Rollin powers to victory in Yeats Country
The stage was won by Canadian champion, Dominique Rollin, in a fiercely-contested sprint, with Páidí O’Brien from Banteer and Tralee’s Paul Griffin at the head of a 38-man breakaway group.
Rollin’s win consolidated his position at the top of the points classification while his US Kodak Gallery team-mate, Jesse Anthony, added the yellow jersey to a collection that also includes mountains and U-23 jerseys.
But there is nothing clear cut regarding the destination of the title, with four seconds separating the top nine on general classification. Irish riders are well placed. Brian Kenneally (Meath Myhome.ie/BDBC), winner of Monday’s stage moved up into second place — only two seconds behind — after overnight leader, Ricardo Van der Velde, finished almost 20 minutes down yesterday.
Paul Griffin is well placed and looking ominous while Mark Cassidy, on the same time, and his Murphy & Gunn/Sean Kelly team-mate, Páidí O’Brien, is over a minute behind.
They were all part of a breakaway group established an hour into yesterday’s stage when 21 riders rode clear of the field. A four-man group rode clear and opened up a lead of just over a minute. The lead was cut to 21 seconds after 30k but they increased it to a minute again and held their advantage until the climb five kilometres from the finish.
“We had to take control of the race at the midway point,” said stage winner Rollin. “It was important that we got into a winning position. Once we caught the leaders we were happy. Then David McCann attacked with a kilometre to go and Jesse (Anthony) and Mark (Walters) brought me back up to him.”
Second-placed O’Brien admitted: “It was disappointing. I really wanted to win because the lads have been working so hard for me. We ended up bringing back the group on the King of the Hills — Stephen (Gallagher) and Glenn (Bak) worked so hard — and I wanted to reward them with the win.
“Hopefully I will get one later in the week.”
Griffin admitted to being satisfied to be in eighth position — four seconds off the lead. “With the Rás you take one day at a time,” he said. “There is no big mountain stage to decide it this year. They guy who won the stage today seems pretty strong to me but I also felt good today. The Gap of Mamore will probably whittle it down a bit but I don’t think it will decide this race. It could go down to the wire.”
New race leader, Jesse Anthony, is prepared for an Irish backlash.
“I was nervous out there today,” he said. “There were 40 guys in the break and none of them were helping us to bring that other group back.
“It was disappointing not to have any help. I don’t know why they were just leaving it up to us. In the end it worked out for us. But it is pretty negative racing, with everyone looking at us to do the work so we are going to have to be on the ball and make all the right decisions.”
Today’s stage — 85 miles from Sligo to Dungloe with no serious obstacles — should provide an opportunity to recuperate after three days of tough racing, with the visit to Mamore Gap scheduled for tomorrow.
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