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O’Loughlin Takes First Irish Stage Win Of 2010 FBD Rás
May 25, 2010, 21:13
Proving clearly quickest out of the four riders in his breakaway group, Irishman David O’Loughlin sprinted to his third FBD Insurance Rás career stage victory in Oughterard today. The An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly team rider finished well clear of last year’s race winner Simon Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialised), Fredrik Johansson (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro) and Richardson’s team-mate Wouter Sybrandy at the end of what was a very determined display by him.
O’Loughlin was in the thick of the action all day, getting into a breakaway group almost immediately after the start in Carrick on Shannon and then forging on ahead with Richardson sixteen kilometres into the stage. The duo worked together until the 67 kilometre point, and were then joined by a large chase group.
O’Loughlin pressed on ahead after 103 kilometers of racing, reducing the number of riders with him when he went away with Sybrandy, Johansson and Neil Delahaye (Ireland Subway National Team). They were gaining time as they passed through his hometown of Cong, and the advantage continued to ramp upwards as the kilometres clicked past.
The Mayo rider picked up maximum King of the Mountains points on the day’s two climbs, the second category ascents at Gowlaun (km 137.2) and Tir na Cille (km 150.9), and he and the others continued to drive the group onwards. Delahaye went backwards on the first of those ascents, reducing to four the number of those up front.
Behind, aggressive riding by Degenkolb and Craven spurred the chase group on and the gap began to fall. The lead was too big to be completely eliminated, though, and so the four riders fought it out for the win on the streets of Oughterard, with O’Loughlin using his local knowledge to boost his chances.
“I came between them on the bridge – I know it, so I came up from the inside with a nice line to split them up. He [Sybrandy] led it out and I just sprinted... I left it as late as possible, I think it was about 150 metres to go. Before the sprint it was a bit nerve-wracking…you always doubt yourself, you always think that everyone else is so strong.
“I think the legs are coming around,” he continued, when asked about what was a very dogged, determined performance today. “I haven’t had much racing this year so far. Everyone was saying to me this morning ‘ah, local roads,’ and slagging me, but it was more that there was a cross/tailwind out there and we had missed a day of racing. We said that we’d get some racing going on to see how things would turn out. It just worked out in the end.”
Degenkolb led home the yellow jersey group seventeen seconds later, with Dan Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) netting eighth and successfully defending his lead. He ended up maintaining his seven second advantage over O’Loughlin’s team-mate Mark McNally, and is a further four up on Kik Gilham (Britain Sigmasport Specialized).
Apart from O’Loughlin, who jumps up to ninth overall and takes over the King of the Mountains jersey, another impressive ride was by 19 year old Philip Lavery. He netted seventh place on the stage and the award for best rider on the county team classification. Compatriots Simon Williams (Ireland Subway National Team) and Michael O’Reilly (Limerick BDO Get Back) also fared well, netting ninth and tenth.
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FBD Insurance Rás, Ireland (2.2, May 23 – 30)
Stage 3, Carrick on Shannon – Oughterard:
1, David O'Loughlin (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 171 kilometres in 3 hours 49 mins 50 secs
2, Simon Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialised) at 1 sec
3, Fredrik Johansson (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro) same time
4, Wouter Sybrandy (Britain Sigmasport Specialized) at 4 secs
5, John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie) at 17 secs
6, Peter Williams (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta)
7, Philip Lavery (Dublin Murphy & Gunn/Newlyn)
8, Dan Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp)
9, Simon Williams (Ireland Subway National Team)
10, Michael O'Reilly (Limerick BDO Get Back) all same time
Gowlaun KOM, category 2, km 137.2:
1, David O'Loughlin (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly)
2, Simon Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialised)
3, Fredrik Johansson (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro)
4, Wouter Sybrandy (Britain Sigmasport Specialised
5, Neil Delahaye (Ireland Subway National Team)
6, John Dempsey (Tipperary Dan Morrissey)
Category 2 KOM at Tir na Cille, km 150.9:
1, David O'Loughlin (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly)
2, Simon Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialised)
3, Wouter Sybrandy (Britain Sigmasport Specialised)
4, Fredrik Johansson (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro)
5, John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie)
6, Dan Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp)
General classification after stage 3:
1, Dan Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 7 hours 18 mins 19 secs
2, Mark McNally (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 7 secs
3, Kit Gilham (Britain Sigmasport Specialized) at 11 secs
4, Masaaki Kikuchi (Japan - Nippo) at 12 secs
5, David Pell (Australia Drapac Porsche) same time
6, Lucas Schadlich (Germany Thuringer Energie) at 16 secs
7, Andrew Roche (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta)
8, Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro) both same time
9, David O'Loughlin (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 1 min 45 secs
10, Simon Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialized) at 1 min 46 secs
Under 23:
1, Mark McNally (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
2, Lucas Schadlich (Germany Thuringer Energie)
3, John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie)
Points:
1, Dan Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 23 pts
2, John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie) 18
3, David O'Loughlin (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 15
4, Mark McNally (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 14
5, Masaaki Kikuchi (Japan - Nippo) 14
King of the mountains:
1, David O'Loughlin (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 20
2, Simon Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialized) 16
3, Dan Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 15
4, David Pell (Australia Drapac Porsche) 13
5, Fredrik Johansson (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro) 10
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