Battling Bialoblocki stays in yellow

Marcin Bialoblocki became the first rider on this year’s An Post Rás to retain the yellow jersey when he finished eighth on stage four yesterday in Glengarrif where Russian Kirrill Pozdnyakov took stage victory for the Irish-run Synergy Baku team.

Yesterday’s stage kicked into action when a 23 strong breakaway group containing Irish riders Chris Reilly (Meath M.Donnelly), Conor Dunne (Tipperary Carrick Iverk Produce), Conor Murphy (Dublin Eurocycles) Sam Bennett (An Post), Roger Aiken (Louth Prague Charter) and Connor McConvey (Synergy Baku) opened a gap of almost three minutes on the peloton by Killarney, 60km into the 153km stage.

The race had almost come back together by the climb of Ladies View 20km later with Bialoblocki having overcome a quick bike change earlier on to regain his position at the head of affairs on Moll’s Gap 5km later.