CYCLING: Calm before the storm. Following four days of upheavals in the general classification, yesterday's fifth stage of the FBD Insurance Rás was one characterised by relative stability in the overall standings of the eight-day race.
The upward shifts by Brian Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie) from 14th to eighth in the general classification and Are Andresen's jump from 18th to 10th represented the most serious time gains on the 178.2 kilometre stage from Kilrush to An Cheathrú Rua.
With a crucial team time trial taking place this morning, the favourites were content to watch each other, indulge in a bit of psychological warfare, and save their legs for the big effort against the clock.
Of course, for those going for the stage win, the day was a very serious one indeed. Eventual honours went to Jaroslaw Welniak, the 28 year-old outsprinting his Poland Legia Bazylisek team-mate Bartlomiej Matysiak and Ireland Grant Thornton's Ryan Connor to the line.
Three other Irish riders were in the top ten; Ray Clarke (Eireann Dan Morrissey) jumped away from a seven man chasing group to take fourth, Mark Cassidy (Ireland M Donnelly Sean Kelly) finished just behind Joshua Marden (Australia FRF Couriers) in sixth and Kenneally wheeled in at the rear of the group in tenth spot.
David O'Loughlin came in as part of the main group some 4 minutes and 41 seconds after the stage win, finishing in the same time as closest rival Danny Pate ((USA TIAA-CREF) and thus remaining one second off the yellow jersey.
It is, according to team manager Frank Campbell, the perfect situation. "We are very close to the lead but don't have the responsibility of needing to defend a yellow jersey; it is too early for that.
"The guys will go all out in the team time trial tomorrow aiming to ride very hard. However it is perhaps best if they don't end up winning; ideally, I'd like for David to be within 30 seconds of yellow afterwards, and then take it Saturday or even Sunday."
Ryan Connor was active all day and ended up going close to a stage win. "I was going well enough to have done it against one of the riders, but having the two team-mates there made it really hard," he said. "Still, it is my first time up on the presentation podium, that's something."
He, Cassidy, Stephen O'Sullivan (Meath MyHome.ie Cycleways) and Clarke originally went away after about 12km. Kenneally came across in a three-man chase and this 13-man move cooperated well to build a maximum lead of over eight minutes, fending off all those trying to bridge from behind.
The long second category climb of Seanafeistin then jettisoned some riders and gave Connor plus the two Poles the perfect springboard to go clear and scrap it out for the victory.
The Rás continues today with a crucial split stage. The first is a 24km team trial around An Cheathrú Rua which could put any one of the first five in yellow. The second is a lumpy 83km spin to Westport which, while short, could also effect an important change.
Stage 5 ( Kilrush - An Cheathrú Rua): 1, Jaroslaw Welniak (Poland Legia Bazylisek) 178.2 kilometres in 4 hours 18 mins 57 secs; 2, B. Matysia (Poland Legia Bazylisek) 178.2 kilometres; 3, R. Connor (Ireland Grant Thornton) at 3 secs; 4, R. Clarke (Éireann Dan Morrissey) at 1 min 23 secs; 5, J. Marden (Australia FRF Couriers Caravel) at 1 min 29 secs; 6, M. Cassidy (Ireland M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 1 min 31 secs; 7, R. Partridge (Britain Recycling.co.uk); 8, F. Schroder (Germany Stevens); 9, A. Andresen (Norway Sparebanken Vest) all same time; 10, B. Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie) at 1 min 34 secs; 11, L. Euser (USA TIAA-CREF) at 2 mins 57 secs; 12, C. Newton (Britain Recycling.co.uk) at 4 mins 39 secs; 13, C. Power (Éireann Dan Morrissey) same time; 14, C. Stevenson (Australia FRF Couriers Caravel) at 4 mins 41 secs; 15, M. Fitzgerald (Meath MyHome.ie) same time
General classification: 1, Danny Pate (USA TIAA-CREF) 20 hours 12 mins 51 secs; 2, D. O'Loughlin (Ireland Grant Thornton) at 1 sec; 3, T. Evans (Dublin Usher) at 7 secs; 4, M. Hegreberg (Norway Sparebanken Vest) same time; 5, K. House (Britain Recycling.co.uk) at 15 secs; 6, S. Kelly (Ireland Murphy & Gunn/Newlyn Group) at 1 min; 7, P. Herzig (Australia FRF Couriers Caravel) at 1 min 16 secs; 8, B. Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie) at 1 min 40 secs; 9, W. Randle (Britain Doncaster Stena Line) at 1 min 45 secs; 10, A. Andresen (Norway Sparebanken Vest) at 5 mins 45 secs; 11, G Reian (Germany Stevens) at 6 mins 24 secs; 12, B. Matysiak (Poland Legia Bazylisek) at 6 mins 40 secs; 13, R. Sharman (Britain Recycling.co.uk) at 6 mins 52 secs; 14, M. Freedman (USA TIAA-CREF) at 7 mins 9 secs; 15, C. Power (Éireann Dan Morrissey) at 7 mins 27 secs
Points: 1, Chris Newton (Britain Recycling.co.uk) 39 points; 2, T. Evans (Dublin Usher) 39; 3, M. Hegreberg (Norway Sparebanken Vest) 35; 4,- J. Marden (Australia FRF Couriers Caravel) 34; 5, B. Matysiak (Poland Legia Bazylisek) 28
International team: 1, Norway Sparebanken Vest, 60 hours 44 mins 38 secs; 2, Britain Recycling.co.uk, at 2 mins 1 sec; 3, Australia FRF Couriers, at 4 mins 12 secs; 4, USA TIAA-CREF, at 6 mins 58 secs; 5, Ireland Grant Thornton, at 8 mins 22 secs
Mountains: 1, Peter Herzig (Australia FRF Couriers Caravel) 52; 2, C. Power (Éireann Dan Morrissey) 42; 3, L. Modzelewski (Poland Legia Bazylisek) 23;
