) at 25 secs
3, Simon Clarke (Southaustralia.com - AIS) at 32 secs
4, Juan Van Heerden (Team MTN) at 33 secs
5, Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank Continental) at 34 mins
6, Zakkari Dempster (Southaustralia.com - AIS) same time
Irish:
24, Mark Cassidy (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) same time
41, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team) at 10 mins 14 secs
47, Martyn Irvine (Pezula Racing) at 16 mins 46 secs
48, Miceal Concannon (Irish National Team) at 16 mins 49 secs
Teams classification:
1, Topsport Vlaanderen, 41 hours 45 mins 48 secs
2, CSF Group Navigare
3, Pinarello CandiTV
4, Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk
5, Rabobank
6, Garmin Chipotle H30, all same time
Irish:
13, An Post Sean Kelly Team, same time
15, Pezula, at 9 mins 40 secs
16, Irish National Team, at 11 mins 13 secs