Irish riders Paídi O’Brien and Paul Griffin went close to a stage victory on today’s third stage of the FBD Insurance Rás, being beaten in a 34-man sprint by Canadian rider Dominique Rollin of the US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada team.

The stage was marked by a large breakaway which went clear after approximately 50 of the day’s 171 kilometres had elapsed. Most of the major contenders were present, but the race leader Ricardo Van der Velde (Netherlands) missed the move and ended up coming in with the main bunch which finished a massive 19 minutes and 55 seconds back.

Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) and Irish rider Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC), who started the day second and third overall, consequently moved up a place in the general classification. Anthony is the new race leader while Kenneally will start tomorrow’s 137 kilometres to Dungloe in second place overall, two seconds back.

Mark Cassidy (5th, Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) and Paul Griffin (8th, Ireland Subway) are both just four seconds off yellow and are perfectly poised to strike later in the week.

Other Irish riders also rode strongly today. Former stage winner Roger Aiken (Armagh Big Picture Developments) attacked with four others inside the final 80 kilometres, and was only caught with about eight kilometres remaining.

2004 race winner David McCann then attacked inside the final kilometre but he was hauled back just before the line, paving the way for the big sprint. O’Brien and Griffin were best of the Irish there, while Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre Orwell) surprised himself by placing 6th on the stage and taking the Cuchulainn award for the best county rider.

In addition to leading the race, Anthony is top of the standings in the competitions for best young rider and best climber. Team-mate Rollin has a comfortable lead in the points classification, while Kenneally and Ahern lead the County Rider and Category 2 Rider classifications. The Netherlands squad is best International team while Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC head the County Team standings.

The race continues tomorrow with a 138 kilometre stage from Sligo to Dungloe.

How it unfolded:

142 riders lined out in overcast conditions for the start of the third stage of the FBD Insurance Rás, a 171 kilometre trek from Loughrea to Sligo. There was just one categorised climb en route to the finish, the third cat Clogher More which topped out roughly 8 km from the line.

There was a very aggressive start to the race with several groups trying to go clear. Small gaps appeared but nothing stuck until approximately 25 kilometres into the race. Then, 21 riders opened up a 30 second lead, namely David McCann (Ireland Subway), Martyn Irvine (Ireland Subway), Paídi O’Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly), Peter McDonald (Australia FRF Couriers NSW IS), Brendan Brooks (Australia FRF Couriers NSW IS), Chris Newton (Britain Stena Line/Recycling.co.uk), Tom Diggle (Britain Stena Line/Recycling.co.uk), Simon Holt (Britain Stena Line/Recycling.co.uk), Thomas Hruby (Czech Republic Sparta Praha), Michael Johansen (Denmark Vision Bikes), Mart Ojavee (Estonia Kalev Chocolate), Markku Ainsalu (Estonia Kalev Chocolate), Mark Walters (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada), Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada), Ben Raby (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada), Dominique Perras (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies), Justin Spinelli  (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies), John Charlesworth (Team Sportscover), Conor Murphy (Dublin Usher Insulations) and Eugene Moriarty (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC).

These were however reeled back in after twenty minutes or so. Several other attacks then followed, including a solo move by Moriarty, but he was reeled in about four kilometres later.

Thanks to a strong tailwind – plus the aggressive start to the stage – the riders covered 43.5 kilometres in the first hour. Shortly after that a group of 21 riders moved away and opened up a half-minute lead. This large break comprised of Paul Griffin (Ireland Subway), Yvo Kusters (Netherlands), Mark Cassidy and Stephen Gallagher (both Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly), Peter McDonald and Chris Jory (both Australia FRF Couriers NSW IS), Chris Newton and Graham Briggs (both Britain Stena Line/Recycling.co.uk), Petr Pucelik, Ondrej Pavek and Josef Soukup (all Czech Republic Sparta Praha), Thomas Bendixen (Denmark Vision Bikes), Tony Martin (Germany Thuringer Energie), Josh Thornton and Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada), Dan Bowman (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies), Roger Aiken (Armagh Big Picture Developments), Sean Lacey (Dublin Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group), Neil Delahaye (Dublin Usher Insulations), Nathan Jones (Kildare Newbridge Remax) and Rory Wyley (Tipperary Dan Morrissey).

