Bagdonas wins brutal battle to stay in yellow
The 25-year-old all-rounder out sprinted former leader, New Zealand’s Shane Archbold, and Stuart Shaw of the Australia Drapac Cycling team to the line after a brutally difficult day.
A driving headwind and sheeting rain for much of the 142km trek from Castleisland ensured it was a war of attrition, and when it came down to it, Bagdonas, who only signed for the Belgian-based Irish team at the start of the year, trumped everyone else. Little wonder manager Kurt Bogaerts wore a broad grin at the finish line.
“We are really delighted,” said Bogaerts.
“All the team rode so well. It’s unbelievable, we didn’t miss any move. We were always there to see what was happening at the front of the race. The guys knew exactly what to do, they are such professionals, it was unbelievable and I’m delighted for every one of them.”
Bagdonas, communicating in patchy English, admitted he’s beginning to love the race.
“I’m loving this,” he admitted afterwards.
“I like this of course. Difficult weather and the roads are terrible but I like it like this. My job is this and I like it.”
With that he paid a glowing tribute to his teammates who were all active throughout the stage.
“The guys on the team were brilliant. They did such great work on the last climb. I waited and I waited for my chance and I attacked in the last ten kilometres I was feeling so strong. I need more time because you never know (what can happen).”
Whether or not the eastern European can sustain his effort is a question rival teams will be asking this morning but Bagdonas issued a warning to those hoping to usurp him.
“I think yeah, I can win this race. The team is very strong, the young guys are very strong and I am very happy. It’s a nice stage win today, again but you never know what can happen.”
Bogaerts reiterated his prized sprinter’s message.
“Yeah, we are confident that we can do it. But every day is very different in circumstance. We are also not supermen, he (Bagdonas) is not superman. He’s just a good rider all around and he’s going for it because he knows what’s good for the team and we’ll do our best each day like we’ve done until now.”
Yesterday’s hilly stage featured some of the most testing roads in Cork and Kerry with four categorised climbs fragmenting the peloton. The first two of those came after 73km at Ladies’ View while the similarly ranked category two after 78km at Moll’s Gap was significant in reducing the peloton in size and it formed a lead group of some 20 riders.
However, Bagdonas and his nearest challengers for the race lead, Oleksandr Sheydyk (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental) and Nikolay Mihaylov(France AVC Aix en Provence), were not part of it.
That trio only joined following the final climb of the day at Knockanoughanish after 108km to form a lead group of 36 riders who fought it out for the finish.
Crucially though, Bagdonas had the advantage of having teammates Sam Bennett and Ronan McLaughlin in that group.
Corkman Timmy Barry, a former winner of Rás Mumhan, picked up the coveted county rider prize riding for Dan Morrissey/The Edge when he came home in that front group in 15th place, one place ahead of Donegal/Sportactive’s Ryan Sherlock.
Clearly shattered at the finish, Barry reasoned that the Rás, famed for its gruelling brutality, may be beyond the limits of the county rider.
“I don’t know. My gut reaction is yes but I’m getting older so it’s hard for me to know,” he said.
“A couple of years ago when I was in my early 30s I probably would have been saying that the standard wasn’t as high but I’m older now. But there was three county riders in that front group today so I mean, it wasn’t that big a group like so maybe it is (beyond their limit). They can be there though. You just have to be careful and how you prepare for it.”
Today’s stage takes the riders 156km from Castletownbere to Blarney.
