CYCLING NEWS:MICHELE SCARPONI raced to solo victory on the longest stage of the Giro d'Italia yesterday, having gone clear with four others during the 248 kilometre race to Mayrhofen in Austria.
The Italian hit the line 32 seconds ahead of Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Columbia-Highroad), Allan Davis (Quick Step) and four others.
A large group containing overall leader Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) plus most of the main challengers was another four seconds back, with Irish rider Philip Deignan also present. He appears to be recovering from the crash he had two days ago. Di Luca remains five seconds clear of his closest rival Thomas Lövkvist (Team Columbia-Highroad), with others also within striking distance. This group does not include Lance Armstrong, who dropped further back yesterday.
Deignan is 63rd overall, having lost a lot of time after his fall on Tuesday. The Grand Tour continues today with a 244km stage from Innsbruck to Chiavenna.
In other news, FBD Insurance Rás race director Dermot Dignam is enthusiastic ahead of Sunday’s first stage. “I think this has to be one of the highest, if not the highest, level of experience we’ve yet seen from overseas riders,” he said. “The field includes former Tour de France yellow jersey and multiple stage-winner Jaan Kirsipuu, another stage winner Leon Van Bon, former Olympic champion Luke Roberts, world championship gold medallist Chris Newton, the list goes on and on.”
The home charge will be led by a solid Irish national team comprising 2004 victor David McCann, Tour of the North winner Martyn Irvine, 18-year-old Tour of Ulster victor Seán Downey, Paul Healion and Stephen Barrett. The An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Seán Kelly team is also likely to put in a strong performance, even without last year’s FBD Rás victor Stephen Gallagher.
The team includes former triple Irish champion David O’Loughlin, Paídi O’Brien and Mark Cassidy. The team is completed by strong Belgians Niko Eeckhout, a former national champion who has taken several wins this year, and Benny de Schrooder. Others to watch include Stephen Halpin and Ciarán Cassidy (Ireland Development Under-23), Brian Kenneally (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC) and Paul Griffin (Kerry Total Cleaning Supplies).
They will take on an impressive foreign opposition, which includes the aforementioned Kirsipuu (Norway Giant Veoila) and Van Bon (China-Trek Marco Polo), past Rás winners Chris Newton and Kristian House (Britain-Rapha Condor), former Belgian time trial champion Bert Roesems (Australia-Cinelli Down Under) and Russell Downing (Britain-Candi TV-Marshall’s Pasta).
The 1,289km race will begin on Sunday with a 125km race from Kilcullen to Wexford.
2009 RÁS: Stage One: May 17th, Kilcullen-Wexford, 125km; Stage Two: May 18th, Wexford-Cobh, 178km; Stage Three: May 19th, Cobh-Cahirciveen, 189km; Stage Four: May 20th, Cahirciveen-Killorglin, 178km; Stage Five: May 21st, Killorglin-Scariff, 155km; Stage Six: May 22nd, Scariff-Castlebar, 159km; Stage Seven: May 23rd, Castlebar-Clara, 150km: Stage Eight: May 24th, Clara-Skerries, 155km.
FIXTURES: Saturday: Tommy Girvan Memorial, Hillsborough circuit, starts noon. Sunday: FBD Insurance Rás, stage one begins in Kilcullen; XC NPS round four, Castlewellan Park; IVCA 80k Summerhill, starts 9.15am; Champion of Champions TT, Ards, starts 10am; Mullingar GP, starts 2pm (includes round three of women's national league).
