Downing climbs to new heights in Cork

CYCLING TOUR OF IRELAND:TORRENTIAL RAIN showers, rivers of water washing down St Patrick's Hill and a hard, hard finishing circuit; the Tour of Ireland reached its crescendo yesterday with a dramatic battle in Cork city. There British rider Russell Downing got the better of riders with far bigger teams and salaries, matching every attack and then surging clear towards the end to finish in style.

Downing crossed the line just behind the Norwegian Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi), celebrating rather than sprinting, basking in the satisfaction of taking his biggest career win on what was his 31st birthday.

Twelve months ago he also held the yellow jersey going into the final stage but lost it when Marco Pinotti (Columbia HTC) surged clear inside the last 10 kilometres.

Pinotti was there again yesterday, as were other big names including Lance Armstrong (Astana), but nobody could match Downing. In fact, Armstrong was a non-finisher, pulling out with over half the field in the diabolical conditions.

The seven-time Tour de France winner was a major crowd-draw during the three-day race but those thronging St Patrick’s Hill in wait didn’t get a chance to see him as he withdrew before the first ascent of the climb. Many will be disappointed with that, even if the Texan said afterwards that his back was giving him trouble.

Up front, battle was raging. Indeed attacks were fired from the drop of the flag in Bantry, with large groups going clear and forcing Downing and his team-mates to chase. That was amplified on the tough finishing circuit but he was more than ready.

“The guys were attacking me all day . . . it was pretty nervous racing, and hard to work out what was going to come back and what could stay away,” the Candit TV-Marshall’s Pasta rider said. “I actually got in a move myself to relieve the stress and try to put people on the back foot. I think it worked, it got people panicking.”

That break was brought back but his strength meant that the tough finishing circuit worked in his favour; it was less about tactics and more about brute force at that point. “The hill [St Patrick’s Hill] was fine. I knew it from last year, the bunch split on the first climb of the circuit and I was pretty comfortable there, and then when it came onto Patrick’s Hill I was very comfortable. I looked across at Pinotti and his tongue was hanging out and everything, but I was sitting there feeling pretty comfortable.”

He had said on Saturday that warnings of stormy conditions didn’t bother him. The finale was reduced from three to two circuits in Cork because of the weather, but the impression was that he would have won out whatever the distance.

Irish rider Philip Deignan had started the stage fourth overall and was hoping to finish strongly, but came home in a group 51 seconds behind Downing and had to be content with 12th. He wasn’t too disappointed, though, as he said the big priority was staying safe prior to his start this coming Saturday in the Vuelta a España.

“It split as soon as we got onto the circuit, on the first climb. I didn’t have the legs – I knew straight away that I didn’t have the power. I felt sort of average today, and if I’d had the legs I had on the first day I would have been up at the front,” he said.

The conditions complicated things a lot, too. “My back wheel was just spinning on the climbs, maybe I had too much pressure in the tyre – every time I was going up the climb, it was losing traction. I was sliding a bit on the corners going downhill and I didn’t want to take crazy risks with the Vuelta next week. But things are fine – I’m happy enough with my condition before that race.”

Apart from his solid ride, Sam Bennett’s performance was also a big plus for Irish cycling. Twenty fifth on the stage, two minutes 43 seconds behind Nordhaug and Downing, and 25th overall may not sound like much, but he’s just 18 and is a first-year senior. In that context, his performance is hugely promising. He’ll gain strength as he ages and shows every indication that a bright future is in store.

Bennett’s ambition is to secure a big pro contract in the years ahead; Downing wants one right now, having spent many years racing for smaller teams.

“He was very strong and certainly deserves to be with a big team,” said Breschel, clearly impressed by the dogged, determined display.