CYCLING AN POST RÁSIN THE 60 years of the An Post Rás there's never been a French winner of the race but, on the basis of yesterday's stage, that might change this year. Riders from the country put themselves at the top of the results sheet, with AVC Aix En Provence competitor Thomas Rostollan soloing to an impressive stage victory in Buncrana, and Nicolas Baldo and Rostollan jumping to first and second overall respectively.

As expected, the fifth stage of the race proved to be one of the toughest of this year’s event. The riders crossed swords over seven categorised climbs, with what some feel is the country’s toughest climb, the Gap of Mamore, helping to shatter the bunch and whittle down the list of contenders.

It boiled down to strength and brute force, not tactics. Rostollan was part of a five-man break which pushed ahead approximately 84 kilometres after the start in Bundoran, then the Frenchman flexed his muscles on the third category climb of Slavary, dropping the other riders and beginning a 38 kilometre push towards the finish line.

He soloed over the climbs of Old Mountain, Pinch Mountain, Mamore Gap and Old Mountain once more, collecting prime points and moving to the lead of the King of the Mountains classification. That wasn’t his goal, though, he was after the stage win, and hit the line nine seconds clear of the next riders.

They were Czech rider Martin Hunal (AC Sparta Praha) and the Swiss Jonathan Fumeaux who, along with his Altas Jakroo team-mate Baldo, opened time on the other contenders on the wall-like Mamore. They raced home for second, third and fourth on the stage, while overnight leader Pirmin Lang (also Altas Jakroo) finished in a large chase group 39 seconds back and dropped to fourth overall.

Baldo actually went clear with Fumeaux early on, then sat up when it became clear that they’d made their move too soon. “The roads were too wide then and we couldn’t gain time,” he said. “It was a mistake, so we waited until the tough climbs near the end. They were more suited to my team-mate Jonathan Fumeaux, so I really hurt myself to stay with him, then we worked well together until the end.”

It was a solid day for the Irish riders, with Peter Hawkins (IG Sigma Sport) in seventh, Adam Armstrong (Dublin West Eurocycles) 10th, former winner David McCann (RTS Racing) in 12th and Connor McConvey (An Post Grant Thornton Seán Kelly team) 13th.

McConvey is best Irishman overall, sitting 14 seconds back in seventh, nine seconds ahead of his team-mate and last year’s winner Gediminas Bagdonas.

They are part of an An Post team which is trying to take the race for the third time in five years, and will stake everything on a big ride on today’s mountain stage to Killybegs. It includes the first category climb of Glengesh Pass, and could be a launch pad to try to wrest the yellow jersey off Baldo and his team.

If the latter holds on, though, the more straightforward final two stages means that the odds of a first French win will be looking good.