Bagdonas wins Kilrush battle
It was expected that the Category 2 climb at Corkscrew Hill would separate the men from the boys but, in the end, it was the only piece of respite for the peloton which was battered by arguably the most savage headwind in the history of the event.
But it produced its heroes and none more than Northern Ireland’s Martyn Irvine, who was at the front of the race throughout the opening day and was only five minutes on the road yesterday when he launched the attack that fashioned a thrilling stage.
He was joined by Kohei Uchima (Italy D.Angelo & D’Antenucci) Cameron Karwowski (New Zealand National Team), Stuart Shaw (Australia Drapac Cycling), Mark McNally (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly), Hector Gonzalez (Greece KTM Murica), Kohei Uchima (Italy D’Angelo & D’Antenucci), Anatoliy Pakhtusov (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental) and Robin Kelly (Kildare Newbridge) to comprise the days early break.
And when the main field stalled, that built up a lead of three minutes 35 seconds. Two of them had been dropped before the Corkscrew when Irvine led them over the top ahead of Mark McNally, Cameron Karwowski, and Robin Kelly to claim the first Mountains jersey of the Rás.
Dean Downing in the yellow jersey was at 2:15 at the top but the main field was a whopping 13 minutes and 25 seconds behind and would eventually cross the line 34 minutes behind the stage winner.
The 25-year-old Latvian-born rider had come storming through in an 11-man chase group to join the leaders as Dean Downing came back from a hopeless position to launch his defence of the jersey and, with Shane Archbold, who was third on Sunday’s stage, alongside him, the only contender missing was young Sam Bennett who went into the stage just four seconds behind Downing on general classification.
At Milltown Malbay, two groups merged to make it a 23-man breakaway.
Inside the last 20 miles, Anatoliy Pakhtusov (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental) attacked and was joined by Stuart Shaw (Drapac Procycling), Bagdonas and Archibold and they went on to fight it out, with Bagdonas claiming his seventh victory of the season.
“I was strong today,” he said. “There was a lot of wind and a lot of guys were waiting to attack. My team worked very well so it did not get out of hand.”
With the An Post/Sean Kelly team looking more and more like contenders for the overall prize, manager, Kurt Bogaerts, praised Bagdonas not just for his stage win but for his contribution all day.
“If you were behind the break and you saw how strong he was and how much work he did and still won the stage, it is just unbelievable,” he said. “It was an important win for the team.”
Shane Archbold, a member of the New Zealand track team, was relishing his first every yellow jersey in a stage race.
“I have never put myself in a breakaway before,” he said. “To be in yellow is just a crazy feeling.”
He goes into today’s 110-mile stage from Kilrush to Castleisland on equal time with Bagdonas and Stuart Shaw (Australia Drapac) just four seconds further back. They face their first Category 1 climb at Crag Cave, just six miles from the finish, with the Healy Pass looming towards the end of tomorrow’s fourth stage into Castletownbere.
