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2006 Although Kristian House went into the final stage of the FBD Insurance Rás with four other riders within striking distance and closest rival Danny Pate (USA – TIAA CREF) on exactly the same overall time, the Britain Recycling.co.uk rider yesterday held on to win one of the biggest races of his career. House finished fifth at the end of the undulating 155 kilometre race from Clara to Skerries, sprinting across the line in the same time as stage victor Morten Hegreberg (Norway Sparebanken Vest), Simon Kelly (Ireland Murphy & Gunn/Newlyn Group), Bartlomiej Matysiak (Poland Legia Bazylisek), Tommy Evans (Dublin IRC Usher Insulations) and fourteen others. He and Pate had been split by stage placings and the former world under 23 time trial champion needed to finish ten places ahead of him in the sprint. However Pate crossed the line ninth, thus finishing second in what was the closest ever edition of the Rás. Hegreberg finished 12 seconds back, with David O’Loughlin (Grant Thornton Ireland) and Tommy Evans (Dublin IRC Usher Insulations) 21 and 38 seconds back respectively, taking fourth and fifth overall. Simon Kelly took second on the stage and ended the eight day, 2.2 ranked race sixth overall, thus recording a strong result for the Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group team. He was only called in as a late replacement for an injured Andrew Roche, yet ended up being the Continental team’s best GC rider. Ciarán Power continued his strong return to international competition by taking points in three out of the day’s four King of the Mountains primes and this cementing his hold on the polka-dot jersey. Hegreberg’s stage success gained him victory in the points classification, while his Norway Sparebanken Vest squad were best international team. Meath MyHome.ie/Cycleways won the Irish county team award and Tommy Evans was best county rider. Saturday’s stage winner Bartlomiej Matysiak (Poland Legia Bazylisek) was third into Skerries, finishing on the same total as Hegreberg in the points competition and winning the Ben McKenna trophy for best Under 23 competitor. John McCarthy had a dominant win in the Cycling Ireland category 2 classification, finishing 26 minutes and 6 seconds clear of second-placed rider Myles Kirby (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre). Speaking after the prize presentation, Kristian House said he was very relieved to win the closest Rás in history. “I am very happy to win this race, it ranks up there along with the stage win in the Tour of Brittany as my best career results to date,” he said. “I was pretty nervous today as things were so tight on time but I had a very strong team behind me and my team-mate Chris Newton (last year’s winner) rode really well to help me out.” Tommy Evans knew he had given his all. “Myself and David both attacked House many times, but couldn’t stay clear of the group. Britain and Poland were riding together and it was too difficult to stay away.” The riders set off at the slightly later time of noon for the final stage of the 2006 FBD Insurance Rás, a 115 kilometre leg from Clara to Skerries. The route would see them tackling four categorised climbs, at Pluckhimin (99.3 km), Cross of the Cage (118.6 km) and then two ascents of the Black Hills on a 14 kilometre finishing circuit in and around Skerries. These climbs would come after 131.8 km and 145.6 km, settling the King of the Mountains competition and also providing a possible springboard to attack to GC contenders Danny Pate, Morten Hegreberg, David O’Loughlin and Tommy Evans. Shortly after the start, three riders went clear. They were Paídi O’Brien (Ireland Grant Thornton), Mark Lovatt (Britain Doncaster Stena Line) and Ray Clarke (Éireann Dan Morrissey). Mike Friedman (USA – TIAA CREF) and David Peelo (Kildare Murphy Surveyors) soon joined up, but the Britain Recycling.co.uk and Poland Legia Bazylisek-led bunch brought them all back. Ryan Connor (Ireland Grant Thornton) was next to try, striking out after about 15 kilometres. He was joined by Ray Clarke, and then by Simon Saunders (Surrey Racing League). Several riders tried to bridge, including Gary Crory (Dublin IRC Usher Insulations), but they were unable to do so. Heading through Tyrellspass (15.5 km), the three leaders had 22 seconds lead. Micheal Concannon (Ireland M. Donnelly Sean Kelly), Stephen McKenna (Down Biznet Solutions) and Mathew Ward (Dublin IRC Usher Insulations) tried to get across but they too were mopped up. So too a subsequent move by Toby Neave (Surrey Racing League), David Peelo, and Drew McKinley (Louth Cúchulainn Crystal), the latter two persisting after McKinley was dropped. Neave and Peelo closed to within 45 seconds but, with the wind-assisted leaders averaging 48.4 kilometres per hour for the first hour of racing, they were unable to get across. Saunders was dropped around Trim (62.6 km), after which the gap for the two leaders went up to 1 minute and 41 seconds. As was the case yesterday, it was being led by the Britain Recycling.co.uk team and the Poland Legia Bazylisek squad. Clarke and Connor were presumably up front so they could help team leaders Ciarán Power and David O’Loughlin should they be able to bridge across, and continued to ride well as the stage progressed. At Dunshaughin, 82 kilometres into the stage and 73 kilometres from the end, they were a 1 minute and 30 seconds clear. Toby Neave tried again to get across but was