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| Aaron Buggle Irish Development Squad |
Hailing this year’s foreign line-up as perhaps the most experienced to take part in the FBD RÁS, race organiser Dermot Dignam has said that it’s all systems go for a gripping edition of the round-Ireland tour, which begins in Kilcullen on Sunday.
“I think this has to be one of the highest, if not the highest, level of experience we’ve yet seen from overseas riders,” he enthused today. “The field includes former Tour de France yellow jersey and multiple stage winner Jaan Kirsipuu, another stage winner Leon Van Bon, former Olympic champion Luke Roberts, world championship gold medallist Chris Newton...the list goes on and on. There are some very strong international teams and also a very good level of Irish competitors. That, plus a varied and testing course, points to a great eight days of racing. We think it’s going to be particularly memorable edition, and that there will be a very worthy winner in Skerries on Sunday week.”
The nature of the race as an excellent way to develop young riders was underlined this week when Thomas Lovkvist, who had several high stage placings and won the best young rider award back in 2003, took the race leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia. The Columbia Highroad rider was third overall heading into Thursday’s stage and appears poised for his best-ever finish in a Grand Tour.
His team-mate Tony Martin is recognised as another big hope for future Grand Tours. He’s had a very successful season thus far, winning the mountains classification in Paris-Nice. Martin was the 2007 FBD RÁS champion and shows that the race is an excellent way of gauging who will be the star riders in the years to come.
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| Sam Bennett Tipperary Dan Morrissey |
This year’s Irish challenge is a blend of youth and experience. The national team’s charge is led by 2004 victor David McCann, who is joined on the Irish team by Tour of the North winner Martyn Irvine, the eighteen year old Tour of Ulster victor Sean Downey, Paul Healion and Stephen Barrett.
2008 race winner Stephen Gallagher will miss the event this time round but his An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team has gathered a very strong line-up in its bid to win the race for the second year running. David O’Loughlin is back racing on the road following excellent silver and bronze medals in recent track World Cup events, and will be joined by strong Irish talents Paídi O’Brien and Mark Cassidy. O’Brien was second in the 2007 race while Cassidy held the race lead before crashing out. The team is completed by strong Belgians Niko Eeckhout, a former national champion who has taken several wins this year, and Benny de Schrooder.
Other ones to watch include Stephen Halpin and Ciaran Cassidy (Ireland Development U23), Brian Kenneally (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC) and Paul Griffin (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies).
Intimidating foreign challenge:
They will all be up against a very impressive international field. Best known are the aforementioned Tour stage winners Jaan Kirsipuu and Leon Van Bon, who are leading the charge for the Norway-Giant Veoila and China-Trek Marco Polo teams respectively, as well as the highly experienced former Belgian time trial champion Bert Roesems (Australia-Cinelli Down Under).
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| Russell Downing Britain-Candi TV – Marshall’s Pasta |
Past Olympic pursuit team time trial gold medallist Luke Roberts will head the Germany-Kuota Indeland team, while 2004 world under 23 championship bronze medallist Mads Christensen will spearhead the Denmark - Designa Køkken challenge.
Several British riders are almost guaranteed to shine. World track championship gold medallist Chris Newton and Kristian House – who between them have won three Rasanna – head a very dangerous Britain-Rapha Condor team, and are joined by 2008 stage winner and race leader Simon Richardson. Their compatriot Russell Downing (Britain-Candi TV – Marshall’s Pasta) highlighted his strong form by winning last weekend’s Lincoln GP, and heads to the FBD RÁS determined to improve on his second overall in last year’s Tour of Ireland. Rob Partridge (Britain-Halfords Bike Hut) also wants to improve on a past Irish performance, having finished third in last year’s FBD RÁS.
Other strong international teams include the Greece-Heraklion Nessebar and Austria-Arbo KTM Junkers teams, who feature a number of good riders gunning to leave their mark on the race.
Testing varied route:
The 2009 edition of the race is 1289 kilometres in length and features twenty categorised climbs. Running clockwise in direction, it begins this Sunday with a 125 kilometre race from Kilcullen to Wexford, and features a King of the Mountains climb at Knocknacree plus bonus sprints at Tullow and Bunclody.
Stage two is both hillier and longer, extending 178 kilometres from Wexford to Cobh, and passing through New Ross, Waterford and skirting Dungarvan. The riders will scale the category two climb of The Sweep plus the third category ascents of Glenmore and Youghal en route to a challenging uphill sprint to the line.
Day three is the longest of the race, clocking up a whopping 189 kilometres between Cobh and Cahirciveen, and may well be the toughest. The category three Coolavokig ascent is followed by the category one climbs of The Coom and Coomakista and, with the latter just 22 kilometres from the finish, should cause a real shakeup in the general classification.
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| Cieran Cassidy Irish Development Squad |
Stage four is another very hilly affair, with the 178 kilometre slog including category three climbs at An Draighneain, Anascaul, Ballintaggart, Garrai na dTor, and An Draighneain, plus the category one ascent of the
Conor Pass. It finishes with an uphill sprint into Killorglin, where large crowds are guaranteed.
The next day’s stage runs 155 kilometres and features the category three climbs at Glansharoon and Barnagh Gap early on, before a fast, flat second half through Ballina and Killaloe and on to the uphill sprint in Scariff. Sprinters are also favoured on Friday’s 159 kilometre stage to Castlebar, as the category three Lecarrow and Killanena climbs come shortly after the start in Scariff. However it’s certain that breakaway riders will try to foil the gallopers and slip away early on, setting the scene for a gripping pursuit match in the final hour.
More breaks are guaranteed on the penultimate day, a flat, fast 150 kilometre route to Clara. The race then reaches its climax on Sunday May 24th with a 155 kilometre leg from Clara to Skerries. It features four category three climbs, namely Pluckhimin, Cross of the Cage and two ascents of the Black Hills.
The stage includes two laps of a tough finishing circuit in Skerries and, as was the case in the past three editions of the race, huge crowds are expected there, providing a rousing finale to what should be a tense, exciting FBD RÁS.
2009 FBD Insurance RÁS:
Stage 1, May 17th, Kilcullen – Wexford, 125 kilometres
Stage 2, May 18th, Wexford – Cobh, 178 kilometres
Stage 3, May 19th, Cobh – Cahirciveen, 189 kilometres
Stage 4, May 20th, Cahirciveen – Killorglin, 178 kilometres
Stage 5, May 21st, Killorglin – Scariff, 155 kilometres
Stage 6, May 22nd, Scariff – Castlebar, 159 kilometres
Stage 7, May 23rd, Castlebar – Clara, 150 kilometres
Stage 8, May 24th, Clara – Skerries, 155 kilometres
