Tony Campbell: "Flatter Rás route a different challenge"

The race director of the An Post Rás has warned those with designs on riding this year’s race that it is anything but easy — despite it being a much flatter route than previous years.

Tony Campbell was speaking at the route announcement of the country’s only UCI-ranked race (May 17 to May 25) in Dublin yesterday.

“It is very rolling terrain, it’s very exposed and there’s little shelter on a lot of stages,” said Campbell.

“The riders are going to have to be careful of winds; if there are any sort of westerly winds, I would say they could be in big trouble.”

The fact it is flatter than usual will come as good news to the amateur county riders who usually make up around half of the peloton.

The rest of the 200-strong competitors will be made up of professional teams from around the world, as well as national squads.

There are 21 climbs to be crested over the eight days but there are no category one climbs and just a pair of category two ascents.

That suggests the race could attract a higher number of county men than in the past though Campbell has preached caution.

“Sometimes the flatter editions are the ones with the most attacking, the most action, and the most tactics,” he said. “Riders will have to be vigilant every minute of the day.”

The route rolls out of Dunboyne, Co Meath on Sunday May 17 and works its way south to the first stage finish in Carlow. From there, the riders will head inland where there’ll be stage finishes in Tipperary and Bearna, Co Galway on the Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

It’s unlikely there’ll be any major time gaps at the top of the general classification at this point but that could all change as the race heads north-west along some very exposed roads.

Stage four takes the riders up the Atlantic coast to Newport, Co Mayo and this stage is going to cause havoc.

“It is completely wide open all day. You are twisting and turning on yourself. ”

Stages five and six finish in Ballina and Ballinamore, respectively and with five climbs (three and two) — the latter being the first category two of the week, there’ll be even more reshuffling at the top of the standings.

The climb at Altinure is a horrible 10-kilometre ascent and if the time cut is enforced, some riders could have their race ended here.

The final two stages offer little respite and there’s a category two climb at Moyer which will definitely shed a good chunk of the peloton before the finish in Drogheda.

The final day finishes in Skerries for the 10th year in a row, but to spice things up, the organisers have gone for another lap of the hugely popular Black Hills circuit.

“We believe it could be very close in the overall standings and so the third lap could make a difference and decide the race right in the final minutes,” reckons Campbell.

Meanwhile, Ireland will have eight riders at the World Track Championships in Paris next month, with Cycling Ireland saying it will be the largest national team ever at a track worlds.

While the men’s team pursuiters have not qualified this time around, their female counterparts have bagged a place.