unable to do so. The day’s first climb, Pluckhimin, came after 99.3 kilometres and here Connor led Clarke over the top. Behind, things were getting interesting; after a short attack by Padraig Marrey (Kerry Earl of Desmond), five riders left the bunch to fight it out for the remaining points. KOM leader Ciarán Power had one team-mate there, Tim Barry, while his closest rival Peter Herzig had Peter McDonald and Cody Stevenson to lead him out. However, although the numerical advantage was with the Australia FRF Couriers riders, Power was able to nab third and thus open a one point lead over Herzig. Several kilometres after the climb, previous race leader Mike Friedman (USA – TIAA CREF) attacked. He caught and passed Connor and Clarke, who in turn were caught by the peloton. However Friedman was unable to stay clear, being himself recaptured soon afterwards. Roger Aiken (Ireland Grant Thornton) was next to try, surging clear and being joined by Paul Healion just before the day’s second climb, Cross of the Cage. (118.6 km). Healion was first to the top while Power and Herzig came out of the bunch one more to scrap it out for those vital KOM points. Once again Power proved quicker, moving a further point clear of his rival. He then continued his effort to join the leaders and together they pulled 19 seconds ahead, holding much of this advantage as they crossed the crowd-thronged finish line in Skerries for the first time. Once onto the tough finishing circuit, the bunch started to close up again. The leading riders made the junction on the category three climb at Black Hills, after 131.8 kilometres of racing. However just as the peloton got across, Power jumped hard and crossed the prime line comfortably ahead, extending his lead over Herzig to seven points and thus winning the King of the Mountains classification. Dan Bowman (USA TIAA-CREF), Martin Prazdnovsky (Norway Sparebanken Vest) and Tommy Evans (Dublin IRC Usher Insulations) took the remaining points. As the bunch then headed towards Skerries for the second passage of the finish line, six riders ripped clear. Herzig, Paídi O’Brien (Ireland Grant Thornton), Mark Lovatt (Britain Doncaster Stena Line), Tamas Lengyel (Norway Sparebanken Vest), Lukasz Modzelewski (Poland Legia Bazylisek) and Lucas Euser (USA TIAA – CREF) were 18 seconds in front going onto the last lap but despite this strong lead, they were caught before the second and final ascent of the Black Hills. Johannes Sickmüller (Germany Stevens) and Lengyel jumped away to take first and second over the top, while O’Loughlin surged in an unsuccessful bid to try to shake off House and was next over the prime line. Once down the other side the two leaders were joined by Wayne Randle and then 17 others managed to bridge. All of the main contenders were in the group and the proximity of the finish line meant that the race was going down to the first two riders, with time having run out for the other contenders. House was there, along with team-mate Newton, Danny Pate had Lucas Euster to assist him and David O’Loughlin had Ryan Connor. Others present were Morten Hegreberg, third overall, and his team-mate Martin Prazdnovsky (Norway Sparebanken Vest), plus fifth-placed Tommy Evans, Peter McDonald (Australia FRF Couriers Caravel), Jehudi Schoonacker (Ireland M. Donnelly Sean Kelly), Simon Kelly (Ireland Murphy & Gunn/Newlyn Group), Bartlomiej Matysiak and Lukasz Modzelewski (Poland Legia Bazylisek), Alex Hagman (Surrey Racing League), John McCarthy (Kerry Earl of Desmond) and Ciarán Power. Pate needed to finish ten places better than House or else reach the line a second or more clear in order to win. However strong riding by Newton and the yellow jersey meant that he was unable to do either, the finish coming down to a nineteen man gallop won by Hegreberg ahead of Simon Kelly, Bartlomiej Matysiak and Tommy Evans. Crucially, House was fifth, four places better than Pate and therefore the winner of the 2006 FBD Insurance Rás. It was the closest ever finish to the race and one which House was very relieved to win. “I didn’t sleep very well last night,” he said, smiling, to the huge and enthusiastic crowd which had gathered. “Things were very close but they have worked out great.” (Come back later for a longer report plus quotes) FBD Insurance Rás (2.2) stage 9, Clara – Skerries: 1, Morten Hegreberg (Norway Sparebanken Vest) 155 kilometres in 3 hours 28 mins 10 secs Primes: Category 3 climb at Pluckhimin (99.3 km): 1, Ryan Connor (Ireland Grant Thornton) 5 Category 3 climb at Cross of the Cage (118.6): 1, Paul Healion (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group) 5 1, Ciarán Power (Éireann Dan Morrissey) 5 pts 1, Johannes Sickmüller (Germany Stevens) 5 1, Tommy Evans (Dublin IRC Usher Insulations) 3 hours 28 mins 10 secs Cotter Hoose CI category 2: 1, John McCarthy (Kerry Earl of Desmond) 3 hours 28 mins 10 secs 1, Norway Sparebanken Vest 10 hours 24 mins 30 secs County team: 1, Kerry Earl of Desmond 10 hours 25 mins 16 secs 1, Kristian House (Britain Recycling.co.uk) 29 hours 16 mins 33 secs 1, Morten Hegreberg (Norway Sparebanken Vest) 65 pts 1, Ciarán Power (Éireann Dan Morrissey) 63 1, Bartlomiej Matysiak (Poland Legia Bazylisek) 29 hours 23 mins 24 secs 1, Tommy Evans (Dublin IRC Usher Insulations) 29 hours 17 mins 11 sec 1, John McCarthy (Kerry Earl of Desmond) 29 hours 28 mins 39 secs 1, Norway Sparebanken Vest, 88 hours 27 mins 18 secs 1, Meath MyHome.ie Cycleways.com, 89 hours 19 mins 43 secs |
