Lang’s storming finish secures Rás lead

Another fast and furious day on the An Post Rás saw a new rider in the yellow jersey yesterday as Swiss professional Pirmin Lang of the Atlas Personal Jackroo team outsprinted a seven-man lead group to take victory on stage two into Gort.

Lang had spent much of the 158km stage out front in the company of British quartet Dale Appleby (East Midlands Metaltek), Richard Handley (Rapha Condor Sharp), James Moss (Node4 Giordana) and Richard Tanguy (UK Youth Cycling), Namibian Dan Craven (IG — Sigma Sport), Dane Christian Jensen (Blue Water Cycling) and Belfast youngster Connor McConvey of An Post, building up a maximum lead of almost four minutes by the midpoint of the stage.

With so many strong international teams represented in the move, there was much discussion in the peloton as to who would close the gap, before the French formed an alliance with the Czech squad and began to eat into the escapees’ lead in the closing kilometres.