Cohnen on right road to victory
The German ComNet Senges rider had targeted the Kerry mountains for a stage win. However, when the opportunity presented itself yesterday, the 21-year-old Dutchman responded superbly by leading the stage into Oranmore after a tempestuous 106 mile battle from Trim, fought out in glorious sunshine.
Cohnen jumped clear of a breakaway group 10 miles from the finish and crossed the line just eight seconds ahead of the chasing pack.
Behind him Ireland’s double Olympian, David McCann, won a ferocious sprint for second place from the veteran pro Malcolm Elliott.
The latter was left contemplating what might have been had Cohnen not escaped out the road.
“We would have been sprinting for the stage win and that would have been exciting,” insisted Elliott who returned to competitive cycling last year after a short spell in retirement.
McCann was quite pleased with his performance. “I am not a sprinter but if I can get up like that when I am not feeling good then the future looks bright because I feel I am getting better every day,” he said.
The stage result had no affect on the overall classification where Valter Bonca (Slovenia Perutnina) holds a six second lead over Petter Renang (Scandinavia Bianchi Nordic).
Though his advantage is slender Bonca was in a confident mood yesterday.
“I feel happy I can do it,” he said. “It will be exciting from here on but I feel strong and I have a very good team. They rode very well for me today and helped me defend the yellow jersey.”
Bonca, 36, turned pro in 1993 and the following year finished 35th in the Giro d’Italia a race he rode twice.
He spent most of his professional career in Italy riding with the Amore e Vita and then Joli teams before returning to Slovenia where he was runner-up in both the national time trial and road race championships last year.
Cohnen, who moves up into sixth place overall less than two minutes behind Bonca is relishing his visit to the mountains.
“I like the mountains. That is what I like most,” he said. “I had been looking forward to tomorrow for a stage victory but it came today and I am happy with that.”
He was born in Germany but moved to The Netherlands where he did all of his cycling until last year when he returned to his native country and highlighted his return by finishing third in the Fleche du Sud in Luxembourg. This year he won the Rund Um Duren, a 1.5 category race.
Paul Griffin is used to battling it out in the green jersey of Ireland but today the tough Kerryman the most consistent Irish cyclist in recent years will wear the green jersey of the points leader.
And the exciting young Corkman, Paidi O’Brien, from the Kanturk Credit Union club, will wear the U23 leader’s jersey after finishing eighth in yesterday’s stage, three places behind Griffin.
“I was not sure how I would perform coming into the race as I had a hard race in France last week and my legs were a bit tired but I am getting better every day,” he said.
Yesterday’s stage was punctuated by a succession of attacks that began inside the first mile when Philip Cassidy, twice winner of the title, rode clear. But he punctured and then, as he rode his way back up through the cavalcade, was involved in a collision with a car and fell heavily.
Eugene Moriarty led another two-man attack along with Curtis Gunn and they stayed away for 10 miles holding off several attempts to catch them.
At 58 miles David O’Loughlin rode clear with Dubliner Brian Ahern and when they were joined by O’Loughlin’s Ireland team mate, Denis Lynch, they opened up a lead of 45 secs before being reeled in. The counter attack split the field that eventually crossed the line in seven separate groups.
Today’s stage will take the riders to on a 95 mile trip to Charleville taking in third category climbs at Killenena, Aylevaun and Ogonelle along the way before arriving at the finish at around 2.45.
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