McCarthy takes the first yellow

The An Post-Chain reaction team may have fielded just two Irishmen out of a possible five in its line-up for this year’s An Post Rás, but it is the Belgian-based squad who drew first blood on stage one into Roscommon yesterday.

Irish-born Robert Jon-McCarthy took the stage win and first yellow jersey of this year’s race. The Australian U23 international romped home at the head of the huge sprint to take his first senior race in Ireland.

His family emigrated to Australia when he was 14 and had already begun cycling with Fermoy CC, his performance yesterday capping a fantastic homecoming of sorts for him and his family.

His teammate, and a stage winner here last year, Kiwi Shane Archbold took second on what was a very big result for the squad riding the Irish national tour backed by their title sponsor.

Rounding out the podium was Daniel Klemme, despite his Synergy Baku team spending much of the stage on the front of the bunch trying successfully to close down the escape after its lead reached three minutes. The squad was clearly protecting the chances of its fancied Irishman Connor McConvey, who was second overall last year.

Yesterday’s victor, McCarthy triumphed after a 10-man breakaway that had been up the road virtually all day split in the closing kilometres and were mopped up just a couple of kilometres from home.

In that break were five Irish riders; Sean Downey (An Post-Chainreaction), Peter Hawkins (Madison Genesis), Bryan McCrystal (Aquablue), Eoin Morton (UCD CC) and Fraser Duncan (DID Dunboyne).

Duncan took the only climb of the day and so he takes the lead in the king of the mountains competition.

Today’s second stage takes the riders 159 kilometres from Roscommon to Lisdoonvarna and there are two climbs.