Irishman Brian Kenneally won a thrilling final stage of the FBD Insurance Rás in Skerries today, while the overall race win went to German Tony Martin.
 
Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) made an important move with approximately 54 kilometres remaining, going clear from the main bunch with Dermot Nally (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) and joining up to a long-established breakaway group which contained Irish road race champion David McCann and Mart Ojavee (Estonia Kalev Chocolate). Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands) and triple stage winner Dominque Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) were also part of the break.
 
McCann and Kenneally gradually whittled down this group and by the time they hit the finishing circuit in and around Skerries, there were just two of them left. They rode very strong to hold off a hard-chasing main bunch and reached the bottom of the final climb of the Black Hills with 45 seconds advantage.
 
Kenneally dropped McCann on the ascent and time trialled from there towards the finish. The bunch ramped up the speed and closed the gap to eighteen seconds with one kilometre remaining. Kenneally faced a strong headwind from there until the line but just about managed to hold off the fast-closed peloton, hitting the finish line fractionally ahead of Andrei Mustonen (Estonia Kalev Chocolate) and Glenn Bak (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly). It was his second stage win of the race, and also the second by an Irish rider.
 
Race leader Tony Martin (Germany Thuringer Energie) had a very nervous day in the saddle, given that several big threats to his yellow jersey were in the break, but finally crossed the line as part of this 41 man front group in tenth place.
 
He ended the eight-day world ranked event 17 seconds ahead of Paidi O'Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly), with Peter McDonald (Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS) 24 seconds back in third.
 
O’Brien’s second place ensured he was best Irishman. Of the others, Stephen Gallagher (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) was sixth, Kenneally was seventh and McCann ninth.
 
Rollin won the green points jersey and Ricardo Van der Velde (Netherlands) took the mountains classification. Martin was also best young rider, Kenneally was best Irish county team entrant and Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre Orwell Wheelers) was top second category competitor.
 
Kenneally’s Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC topped the county team classification and the young Netherlands squad won out in the international teams award.

(more on Monday)

FBD Insurance Rás (2.2)

Stage 8, Newcastle to Skerries:

1, Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) 174 kilometres in 3 hours 58 mins 22 secs
2, Andrei Mustonen (Estonia Kalev Chocolate)
3, Glenn Bak (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
4, Josef Soukup (Czech Republic Sparta Praha)
5, Mark Walters (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada)
6, Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada)
7, Thomas Kruby (Czech Republic Sparta Praha)
8, Zdenek Krizek (Czech Republic Sparta Praha)
9, Jason Hegert (Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS)
10, Tony Martin (Germany Thuringer Energie)
11, Simon Jensen (Denmark Vision Bikes)
12, Ben Raby (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada)
13, Yvo Kusters (Netherlands)
14, Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands)
15, Dan Bowman (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies) all same time

Mountain primes:

Lynch’s Hill (category 3, 21.5 km)

1, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 5 pts
2, Nick Waite (US Kelly Benefit Strategies) 4
3, Peter Herzig (Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS) 3
4, Yannick Tiedt (Germany Stevens Von Hacht) 2

Cloghoge Mountain (category 3, 38.5 km)

1, Nick Waite (US Kelly Benefit Strategies) 5
2, Peter Herzig (Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS) 4
3, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 3
4, Jason Hegert (Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS) 2

Pluckhimin (category 3, 118.7 km)

1, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 5
2, Mart Ojavee (Estonia Kalev Chocolate) 4
3, Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands) 3
4, Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 2

Cross of the Cage (category 3, 138 km):

1, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 5 pts
2, Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) 4
3, Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands) 3
4, Dermot Nally (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 2

Black Hills (category 3, 151,2 km)

1, Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) 5
2, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 4
3, Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands) 3
4, Chris Newton (Britain Stena Line/Recycling.co.uk) 2

Black Hills (category 3, 165 km)

1, Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) 5
2, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 4
3, Dan Bowman (US Kelly Benefit Strategies) 3
4, Mark Walters (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 2

County rider:

1, Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) 3 hours 58 mins 22 secs
2, Derek Burke (Dublin Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group)
3, Adam Armstrong (Dublin Usher Insulations) both same time

International team:

1, Czech Republic Sparta Praha, 11 hours 55 mins 6 secs
2, US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada
3, Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly, both same time

County team:

1, Dublin Usher Insulations, 11 hours 55 mins 55 secs
2, Dublin Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group, at 1 sec
3, Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC, at 51 secs

Final general classification:
 
1, Tony Martin (Germany Thuringer Energie) 27 hours 27 mins 13 secs
2, Paidi O'Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 17 secs
3, Peter McDonald (Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS) at 24 secs
4, Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) at 36 secs
5, Chris Newton (Britain Stena Line Recyling.co.uk) at 1 min 2 secs
6, Stephen Gallagher (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 1 min 15 secs
7, Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) at 1min 22 secs
8, Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) at 1 min 30 secs
9, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) at 1 min 35 secs
10, Patrick Gretsch (Germany Thuringer Energie) at 1 min 43 secs
11, Alain Van der Velde (Netherlands) at 1 min 44 secs
12, Jason Hegert (Australia FRF Couriers NSWIS)
13, Yvo Kusters (Netherlands) at 1min 52 secs
14, Paul Griffin (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh)
15, Ryan Roth (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies) both same time

 
Under 23 rider:
 
1, Tony Martin (Germany Thuringer Energie) 27 hours 27 mins 13 secs
2, Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) at 36 secs
3, Patrick Gretsch (Germany Thuringer Energie) at 1 min 43 secs

 
County rider:
 
1, Brian Kenneally, 27 hours 28 mins 35 secs
2, Rory Wyley (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) at 1 min 22 secs
3, Roger Aiken (Armagh Big Picture Developments) at 2 mins 9 secs
 
Cycling Ireland category 2:
 
1, Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Cente/Orwell) 27 hours 50 mins 32 sec
2, Alan Carey (Dublin Usher Insulations) at 20mins 53 secs
3, Daire McCaughley (Armagh Big Picture Developments) at 34 mins 6 secs
 
 
Points competition:
 
1, Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 83 pts
2, Mart Ojavee (Estonia Kalev Chocolate) 44
3, Paidi O’Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 43

 
Mountains competition:
 
1, Ricardo Van der Velde (Netherlands) 83 pts
2, Jesse Anthony (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) 45
3, David McCann (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) 26

 
International team:
 
1, Netherlands, 82 hours 23 mins 22 secs
2, Ireland Murphyand Gunn/Newlyn Group/M. Donnnelly Sean Kelly, at 13 secs
3, US Kodak Gallery Siera Nevada, at 2 mins 33 secs
 
County team:
 
1, Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC, 83 hours 7 mins 59 secs
2, Tipperary Dan Morrissey, at 27 mins 34 secs
3, Dublin Usher Insulations, at 32 mins 53 secs