An Post Rás 2015 Stage 7

photo credit @ twitter

excerpts from An Post Rás

Austrian rider Andreas Mueller (Hrinkow Advarics Cycleangteam) staved off a lung busting performance by Mullingar man Damien Shaw (Louth Team ASEA) to emerge victorious on stage seven of An Post Rás today in Drogheda. The duo jumped the lead breakaway of eight riders with only one kilometre to go, going head to head up the final ascent to the line but it was Mueller who managed to find an extra bit in the tank and take the chequered flag.

The penultimate stage of this year’s race was always destined to be action packed and it didn’t disappoint. Today’s route was sure to test any tired legs as the peloton faced another category two climb, sandwiched in between two category three ascents, making it ideal for GC (general classification) riders to close the gap on yellow jersey leader, Lukas Postlberger (Austrian Tirol Cycling Team).

Postlberger’s start to the race didn’t go as planned however. The Austrian was involved in a crash after no more than ten minutes of racing but fortunately managed to dust himself off and get back in the bunch.

From the outset, the twisting and turning roads looked to be perfect for breakaways to go clear but at the hour mark, set by a scintillating pace of 49 kilometres per hour, the peloton was all together.

Following the first category three climb at Leitir, which was won by Mueller, a group of five riders, including the Austrian, went clear – Shaw, Conor Dunne (An Post Chain Reaction), Matthew Holmes (Madison Genesis) and Steven Lawley (Neon Velo Cycling Team). Three riders gave chase – Liam Holohan (Madison Genesis), Aurelien Daniel (Team Pays De Dinan) and Alessandro Pettiti (Team IDEA) – and eventually bridged the gap to make it eight out front.

The break managed to forge a five minute lead over the bunch but a chasing group of nine riders, including Martyn Irvine (Madison Genesis), kept in contention and trailed by only one minute twenty seconds as they began the category three ascent of Knockaleva. The chasers gradually chipped away at the time gap, reducing the deficit to only thirty seconds.

Irvine fought hard to get across to the break but his attempts proved unsuccessful. Inside the final ten kilometres, his team mate, Holohan, then jumped clear out in front. Shaw wasn’t about to give up a stage victory easily though and he gave chase, eventually catching the Briton.

As the two riders turned the corner for the final straight up the hill on Shop Street, they were head to head. The huge crowds that lined the street roared them on but it wasn’t to be for Shaw. Mueller found another gear on the ascent to cross the line and take the spoils.

After finishing in the main bunch, Postlberger goes in to tomorrow’s final stage still in yellow with Aaron Gate (An Post Chain Reaction) overtaking him in the Points Classification. Best County Rider once again went to Ian Richardson (Dublin UCD) while Ryan Mullen (An Post Chain Reaction) retained the Under-23 jersey. Holohan’s impressive performance on the climbs today saw him overtake Rob Partridge (Team NFTO) to claim the King of the Mountains classification.

After two consecutive second place finishes, Damien Shaw was content with his performance but determined to go one better tomorrow and secure a stage victory.

“It was a tough stage. The cat (category) two climb was hard but I had trained a lot around those roads during the winter and today I had lots of support off the Westmeath locals. Unfortunately I just ran out of steam in the last two hundred metres but there’s still one stage left and anything can happen.“

Top 20 Finishers

1 4 AUT Mueller,Andreas HAC Hrinkow Advarics Cycling Team 3h09’35″
2 146 IRL Shaw,Damien ase LOUTH Team Asea 3h09’37″ @02″
3 59 FRA Daniel,Aurelien Team Pays De Dinan 3h09’37″ @ s/t
4 62 ITA Pettiti,Alessandro IDE Team IDEA 2010 ASD 3h09’37″ @ s/t
5 40 GBR Holmes,Matthew MGT Madison Genesis 3h09’37″ @ s/t
6 50 GBR Lawley,Steven Neon Velo Cycling Team 3h09’44″ @09″
7 9 IRL Dunne,Conor SKT An Post Chain Reaction 3h09’45″ @10″
8 36 GBR Holohan,Liam MGT Madison Genesis 3h09’52″ @17″
9 39 IRL Irvine,Martyn MGT Madison Genesis 3h10’43″ @01’08″
10 100 IRL Potts,Marc dnn DOWN Nth Graham Powerhouse Sport 3h11’23″ @01’48″
11 35 GBR Barras,Tom NPC NFTO 3h11’23″ @ s/t
12 90 IRl McKenna,Sean aqa CORK Aquablue 3h11’23″ @ s/t
13 57 FRA Journiaux,Axel Team Pays De Dinan 3h11’23″ @ s/t
14 141 IRL Ryan,Simon lim LIMERICK Mego RT 3h11’23″ @ s/t
15 107 IRL Richardson,Ian ucd DUBLIN UCD 3h11’23″ @ s/t
16 150 IRL McAuley,Alastair ase LOUTH Team Asea 3h11’30″ @01’55″
17 89 IRL Lacey,Sean aqa CORK Aquablue 3h11’30″ @ s/t
18 65 ITA Vigano,Davide IDE Team IDEA 2010 ASD 3h12’48″ @03’13″
19 61 ITA Malucelli,Matteo IDE Team IDEA 2010 ASD 3h12’48″ @ s/t
20 70 NZL Frame,Alex NZL NEW ZEALAND National Team 3h12’48″ @ s/t

General Classification

1 12 AUT Postlberger,Lukas TIR Tirol Cycling Team 24h44’44″
2 8 GBR Edmondson,Joshua SKT An Post Chain Reaction 24h45’49″ @01’05″
3 6 IRL Mullen,Ryan SKT An Post Chain Reaction 24h47’03″ @02’19″
4 32 GBR Partridge,Robert NPC NFTO 24h47’54″ @03’10″
5 10 NZL Gate,Aaron SKT An Post Chain Reaction 24h49’13″ @04’29″
6 26 NED de Man,Jaap MMM Team 3M 24h50’02″ @05’18″
7 39 IRL Irvine,Martyn MGT Madison Genesis 24h50’47″ @06’03″
8 70 NZL Frame,Alex NZL NEW ZEALAND National Team 24h52’15″ @07’31″
9 7 LTU Kruopis,Aidis SKT An Post Chain Reaction 24h52’40″ @07’56″
10 107 IRL Richardson,Ian ucd DUBLIN UCD 24h54’45″ @10’01″
11 14 AUT Schonberger,Sebastian TIR Tirol Cycling Team 24h56’26″ @11’42″
12 9 IRL Dunne,Conor SKT An Post Chain Reaction 24h56’38″ @11’54″
13 65 ITA Vigano,Davide IDE Team IDEA 2010 ASD 24h57’26″ @12’42″
14 1 AUT Fankhauser,Clemens HAC Hrinkow Advarics Cycling Team 24h57’43″ @12’59″
15 30 BEL Steurs,Christophe MMM Team 3M 24h58’28″ @13’44″
16 2 AUT Benetseder,Josef HAC Hrinkow Advarics Cycling Team 24h58’34″ @13’50″
17 67 NZL Bain,Nick NZL NEW ZEALAND National Team 24h58’35″ @13’51″
18 56 FRA Gesbert,Elie Team Pays De Dinan 25h00’32″ @15’48″
19 57 FRA Journiaux,Axel Team Pays De Dinan 25h01’08″ @16’24″
20 90 IRl McKenna,Sean aqa CORK Aquablue 25h01’08″ = s/t