After the first two high speed stages of the FBD Milk Ras in the heat over the weekend Kosie Loubser of South Africa leads as stage three this morning goes from Tubbercurry to Westport.
Sigvard Kukk from Estonia was first in the Phoenix Park at the end of Saturday's 70 miles but he lost the lead on yesterday's 91 miles from Mullingar to Tubbercurry and is now fourth behind Loubser, David O'Loughlin (Mayo) and Uwe Hardier (Germany). Ireland team-mates Tommy Evans and Ciaran Power are fifth and sixth.
Jeff Wright, riding with the UK Bentec team, was first yesterday, his fifth Ras stage since his first visit in 1988. In the sprint to the line he just edged out Loubser with Hardier two seconds adrift.
O'Loughlin was with this trio in the decisive move of the day but, as on Saturday, he got cramps in his legs with five miles to go and could not hold his place at the front.
O'Loughlin was going for the leader's yellow jersey as he was third overall, a second ahead of Loubser, but he came in 14th at 32 seconds and, although he goes to second overall, he is now 31 seconds behind the new leader. With the temperature hovering near the 25 degrees mark O'Loughlin maintained he did not drink enough and cramped up.
Only eight miles after the racing got under way on Saturday a breakaway group of 13 of the 152 starters formed near Ashbourne and they went to over three minutes ahead. Going into the final circuit of three miles in the Phoenix Park, Kukk, Evans, Power, O'Loughlin and Loubser went on from Hardier, Mel Sutcliffe (Dublin Usher), Philip Cassidy (Meath), Alges Maasikmets (Estonia), Frank Zweneveld (Netherlands), Yasuhiro Ando (Japan), Damien Booth and Neil McDonald (South Africa).
The five leaders gained 34 seconds on that final three miles and Kukk, who had been first at the three bonus sprints at Slane, Soldier's Hill outside Navan and Knockmaroon, was still best in the sprint at the end. Power crossed the line in second place but he was relegated to fifth for swerving violently approaching the finish.
Yesterday 38 miles were covered before the first breakaway group managed to go clear. Cassidy and Ando were there again with Jacques Fullard (South Africa), Stephane Stalin (France), Richard Hobby (Lincoln), Mark Lovatt (UK Bentec), Akira Kakinuma (Japan), Gary Dodd (Surrey) and an Estonian team-mate of the leader, Margus Salumets,
They gained a maximum lead of a minute and 26 seconds but after the climb outside Boyle - where Fullard led from Cassidy, Ando and Kakinuma - the gap was reduced and they were overhauled with 15 miles to go.
Then O'Loughlin started the decisive move and was joined by Wright and Loubser with Hardier last to link up and they quickly gained a lead of 38 seconds. Brian Kenneally (Ireland) led the chase with Jeroen Slagter (Netherlands) and Bill Moore (Meath). One of Wright's team-mates Dave Williams was there too.
Approaching Tubbercurry, O'Loughlin was forced to drop back leaving Wright, Loubser and Hardier to fight it out and Wright had enough in reserve to add to his Ras tally. Now 32, Wright from Newcastle, won the first stage to Roscommon last year, and he had previously been successful into Newry, Buncrana and Wexford.
After the leading trio and then the second group of four, another six arrived followed by O'Loughlin with the main pack at 59 seconds.
Today's stage of 106 miles to Westport includes a 16 miles loop around Achill, taking in two second category and one first category climb there.
