photo credit @ Twitter
Francesco Reda (Team IDEA) has won the opening stage of the 2015 An Post Rás.
The Italian rider went head-to-head with Lukas Postlberger (Austria Tirol Cycling Team) out in front with 30km to go but narrowly edged the victory to claim the first yellow jersey of the UCI-ranked eight-day race.
The Italian Team IDEA rider and Postleberger attacked the lead break of 15 riders with 30km to go, staying away to cross the line in Carlow 55 seconds clear of the chasing group, which included former world scratch race Champion Martyn Irvine (Madison Genesis).
Today’s opening stage was set up to ensure a fast, aggressive opener and it took just 20km in to the race for the day’s key breakaway to form. A strong group of 15 riders went clear entering Sallins, which included Reda, Postlberger, Irvine, Ryan Mullen and Joshua Edmondson (An Post Chain Reaction) and county rider Ian Richardson (DUBLIN UCD).
The breakaway group were setting a fast pace despite testing winds and it was Irish national road race champion, Mullen, who took the opening third category climb at Sherlockstown.
Mullen was at the head of the breakaway as they began to extend their lead out front to two minutes twenty seconds. Several chasing groups unsuccessfully tried to bridge the gap and with 30km to go, Reda and Postlberger attacked alone.
The duo worked together to forge a minutes lead over the chasing pack of 13 riders but it was Reda who accelerated away in the final few hundred metres to claim a triumphant victory.
“I knew it would be a very tough stage and it’s always hard to predict what will happen but I was confident in my legs as I have trained very hard for this so I am very happy,” Reda told the press.
“As a team, we are strong so we will try to control the race going forward.
“The fifteen riders in the breakaway today are excellent riders so it will be hard but we’re very happy today with the victory.”
Following today’s action, Reda holds the points classification jersey as well as the yellow race leader jersey.
Elliot Porter (Team 3M) claimed the king of the mountains title for stage one while his team-mate Jaap de Man won the under-23 classification.
Ian Richardson put in a superb performance to finish in 11th place overall and claim the county rider jersey.“I knew it would be a very tough stage and it’s always hard to predict what will happen but
“I was confident in my legs as I have trained very hard for this so I am very happy. As a team, we are strong so we will try to control the race going forward. The fifteen riders in the breakaway today are excellent riders so it will be hard but we’re very happy today with the victory”, said a delighted Reda.
Top 20 Finishers
1 63 ITA Reda,Francesco IDE Team IDEA 2010 ASD 3h32’38″ 2 12 AUT Postlberger,Lukas TIR Tirol Cycling Team 3h32’38″ 3 32 GBR Partridge,Robert NPC NFTO 3h33’33″ @55″ 4 39 IRL Irvine,Martyn MGT Madison Genesis 3h33’33″ @ s/t 5 64 ITA Tizza,Marco IDE Team IDEA 2010 ASD 3h33’33″ @ s/t 6 2 AUT Benetseder,Josef HAC Hrinkow Advarics Cycleangteam 3h33’33″ @ s/t 7 26 NED de Man,Jaap MMM Team 3M 3h33’33″ @ s/t 8 8 GBR Edmondson,Joshua SKT An Post Chain Reaction 3h33’33″ @ s/t 9 6 IRL Mullen,Ryan SKT An Post Chain Reaction 3h33’33″ @ s/t 10 41 GBR Cuming,Michael JLT JLT Condor 3h33’33″ @ s/t 11 107 IRL Richardson,Ian ucd DUBLIN UCD 3h33’33″ @ s/t 12 14 AUT Schonberger,Sebastian TIR Tirol Cycling Team 3h33’33″ @ s/t 13 28 GBR Porter,Elliott MMM Team 3M 3h33’33″ @ s/t 14 30 BEL Steurs,Christophe MMM Team 3M 3h33’33″ @ s/t 15 38 GBR Rowsell,Erick MGT Madison Genesis 3h33’33″ @ s/t 16 61 ITA Malucelli,Matteo IDE Team IDEA 2010 ASD 3h36’16″ @03’38″ 17 5 AUT Hofer,Andreas HAC Hrinkow Advarics Cycleangteam 3h36’16″ @ s/t 18 10 NZL Gate,Aaron SKT An Post Chain Reaction 3h36’16″ @ s/t 19 31 GBR Bibby,Ian NPC NFTO 3h36’16″ @ s/t 20 15 AUT Wohrer,David TIR Tirol Cycling Team 3h36’16″ @ s/t
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