Exciting changes confirmed for gruelling Rás

WHILE the focus has been on the introduction of a team time trial and a gruelling final stage to replace the traditional circuit finish, this year’s FBD Insurance Rás will also include some old, familiar obstacles as the eight-day showpiece returns to Kerry.

This year’s event, from May 21-28 will feature teams from at least 10 countries, it will have first-time stage finishes in An Cheathru Rua, Clara and Skerries, and there will be return visits to Enniscorthy, Cobh, An Daingean, Listowel and Westport.

The route includes six stages over 150km and will be punctuated by 23 KOM climbs. The third stage, 173km from Cobh to An Daingean (Dingle) - will end with an uphill finish.

Incidentally, this stage will honour the achievement of the great Paudi Fitzgerald from Dingle in winning the race 50 years ago. Paudi, one of the living legends of the Rás, is the organiser of the stage end.

But it is the midweek Stage 4 which will be fought out entirely in Kerry that will have the most dramatic affect on the general classification sheet.

Seven KOM climbs will pepper the 150km route from Dingle to Listowel including the first category climb at The Maum, outside Castleisland. A feature of the stage will be the exceptionally wild coast and cliff scenery around Slea Head and the crossing of the famous fort near Dun Chaoin.

The final 30km is a severely undulating, open road through Renagown and Finuge and it should play a major role in determining the stage winner if not the overall leadership.

The following day the riders will swap pedals for paddles when the race caravan takes the Shannon Ferry to Kilrush for the start of Stage 5 which will offer just one serious climb on the 178km trek to An Cheathru Rua (Carraroe) but should produce some fast, furious racing through Lisdoonvarna, Clarinbridge, Galway and Oughterard.

Following the team time trial on Friday morning, the riders will face an 83km trip to Westport when the riders’ stamina will be severely tested.

For the first time in years, the penultimate stage will not be decided in the Wicklow Mountains. Instead there will be a relatively flat 168km between Westport and Clara to be negotiated - visiting Claremorris, Castlerea, Roscommon and Moate for a first ever finish in Clara.

And the race again departs from tradition when it finishes with a fully fledged road stage from Clara to the North Dublin seaside town of Skerries for a nail-biting two laps of a 13.7km finishing circuit.

The opening stage will be over 121km from Dublin to Enniscorthy, while Stage 2 is a gruelling 180km from Enniscorthy to Cobh with three KOM climbs and then the spectacular uphill finish at Cobh Cathedral.

The race which is again sponsored by FBD Insurance and supported by the Irish Sports Council is included in the select list of international events eligible to award qualification points for inclusion in the Olympic Games and World Cycling Championships.