Shaw delights in Rás Mumhan glory

In one of the most dramatic finales to the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, Damian Shaw of the Aquablue team held onto the race leader’s yellow jersey, but only by a mere four seconds after second placed Harry Sweering (West Frisia) looked destined to take it.

On the fourth and final stage around the usual Beaufort/Killorglin circuit, Shaw’s team had put in a near flawless display, hunting down any attack that pinged off the front. But with 30 kilometres to race, one attack slipped through, and in that move contained Sweering, who pulled back the 28 seconds he trailed Shaw by at the start of the day, and proceeded to widen that margin to make him virtual leader on the road as the kilometres ticked down.

Shaw and his wily team-mates played it ultra-cool, swarming the front of the peloton in the closing stages of the 115 kilometre journey and limited their loss to Sweering’s group, but only just.