Tom Mazzone claims day one honours
The Manx rider galloped in ahead of runner-up Matteo Cigala (Aqua Blue Academy), the evergreen Páidí O’Brien (Killorglin CC) and the rest of the peloton after a ferociously fast opener that was completed in a little over two hours.
Not even the absence of three categorised climbs and some heavy rain could quell the speed of the bunch in what was one of the fastest opening days in recent years.
The race was a really lively affair and not even 50km in the first hour could stop the attacks coming from the front, Adam Darbyshire of the Surrey League team and Eoin O’Connell of Killarney CC were the first to get away.
However, they were back in the bunch before long and the next move involved the aforementioned Cigala and Ronan McLaughlin (both Aqua Blue Academy) as well as Matt Garthwaite (Rhino Velo Racing) and eventual winner Mazzone (Isle of Man).
McLaughlin took the first KOH at Kilcummin with Cigala just behind him but by the next categorised climb at Tooreencahill it was a different quartet clear; 2011 winner Sean Lacey (Aqua Blue Academy), An Post Rás stage winner Eoin Morton (UCD-Fitzcycles.ie), Lawrence Carpenter (Surrey League) and Oliver Hayward (Rhino Velo Race Team) going clear.
Morton took the honours going over the top followed by Lacey but just like the group that escaped before, the move was also doomed despite a brave effort.
And with 30km to go it was all together at the front — though no let up in the aggression.
Approaching the third and final climb at Milltown with 10km to go there was a break of 11 clear and it looked very threatening with a number of established heads in there, including former winner Mark Dowling (Strata3/VeloRevolution).
They were tracked by around 80 riders with the next group of some 35 riders almost six minutes in arrears.
Lacey took the KOH at Milltown but the group was reeled making way for a furious bunch sprint up the hill in the town, with Mazzone timing his gallop to perfection.
Cigala had some consolation by ending the day in the green jersey as leader of the points classification while Lacey took the KOH jersey.
Today’s stage takes the riders on a 130km journey from Listowel in the north of the county into west Limerick before heading for the finish in Athea.
Meanwhile, Damien Shaw extended his lead at the top of the General Classification at the Tour du Loir et Cher in France yesterday.
The An Post Chain Reaction team rider came across the line 13 seconds behind the stage winner but he holds a 10-second lead over Joey Van Rhee (Destils Jo Pils Cycling Team) and Niklas Pedersen (Giant Castelli) going into today’s penultimate stage.
Meanwhile, Mark Downey finished 10th in the men’s points race and Lydia Boylan was ninth in the omnium at the UCI Track World Championships in Hong Kong yesterday. Downey came in as one of the hot favourites after a blistering World Cup campaign but was left frustrated.
“I was a marked man out there, every time I made a move the group was on me and then they counter-attacked. It’s frustrating but I just have to learn to deal with it. I have many more years left in me and I know I will wake up tomorrow and take positives from this.”
Downey is back in action in the Madison alongside Felix English tomorrow.
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