Dawson takes centre stage
“I did it for Mark (Lovatt). He was so unfortunate yesterday,” the stage winner insisted. “But this was my kind of day dirty and rough. I did not enjoy it but it did not bother me.”
For the hundreds who braved the elements to view the finish there was plenty of drama as the remnants of the breakaway group who dominated the second half of the race struggled up the hill to the line. It was only 300m long but it seemed more like 300 miles.
Eugene Moriarty, riding for the Meath Lee Strand Cycleways team, who won the sprint for second place the previous day in Ballina had to be content with fourth this time as he failed in a gallant effort to hang on to Patrick Kohler of Germany and Andrey Medyannikov from Kazakhstan. No matter what happens from here on the Listowel man’s reputation has been greatly enhanced.
And even the big bunch of riders who tried unsuccessfully to close the gap on the leaders provided plenty drama as Ciaran Power, the defending champion and winner of Tuesday’s stage, failed to find a way around Chris Newton and he hit the deck rounding the bend into the finishing straight. Both crossed the line bloodied but unbowed.
Throughout the day there was no place to hide from the elements. The usual succession of early attacks left the road littered with hard luck stories.
The two Cork men, Timmy Barry and Ritchie Cahill, riding for the Tipperary Dan Morrissey team, were again involved. Clare man, Vincent Gleeson of the Ireland-Irish Sports Council team, was in a break and so too were the Clonmel riders, Eddie O’Donoghue and Ray Clarke, riding for Dublin Usher and Meath Lee Strand, respectively.
A new face appeared at the front line when Brian Kenneally (Tipperary Dan Morrissey), mountains winner in the Credit Union Ras Mumhan, made an ominous appearance in the breakaway groups in advance of the visit to the Donegal Mountains.
But Dawson and Moriarty were involved in everything. Moriarty was in the breakaway group that assembled around Dromore West along with David O’Loughlin and representatives from South Africa, Kazakhstan, Denmark, Sweden and Great Britain. At 18 miles they were joined by four other riders and, with eight of the top 16 on general classification involved, they enjoyed a lead of 1:51.
Just when it appeared as if they might be about to decide the outcome of the stage they were reeled in around Sligo where there was further drama when David O’Loughlin, off the back of the group, crashed. Simultaneously, his team mate, Tommy Evans in the yellow jersey, punctured.
Evans got a wheel replacement and Lee Strand provided O’Loughlin with a replacement bike and they rode back up to the main bunch.
There was plenty of action at the front as the bunch chased down the leaders and eventually it was Brian Ahern of the Kildare HirEquip team that got the decisive group going joined by Moriarty, Dawson, Andrey Medyannikov (Kazakhstan) and Kohler.
They opened up a lead of 2:45 before Dawson made his escape on the climb up to Barnesmore Gap and rode the remaining 11 miles to the finish on his own.
“I looked around and saw there were at least two sprinters there so I decided the only way I was going to win was on my own. I felt comfortable enough. Like I said, it was my kind of day,” said Dawson.
Riding the race for the fourth time, he was third overall behind Andy Roche in 1997, and his previous best placing was third.
Eugene Moriarty is still looking for his first ever stage win and admitted afterwards that, after finishing second on Tuesday, he felt yesterday might have been his best opportunity.
“But it was really tough out there again today and the fact that I was up the road for so much of the stage meant that it was bound to get to me at the finish. But we’ll keep trying,” he said.
Tommy Evans remains in the golden fleece four days after he accepted it somewhat reluctantly in Roscrea but he was happy to retain it now admitting that one day was as difficult as the other.
“It is a pretty tall order to defend it for so long particularly when there is so much happening in the race but we will see how it goes from here. The mountains will be a real test and we’ll see how that goes,” he said.
Ireland Team Manager, Frank Campbell, admitted they were in an enviable situation pointing out that they had three riders up at the top of the general classification sheet who could win it.
“We are as well placed as any of the strong teams in this race. We have options. And we have already won two stages so things are pretty good,” he said.
Today’s stage, 90 miles from Letterkenny to Buncrana, features two Category 1 climbs at Ballagh Hill and then the notorious Mamore Gap just eight miles from the finish which should have a big impact on the overall classification.
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