Always room for ‘part-timers’ in Rás

Scanning the final results from the overall general classification at the An Post Rás which climaxed on Sunday you’d be forgiven for thinking the days of county riders competing in Ireland’s most storied race was at an end, but route director Stephen O’Sullivan refutes such a suggestion.

More than 170 riders started the race but just 145 made it to the finish, with the county riders largely propping up the bottom half of the results sheet, losing anything from one to four hours by the end.

Is it time to limit their inclusion, such is the dominance of the professional teams? Not a chance.