CYCLING/Ras, Stage one First Day's Details: The philosophy behind the Seán Kelly Cycling Academy launched earlier this year in Belgium is that by exposing developing Irish riders to top international competition week in, week out, a pronounced improvement in standard will be achieved. That reasoning was confirmed on yesterday's opening stage of the FBD Insurance Rás when Roger Aiken, previously best known as the national cyclo-cross champion, won the rain-drenched leg to Emyvale.
Aiken has been based in Merchtem, Belgium, since April and prepared for the Rás by riding a lot of tough events there. He said yesterday his time abroad has helped improve his leg speed and quality of racing, and both attributes were certainly in evidence at the end of yesterday's stage. The Louth-Safe Cycling rider clipped away with three others with about four kilometres remaining, and then proved decisively quicker in the finale.
Second on the 135-kilometre stage was Morten Hegreberg (Norway-Sparebanken), with Kevin Dawson (Yorkshire- Trinity Capital) and 2003 race winner Chris Newton (GB-Recycling.co.uk) next home. The time bonuses for Hegreberg's runner-up position, combined with those from his first and second in intermediate sprints during the stage, was enough to see him take the first yellow jersey of the eight-day, 2.2-ranked race.
Aiken is just one second back overall, with Dawson and Newton both within 10 seconds.
The other 12 riders who were involved in the day's long-distance breakaway are also within shouting distance of yellow. It is a different story for the main bunch, though, as the peloton crossed the line over three minutes back. Amongst those who lost out were the Ireland-Grant Thornton squad; in terms of general classification, their race is over as it is almost impossible to envisage one of the five getting back on terms with the leaders.
Yesterday's action began with a processional start outside Dublin's GPO, the heavy rain shower there proving a foreboding of the weather for the rest of the day. While it dried up in time for the start proper at Swords it turned nasty again during the stage and made what was a mainly flat and straightforward opening leg quite a bit more difficult.
Inside the first 10 kilometres a big crash took several riders down, including former Irish pro Morgan Fox (Dublin-Murphy and Gunn). Then, shortly after former race winner Julian Winn (Wales Stena Line) took the first hot-spot bonus sprint at Balrothery, a large breakaway group moved clear of the main field and started to draw clear.
The 2003-race winner Newton jumped across by himself, swelling the number up front to 11, and then several others bridged the gap.
This number included Ireland-Grant Thornton rider Stephen Gallagher, but he dropped back after a few kilometres in the break, leaving Aiken, Tim Barry (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) and Eugene Moriarty (Meath-Cycleways.com) as the only Irish representatives to last the day out front.
In addition to professionals from the Norway-Sparebanken Vest, Estonia-Kalev Chocolate and Czech Republic-Elmarco KK Cube teams, the break also included three former winners of the race. Andrew Roche (Tipperary Worldwide Cycles), Newton and his GB Recycling.co.uk team-mate Paul Manning all made the split, but the latter hit the deck hard going through Castleblaney, 37 kilometres from the end. The injured rider remounted but was caught by the main bunch, losing all hope of winning the 2005 race.
With a good representation of teams up front plus some pretty serious horsepower, the break had little problem maintaining its advantage all the way to the line. Aiken, Hegreberg, Dawson and Newton were best able to cope with the conditions, jumping clear with about four kilometres remaining and fighting it out for stage honours and the first yellow jersey between them.
"I'm really happy, this has exceed all my expectations," said a frozen but content Aiken after the stage. "It would have been nice to get yellow as I am so close, but the stage win is great. I will try to keep going well and take a high placing overall."
Today's stage is a mainly flat 160-kilometre stage from Emyvale to Tubbercurry.
STAGE 1 (Dublin - Emyvale, 136 kilometres): 1 R Aiken (Louth Safe Cycling) 136 kilometres in 2 hours 53 mins 19 secs; 2 M Hegreberg (Norway-Sparebanken); 3, K Dawson (Yorkshire-Trinity Capital); 4, C Newton (GB-Recycling.co.uk) same time; 5, E. Oliphant (Scotland) at 10 secs; 6, M Elliott (Yorkshire-Trinity Capital); 7, M Christiansen (Norway-Sparebanken); 8, S. Kukk (Estonia-Kalev Chocolates); 9, Y Barker (Wales-Stena Line); 10, R Sharman (GB-Recycling.co.uk); 11, R Krotky (Czech Republic-Elmarco KK Cube); 12, T Barry (Tipperary Dan Morrissey); 13, G Rasche (Norway-Sparebanken Vest); 14, A. Roche (Tipperary Worldwide Cycles); 15, S Gillespie (US-TIAA CREF) all same time; 16, E Moriarty (Meath Cycleways.com) at 13 secs
KING OF THE HILLS: Tully Esker (category 3): 1, M Hegreberg (Norway-Sparebanken Vest) 5 pts; 2, E. Moriarty (Meath-Cycleways.com) 4 pts; 3, E Oliphant (Scotland) 3 pts; 4, M Hennessy (Cork Nucleus) 2 pts.
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION (GEORGE PLANT TROPHY): 1 M Hegreberg (Norway-Sparebanken) 2 hours 53 mins 8 secs; 2 Aiken, at 1 sec; 3 Dawson, at 7 secs; 4 Newton, at 10 secs; 5 Elliott, at 18 secs; 6 Oliphant, at 20 secs; 7 Christiansen, at 21 secs; 8 Kukk; 9 Barker; 10 Sharman; 11 Krotky; 12 Barry; 13 Rasch; 14 Roche; 15 Gillespie, all same time.
POINTS: 1, Aiken, 15; 2, Hegreberg, 14; 3, Dawson, 13; 4, Newton, 12; 5, Oliphant, 11; 6, Elliott, 10.
MOUNTAINS (BRENDAN CARROLL TROPHY):1 Hegreberg 5; 2 E Moriarty (Meath-Cycleways) 4; 3 Oliphant 3; 4 Hennessy, 2.
SPRINTS: 1, Hegreberg, 5; 2, Julian Winn (Wales Stena Line) 3; 3, Elliott, 3.
INTERNATIONAL TEAM: Overall: 1, Norway-Sparebanken, 8 hours 40 mins 17 secs; 2 Yorkshire-Trinity Capital, at 2 min 57 secs; 3, GB-Recycling.co.uk, same time; 4 Scotland, at 6 mins 4 secs; 5 Czech Republic-Elmarco KK Cube, same time
COUNTY TEAM: Overall: 1, Louth Safe Cycling, 8 hours 46 mins 11 secs; 2, Tipperary Worldwide Cycles, at 10 secs; 3, Tipperary Dan Morrissey, same.
