Saturday was another superb day for the Irish riders at the Rás Tailteann, with overnight race leader Daire Feeley (Cork All Human/Velo Revolution) maintaining his grip on the yellow jersey and Ireland National Team rider Rory Townsend taking a bunch sprint victory into Kilbeggan.
Townsend had placed second on the opening stage on Wednesday and showed the same kind of speed in beating the day’s best county rider Odhran Doogan (Dublin Pinergy Orwell Wheelers), Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrissey) and the rest of the main peloton to the line.
Feeley rolled in as part of the same group and kept his race lead, the first rider to do so this week.
”Today will be the fastest stage of the race,” Feeley told the Irish Times after the stage. “It seemed like we had a tailwind for most of the day. We averaged 47 kilometres an hour for 157 kilometres, so it shows how fast we were going. To be honest with you, only for the lads keeping it together today, following the moves and things like that, it would have been a different finish. But teams wanted a bunch sprint coming into the line, so we are happy it went that way.”
He is 51 seconds ahead of the British rider Louis Sutton (Spain Brocar-Ale) in the general classification. Adam Ward and Rory Townsend (both Ireland National Team) are third and fourth, one minute six seconds and one 1 minute 29 seconds back respectively.
The stage saw several breakaway groups go clear, with the most dangerous being a seven man group which had a lead of over half a minute heading towards Athlone. Two of the riders in that move, Ole Hendrik Bang-Andreasen (Britain Trinity Racing) and Frazier Carr (Britain Spirit BSS), later pushed ahead and opened a 20 second lead over the rest of the break.
The duo were still 12 seconds clear of the peloton with 15 kilometres remaining but as the result of a frantic chase behind, they were reeled in five kilometres later. The resulting bunch sprint went to Townsend, who showed his characteristic last-kilometre speed.
”It was a really quick day, which is why the breakaway going away was quite dangerous,” he said. “I had the mechanic up last night putting a few extra gears on the bike, so I was ready for a faster day.
“Taking the stage win was the target at the start of the day. After the first stage I was a little bit disappointed to let it slip, so today was a big relief.”
The final stage of the Rás Tailteann will cover 135.3 kilometres from Kinnegad to Blackrock in County Louth. It includes just two third category climbs and, if the pattern of other years replicates, big changes to the overall classification are unlikely.
If Feeley holds onto yellow he would be the first Irish winner of the Rás Tailteann since Stephen Gallagher in 2008. He admitted to some nerves after taking over in yellow. “I struggled to get to sleep last night so hopefully I can get a bit of sleep tonight,” he said. “Just the thoughts of it…it is getting closer and closer. Look, we will do what we can. We will give it absolutely everything. I’m super chuffed with today, so we will take it day by day. One more…”
He finished second to WorldTour professional Ryan Mullen in last year’s Irish road race championships, beating other professional riders to do so. He indicated that winning the Rás would be enormous to him.
”This for me would be completing cycling,” he said, smiling. “To win the Rás, I would be happy with this. If I don’t win a race ever again I won’t complain.”
Rás Tailteann provisional results: Stage four, Lisdoonvarna to Kilbeggan:
1, Rory Townsend (Ireland National Team) 154.1 kilometres in 3 hours 13 mins 45 secs
2, Odhran Doogan (Dublin Pinergy Orwell Wheeler)
3, Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrissey)
4, Joe Hill (Britain Spirit BSS)
5, Conor Murnane (Dublin UCD)
6, James Harrison (Isle of Man)
7, Danny MacDonald (Clare Burren CC)
8, Daniel Kain (Scotland Spokes Racing Team)
9, Kevin McCambridge (Britain Trinity Racing)
10, Louis Sutton (Spain Brocar Ale) all same time
General classification:
1, Daire Feeley (Cork All Human/Velo Revolution) 13 hours 53 mins 14 secs
2, Louis Sutton (Spain Brocar-Ale) at 51 secs
3, Adam Ward (Ireland National Team) at 1 min 6 secs
4, Rory Townsend (Ireland National Team) at 1 min 29 secs
5, Matthew Teggart (Cycling Ulster) at 1 min 40 secs
6, Luke Smith (Meath Moynalty Cycling Club) at 1 min 41 secs
7, William Perrett (Dublin Spellman Dublin Port) same time
8, George Kimber (Britain Spirit BSS) at 1 min 46 secs
