Dunboyne rider Mark Cassidy celebrates winning the penultimate stage of last week's FBD Insurance Ras in Kilcullen, Co Kildare.

Cassidy crowned King

Published: Wed 2 Jun 2010, 5:00 PM

Mark Cassidy says that his double success last weekend in winning his first stage of the FBD Insurance Ras and the 'King of the Mountains' category will help to turn his career around and erase the bitter memories of the past. Cassidy was in possession of the yellow jersey when he crashed out of the 2008 race however, last weekend the 24-year-old, highly-rated Dunboyne cyclists avoided all the pitfalls to achieve his memorable double. The overall winner was Alexander Watterhall from Sweden who had 59 seconds to spare over Britain's Peter Williams. "That fall two years ago was something that stuck in my mind, I became stuck in a rut a little and it did affect me but events of the last few days will help me turn things around," Cassidy told the Meath Chronicle on Monday. "I've been trying for a long time to get a win this year, things went against me before but it all came right this time around." He added he will now turn his attention to winning his next race in Belgium this weekend. Last Saturday Cassidy, who wore the colours of the An Post Martin Donnelly/Sean Kelly Team, was part of a seven-man break as the riders crossed the Wicklow Mountains. It was over the dreaded Drumgoff and Wicklow Gap climbs that Cassidy and the German Jakob Steigmiller forged ahead with the Dunboyne man the first rider across both summits. Steigmiller and Cassidy worked well together to hold off the chasing pack. With 8km of racing to go their lead was whittled down to one minute, five seconds and it looked, despite all the hard work that they would be reeled in. Steigmiller edged ahead going into Kilcullen but on the tough uphill finish, Cassidy with sheer grit and determination, caught and passed the German and raised his arms in glory as he crossed the line. Cassidy went on to win the first climb on Sunday's final stage from Kilcullen to Skerries. Following the stage finish Mark was presented with the pink jersey as the King of the Mountains Classification winner on the Rostrum in Skerries. "I've been trying to win a stage in this race for years," added Cassidy. "I've come close every year. At last I've got one. I'm over the moon. It was a long day with a lot of hard riding when the two of us got away."