Those behind realised that this was a crucial move and eleven set off in pursuit. They were David McCann (Ireland Subway), Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands), Paídi O’Brien and Glenn Bak (both Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly), Peter Herzig (Australia FRF Couriers NSW IS), Mark Walters and Dominique Rollin (both US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada), Ryan Roth (US Kelly Benefit Strategies), Benjamin Hill (Germany Stevens Von Hacht), Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre Orwell) and Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC).

A further clutch of riders managed to bridge across soon afterwards, making it a total of 44 up front. The most notable absentee was yellow jersey Ricardo Van der Velde, who was said afterwards to have expended too much energy early on in trying to keep tabs on all the moves. He was a minute down when the race hit Ballyhaunis (76.3 km), and continued to lose ground.

Almost immediately after the announcement on race radio that 88 kilometres had been covered in the first two hours of racing, four riders decided to try to increase the pace yet further and attack. Petr Pucelik (Czech Republic Sparta Praha), Alo Jakin (Estonia Kalev Chocolate), Roger Aiken (Armagh Big Picture Developments) and Australian Nathan Jones (Kildare Newbridge Remax) jumped away and by the time they hit the feedzone (95 km) they had a lead of 40 seconds. The yellow jersey group was about 3’50 back..

Pushed along by a strong tailwind, they opened a lead of 1’15. The gap then dropped to 21 seconds with 44 kilometres to go, making it look like the move was going to be caught, but it then went up once again. The main bunch was itself continuing to lose time, slipping back to 4 minutes 55 seconds behind at this point.

With 34 kilometres to go the four leaders were a minute clear but this lead continued to grow and shrink, making it a nervous time for all concerned. Jaikin was dropped, leaving it three up front. With  25 kilometres remaining they had 40 seconds. Then, with ten kilometres to go, this had grown to a minute, but any hopes that they could stay away were dashed when the group behind thundered up the category three climb of Clogher More and caught then with about seven to go.

From there to the line it was a case of attack and counter attack all the way, but the group was all together coming into Sligo. David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) attacked with about a kilometre to go but he was reeled in just before the sprint. Dominique Rollin, Paídi O’Brien and Paul Griffin then fought it out for the top placings, with the Canadian taking the gallop and landing a fine win. His team-mate Jesse Anthony finished safely in that group and took over the yellow jersey from Van der Velde, who trailed in a long way back.

The Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada team now have the jerseys for overall leader, best climber, best young rider and points leader. There’s five hard stages to go, though, so the correct tactical decisions will be important in the days ahead.

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FBD Insurance Rás (2.2).

Stage 3, Loughrea - Sligo, 171 km

Loughrea, Kilconieran, Athenry, Tuam, Dunmore, Ballyhaunis, Charlestown, Tobercurry, Ballygawley, Ballintogher, Dromahair, Clogher More Category 3 KOM, Sligo.

1, Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 171 kilometres in 3 hours 55 mins 10 secs
2, Paídi O’Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
3, Paul Griffin (Ireland Subway)
4, Peter McDonald (Australia FRF Couriers NSW IS)
5, Yvo Kusters (Netherlands)
6, Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre Orwell)
7, Mark Cassidy (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
8, Ryan Roth (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies)
9, Dan Bowman (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies)
10, Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands)

County rider:

1, Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre Orwell)
2, Sean Lacey (Dublin Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group)
3, Neil Delahaye (Dublin Usher Insulations)

General classification:

1, Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 11 hours 10 mins 13 secs
2, Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) at 2 secs
3, Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) at 4 secs
4, Yvo Kusters (Netherlands)
5, Mark Cassidy (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
6, Peter McDonald (Australia FRF Couriers NSW IS)
7, Tony Martin (Germany Thuringer Energie)
8, Paul Griffin (Ireland Subway)
9, Ryan Roth (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies) all same time
10, Justin Spinelli (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 57 secs

Points competition:

1, Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 39
2, Yvo Kusters (Netherlands) 28
3, Paídi O’Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 28

Mountains competition:

1, Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 29
2, Ricardo Van der Velde (Netherlands) 23
3, René Birkenfeld (Germany Stevens Von Hacht) 10

Under 23:

1, Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 11 hours 10 mins 13 secs
2, Yvo Kusters (Netherlands) at 4 secs
3, Mark Cassidy (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) same time