Dignam expects 'exciting edition'

CYCLING FBD RÁS:A TOTAL of 170 international and Irish riders will line out tomorrow for the start of the FBD Insurance Rás and, over the course of eight days and 1,219kms, will fight it out for the honours in the 58th edition of the race.

Teams from Germany, Belgium, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, Austria, Japan, Spain, Britain, Wales, USA and the Isle of Man have travelled here and will come up against the Irish National team, an Ireland Development squad plus 17 county teams.

Irish hopes will centre around the likes of Adam Armstrong and Neil Delahaye (Ireland National Team), David O’Loughlin, Mark Cassidy and Connor McConvey (An Post M Donnelly Grant Thornton Seán Kelly) and Philip Lavery (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group).

“We are looking forward to what I think is going to be a very, very exciting edition of the race,” said Dermot Dignam this week.

“It’s a great field and the route will build things up to a real climax, ensuring that the final winner is uncertain right until the last stage. Some excellent racing lies ahead.”

Tomorrow’s 155km stage to Dundalk includes three hot spot sprints plus the second category climb of the Long Women’s Grave. However, a bunch sprint is expected then, and also at the end of Monday’s race to Carrick-on-Shannon.

After that, stages follow to Ougherard, Tipperary, Seskin Hill/Carrick-on-Suir, Gorey, Kilcullen and Skerries.

Once past the halfway point, the race gets hillier and so there should be some particularly decisive racing from Thursday onwards.

** Daniel Martin finished eight minutes 41 seconds back in yesterday’s 223km 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia, and ended the day 66th in the overall standings. He is an hour and three minutes behind race leader Richie Porte.