Newton is sitting pretty
However, Ireland’s Tommy Evans, who saw his chances of a second Ras win evaporate en route to the Mamore Gap on Thursday, proved that he is not going to sit back in the bunch and sulk when he finished second in yesterday’s stage from Buncrana to Donegal.
Jonas Holmkvist (Sweden Bianchi Scandinavia), who won into Clifden in the rain on Monday, claimed his second stage victory but it was virtually handed to him when Evans’ foot slipped off the pedal 50 metres from the line.
It was another cruel blow to Evans, who was stripped of the yellow jersey in the cruellest of circumstances 24 hours earlier for he was the dominant force throughout the day, drove a breakaway group up the first category climb at Glengesh and then launched a succession of attacks on the road to Donegal Town.
After a performance like this, one can only imagine what the concluding stages of the race would have held for fans had he not lost the lead when he did.
“It was disappointing to lose the jersey,” he admitted when he reflected on how they had gambled with David O’Loughlin on Thursday despite the fact that he had a high temperature overnight and did not start yesterday.
“We were not defending the jersey all week three of us were in winning positions and we were defending those positions. If I had been defending the jersey I would not have been riding at the front all the time.
“When David got into the breakaway group we thought that this was the chance to consolidate the jersey within the team. But he was obviously feeling worse than we were led to believe. He should really have come back to us out of the break. We almost got across at one point but did not press ahead with it. But when he lost contact at the foot of Mamore it was too late to do any about it.
“Anyway there was no point in sitting back in the bunch today and feeling sorry for myself so when the break got away we drove it along.”
Again Eugene Moriarty from Listowel was first out of the blocks, joined by his Meath Lee Strand Cycleways team-mate, Ray Clarke from Clonmel, Tommy Evans, Assan Bazayev from Kazakhstan, Jonas Kolmkvist and Thomas Lovkvist from Sweden, and Josh Beck of the USA Sportsbook.com team.
Through the Glenties they enjoyed a lead of 2:20 but Paul Manning, winner two years ago and now defending the yellow jersey for Newton, John Tanner (Lancaster Life Repair Group) and members of the Surrey team led the chase that split the bunch.
They cut the deficit to 1:14 on the Glengesh climb where Evans led over the top on his own. The leaders regrouped on the descent and increased the lead to 2:21 on the approach to the second category climb at Bogagh.
The chasing group cut the lead to 30 seconds and, as they loomed up, Evans attacked on his own but was reeled in by his colleagues in the leading group. After more attacks he got away and was joined by Holmkvist. They screamed into Donegal town but, with the line in sight, his foot slipped out of the pedal.
“It was unfortunate because there was no way he was getting around me,” insisted Evans who took the yellow jersey in Donegal in 1996 and went on to win the title. “The overall result is decided as they (Great Britain) are very strong but I feel there may be another stage win there so I will keep trying.”
For the fourth day in-a-row Eugene Moriarty emerged as the top County Rider after he rallied to finish eighth.
Chris Newton’s lead may be a slender five seconds but it should be sufficient to add the FBD Milk Rás to his world points title in the Phoenix Park tomorrow. Last year he finished second to Ciaran Power after winning three stages and he took the yellow jersey in style in Buncrana when he won the Mamore stage.
Today’s stage takes the 109 survivors 112 miles to Oldcastle and there is nothing to suggest that it will change the leadership in advance of tomorrow’s finale around the Phoenix Park.
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