RÁS Day one focus
The opening day of the RAS through Meath finished with victory for Taco van der Hoorn of the Netherlands Join-S De Riijke team at the line in Multyfarnham yesterday afternoon witht he action set to resume from Mullingar this morning to a finish in Charleville (184kms).
Dylan Kennett (New Zealand National Team) and Rasmus Mygind (Denmark Riwal Platform) followed closely behind the Dutchman to take second and third place respectively.
The opening stage of the eight-day UCI ranked race was littered with superb performances from the Irish contingent involved.
Jack Wilson (An Post Chain Reaction) and Eddie Dunbar (Ireland National Team) both claimed a top 10 finish.
Eoin Morton (Dublin UCD Fitz Cycles) took the King of Mountains (KOM) jersey.
Two-time winner Ciaran Power (Waterford Comeragh) rolled back the years with a terrific display to take the county rider stage prize.
This year’s edition of the race rolled out from the historic surroundings of Dublin Castle.
Some 180 riders made the start list with the action officially getting underway in Clonee following a neutralised section of 16 kilometres which passed by Christchurch and through the Phoenix Park.
Irish duo Morton and Sean Lacey (Cork Aquablue) were first out the gates, going clear by nine seconds but an eager bunch quickly reeled them in.
The peloton then established a lightning fast pace, covering 50 kilometres in the first hour of racing.
The break of the day came on the 75 kilometre mark; Louth native Bryan McCrystal (Louth Asea Wheelworx) attacked out front with Morton, before being joined by George Fowler (Britain NFTO Pro Cycling). The trio established a 20-second lead over the bunch but Lacey and Ronan McLaughlin (Ireland National Team) managed to bridge the gap, making it five out front.
The leading group built up a lead of one minute but behind them Patrick Gamper (Austria Tirol Cycling Team) and Adam Armstrong (Louth Asea Wheelworx) worked well together to join the quintet with only 35 kilometres to go.
The break, however, couldn’t stay the distance and as they approached Crookedwood they were swallowed up, leaving it all to play for.
Alexis Dulin (France AVC Aix en Provence) and James Gullen (Britain Pedal Heaven) briefly went clear on the finishing loop of Multyfarnham before being reeled in at the front by a group of 13 riders including Van der Hoorn. The Dutchman attacked with two kilometres to go, managing to stay away and celebrate a superb victory in front of a rapturous local crowd.
There was very mixed rewards for Swords cyclist and fans of Eoin Morton after he won the KOM competition and on the Podium following the stage he was presented with the Polka Dot jersey.
Prior to this, and this did not affect his victory in the KOM competition, Eoin crashed close to the end of the stage and dusted himself down, remounted his bike again and rode to the finish, but lost some valuable time in this mishap.
No doubt Eoin will be holding on to that coveted polka dot jersey for as long as he possibly can throughout the week and is well
capable of winning the KOM competition outright.
Bryan McCrystal from the Louth ASEA Bikeworx team was lying in third place in this same competition following the stage.