British rider Tim Shoreman started this year’s Rás Tailteann in the same manner as he finished last year’s edition, taking a fine stage victory in a bunch sprint in Roscommon.
The UK Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli rider showed superior power and timing on the uphill finish into Boyle, beating Irish rider Niall McLoughlin (Connacht Cycling) and Will Tidball (Great Britain CT) into the lesser placings.
The result saw the 2024 points jersey victor take the yellow jersey of race leader, with McLoughlin and Odhrán Doogan (Cycling Ulster) ending the day second and third overall, both five seconds back.
Doogan had been part of the day’s key breakaway and won two time bonus sprints. Another Irish rider, last year’s runner-up Conn McDunphy (Team Skyline) was also in that move, which at one point held a gap of two minutes over the main bunch.
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He also collected bonus seconds prior to their recapture inside 25 kilometres to go, but suffered a big crash inside the final two kilometres.
McDunphy’s back and shoulder were badly grazed and his jersey was completely shredded, but he was able to limp across the finish line. He was given the bunch time as per UCI rules, but did lose out on a handful of seconds as that main bunch split in the uphill sprint.
Shoreman was delighted with his win.
“It is really good, it feels like I have gone one up from last year, taking the yellow as well.
“I am really excited to ride in the yellow tomorrow. I’ll try to win another stage, and try to keep yellow, but this race is so unpredictable. You could lose two minutes out of nowhere.”
His rivals will be hoping that happens in the four remaining days.
Both McLoughlin and Doogan said that a stage win is a more realistic target for them than the overall, but Dean Harvey made clear he is aiming for the general classification. King of the mountains jersey winner in 2022 and again last year, he has not been high up the general classification in the past. The 21-year-old wants that to change this time around.
“This year I want to go for GC,” he said. “There is no point in hiding it, that’s why I am here.”
He and the rest of the Irish national team are being advised from the team car by the highly experienced Martyn Irvine, a former track world champion.
He helped guide McDunphy to overall victory two years ago and his wisdom and encouragement will boost the Irish campaign. So too the tactical awareness Harvey has built up.
“I have been looking at the way it was won the last few years,” said McDunphy. “The way it was won was by being aggressive and taking the race on by yourself. I will look for any opportunity and see what happens.”
The 70th edition of the Rás Tailteann continues Thursday with the longest stage, a 170.9km race from Charlestown to Clifden. This features five categorised climbs, including the category one Windy Gap in the first half of the race.
Ras Tailteann stage one results (Drogheda to Boyle)
1 Tim Shoreman (UK: Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli) 155.5 kms in 3:27.47, 2 N McLoughlin (Connacht Cycling), 3 W Tidball (UK Great Britain CT), 4 S Brenes (Mexico: Canel’s-Java), 5 C Page (UK: Foran CT) all same time
General classification: 1 Shoreman 3:27.36, 2 McLoughlin @ 5 secs, 3 O Doogan (Cycling Ulster) st, 4 Tidball at 7 secs, 5 M Cigala (Dan Morrissey Pissei) @ 8 secs, S Brenes @ 11 secs, Page, 8 R Britton (UK: Great Britain CT), 9 D Harvey (Team Ireland), 10 A Peters (UK: DAS Richardsons) all same time.
Points Classification: Shoreman, 15 pts
Mountains Competition: Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) 5 pts
Under-23 Rider Overall: McLoughlin, 3:27.41
Irish County Rider Overall: McLoughlin
Cycling Ireland C2 Overall: Charlie Kelly (Connacht Cycling)
National/International Team Overall: UK: Great Britain CT
Irish County/Provincial Team Overall: Carlow: Dan Morrissey Pissei
