Christopher McGlinchey enjoys good Friday

Christopher McGlinchey took the biggest road win of his career yesterday on the opening stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan.

The 21-year-old Belfast man, riding for the Irish Development Team, has been close in recent weeks, but he saved his best legs yesterday with a brilliant finishing gallop up to the finish line in Killorglin.

“It was just unbelievable to win like I did,” he said.

“I’m truly ecstatic, I knew I was going well but to win the first stage of the biggest race of the Easter weekend, against a field like this, is beyond my dreams.”

The former international downhill rider turned road ace took victory from a nine-man breakaway, a move that contained three of his teammates, Ian Richardson, Darragh O’Mahony, and Craig Macauley.

That group managed to escape after 40 kilometres of the 100-kilometre stage and had to work extremely hard to establish any kind of a gap on the chasers behind.

However, with 2011 winner Sean Lacey (Aqua Blue) in the escape as well as rising star Daire Feeley (iTap), Henry Cooke (Limerick CC), Ali MacAulay and Mark Dowling (both ASEA-Wheelworx), they had a minute on the peloton with 20 kilometres to go.

The peloton, it must be said, was vastly reduced at this point as the combination of some savage climbs and searing pace thinned 167 starters down to around 50 chasing that front nine.

One of the biggest losers yesterday were the West Frisia team from the Netherlands. They had no man in the breakaway and though they chased frantically for much of the day, their efforts came to nought.

McGlinchey said that while he is in yellow for today’s second stage, they know there’s a long way to go yet.

“Today worked out perfectly for us with four of our five guys up front but we’re not fools to think we can control things now for the rest of the weekend.

“The break was a cooperative one but it had to be because West Frisia missed the move and they will be out for blood for the remaining stages.

“And even the guys who didn’t win the stage today, they’ll not be too disappointed because they all know what pressure is on the shoulders of the guy and the team that have the yellow jersey.

“Sean Lacey has won this race before and looked great today, Daire Feeley is flying and is so motivated after not being picked for the Irish team, there’s so much to play for yet.”

Feeley was second on the stage and will wear the points jersey while Ali Macaulay wears the KOM jersey.

“Today was very difficult,” said Feeley.

“The plan as to make the break and go for the stage win but when we realised we had a perfect break and everyone was willing to work, we started to just ride as hard as we could, and get as much time as possible on the chasers.

“You cannot win this race on the first day but you can lose it and we all knew that, so we just went flat to the mat from when we got away, all the way to the line.

“Chris was just too strong for me in the sprint but there’s a bit to play out yet,” he added.

Today’s stage takes the riders 135km from Kenmare, over the Healy Pass into Adrigole, Castletownbere, Glengarriff, Ballingeary, Ballyvourney, the county bounds before returning to Kenmare via Kilgarvan around 3pm.

Meanwhile, Dan Martin remains fourth overall going into the penultimate stage of the Volta A Catalunya.

Woet Poels (Team Sky) won yesterday’s stage but it wasn’t enough to cause any major upheaval on general classification.

Martin is 21 seconds down on race leader Nairo Quintana (Movistar).