Drama to the end as Newton claims FBD Rás title

THOUGH the result was a foregone conclusion there was drama aplenty before Chris Newton (Recycling.co.uk) finally clinched the FBD Insurance Rás title in the Phoenix Park yesterday.

Newton joins a select group to have won the event more than once, but he was not the only rider enjoying the plaudits when the punishing event reached it’s conclusion.

The coveted final stage fought out before a huge gallery on Chesterfield Avenue went to the popular Stamullen man Bill Moore (Meath Martin Donnelly) who, after riding the race for 10 years, claimed his first stage win at the 101st attempt.

All eyes were on Malcolm Elliott (Yorkshire Trinity Capital) who was targeting the green points jersey, but, on the final bend, the 32-year-old Meath man powered past 10 riders and sprinted to the line. Welshman Julian Winn won the battle for second, ahead of the ultra-consistent Norwegian Morten Hegreberg. Simon Kelly (Cork Nucleus team), Eugene Moriarty (Meath cycleways.com) and his team-mate, Aidan Crowley, completed the top five.

Elliott, who fumbled with troublesome gears, had to be content with 13th place and this tied him with Hergeberg in the contest for the green points jersey, but Elliott’s second place on the general classification list, 14 seconds behind Newton, won him the jersey.

“It was a bit traumatic at that final bend,” said Elliott. “I tried to shift up a gear but it would not jump on to a 12. I waited and waited and settled for an 11 but it was not the gear I needed and then somebody took me across the road and put my spokes through.”

Stage winner Moore believes he was reaping the rewards for a hard winter’s work in South Africa. “I did 10,000 miles training in South Africa during December and January and I won three good races there,” he said. “I had good form when I came back. I won the Conor Coombes race and finished second in the Noel Hammond Memorial, so I was looking for a stage win. I was not looking at The Phoenix Park for a stage win but I gave it everything today. I came into that final bend and I saw the opening. I knew from experience racing here that if you come off that bend right your momentum will carry you to the line and that’s how it worked out.

“It was just a dream come through.”

Ice cool Newton displayed his first real signs of excitement when he crossed the line. And he quickly heaped praise on those who had helped him protect the yellow jersey.

“To be honest my team and Paul (Manning), in particular, were just superb. I was so fortunate to have him helping me because if he had not crashed on the first stage he would be right up there contesting overall victory,” he said.

Having won the title in 2003 he now wants to come back for a third victory. Only the legendary Shay O’Hanlon (4), and the late Paddy Flanagan (3), have managed to win the event on more than two occasions.

“This is a fantastic race,” he said. “It has 200 riders and even the Tour de France does not have a field that big. It is amazing how the organiser can keep it on the road.”

Corkman Timmy Barry (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) ended first Irish rider overall in sixth position on general classification although he was tied on time with Newton’s team mate Robin Sharman (fifth on placings). He took the title for the leading county rider overall and led his team to the county title, ahead of Meath cycleways.com, Dublin Usher Insulations and the two Cork teams, Cork Kanturk Credit Union and Cork Nucleus.