Young Bennett to the fore to help team-mate stay in yellow jersey

CYCLING:IF GEDIMINAS Bagdonas goes on to win the An Post Rás tomorrow, his performance and that of his Irish team-mate Sam Bennett yesterday will have played a crucial part in that success.

On the tough, twisting roads between Blarney and Tramore, the race leader came under constant attack from his challengers, including the Ukrainian rider Anatoliy Pakhtusov.

The latter got clear in a group with 64km remaining. He became race leader on the road and looked set to snatch the yellow jersey, but strong team support by Bennett plus a late rally by Bagdonas salvaged the race lead.

“In the last 30 kilometres, I was alone, everybody was jumping. I was catching them one by one,” Bagdonas said, referring to efforts by other riders to slip clear and get up to the break.

“In the last eight kilometres, Kurt [Bogaerts, team manager] told me I needed to go full gas and go time trial, go hard.”

The Lithuanian did just that, putting his head down and stubbornly paring back some of the advantage Pakhtusov had carved out.

The effort saw him end the day 32 seconds ahead of the Ukrainian, who finished second to Polish rider Marcin Bialoblocki on the uphill finish in Tramore.

His closest rival had been Pakhtusov’s team-mate Oleksandr Sheydyk, who began the stage one minute 16 seconds back, and so things have tightened up.

He’s still got the jersey, though, and that’s what matters.

Bogaerts said Bennett’s contribution was vital. “I think he made a major step in his career today,” he said. “He showed everyone, he did a really, really great ride. He was a big part in helping to keep the yellow jersey.

“Sam had covered already a few attacks. Then I think he put the brains on zero – he was riding on the front of the group with everyone on his wheel, no attacks were coming any more. It was more than perfect.”

The move started after 83km of racing when 17 riders went clear, Bagdonas included. Two chase groups joined over the next 10km, making it a 30-man break.

There were three Irish riders present, Seán Downey, David McCann and Bennett, and the latter sacrificed his chances to help the race leader cope with the attacks.

Downey and McCann got clear in a chase group towards the end and finished seventh and ninth respectively. They are riding well as this race nears its conclusion, and are now 11 and 14th overall.

Bagdonas remains in the driving seat and, over the course of the next two days, he and his An Post team will do everything to ensure it stays that way.

Blarney to Tramore 172km

1, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Motorpoint) 3 hours 35 mins 55 secs; 2, A. Pakhtusov (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental) at 5 secs; 3, W. Sybrandy (Britain Sigma Specialised Team) at 10 secs; 4, H. Frusto (Italy DAngelo DAntenucci) at 1 min 14 secs; 5, J. Carrasco (Greece KTM Murica) at 1 min 16 secs; 6, J. Steigmiller (Germany Thuringer Energie) at 1 min 18 secs; 7, S. Downey (Ireland Team Skoda) at 1 min 20 secs; 8, L. Norris (Australia Drapac Cycling) at 1 min 24 secs; 9, D. McCann (Asia Giant Kenda Cycling Team) at 1 min 36 secs; 10, S. Archbold (New Zealand National Team) at 1 min 47 secs.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION: 1, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 23 hours 59 mins 52 secs; 2, A. Pakhtusov (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental) at 32 secs; 3, O. Sheydyk (Ukraine ISD-Lampre Continental) at 1 min 13 secs; 4, N. Mihaylov (France AVC Aix en Provence) at 1 min 16 secs; 5, P. Williams (Britain Motorpoint) at 1 min 24 secs; 6, A. Gate (New Zealand National Team) at 1 min 31 secs; 7, F. Goesinnen (Australia Drapac Cycling); 8, S. Richardson (Britain Sigma Specialized Team) both same time; 9, S. Archbold (New Zealand National Team) at 2 mins 10 secs; 10, W. Sybrandy (Britain Sigma Specialized Team) at 2 mins 16 secs; 11, S. Downey (Ireland Team Skoda) at 3 mins 14 secs; 12, D. Windsor (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) at 3 mins 47 secs; 13, J. Sampson (Britain Motorpoint) at 3 mins 55 secs; 14, D. McCann (Asia Giant Kenda Cycling Team) at 9 mins 3 secs; 15, W. Bjergfelt (Britain Motorpoint) at 9 mins 49 secs.

ISC UNDER-23: 1, Aaron Gate (New Zealand National Team) 24 hours 1 min 23 secs; 2, S. Archbold (New Zealand National Team) at 39 secs; 3, S. Downey (Ireland Team Skoda) at 1 min 43 secs;

CI CATEGORY 2: 1, Christopher Coyle (Mayo Western Edge Medical Comm), 24 hours 47 mins 37 secs; 2, M. Gill (Dublin South Dublin Zilcom) at 22 mins 25 secs; 3, J. Dempsey (Donegal LK Bikes) at 23 mins 38 secs; 4, C. Clarke (Mayo Western Edge) at 37 mins 25 secs; 5, E. Considine (Galway Black Rose) at 59 mins 44 secs.

INTERNATIONAL TEAM: 1, Britain Motorpoint, 72 hours 4 mins 19 secs; 2, Australia Drapac Cycling, at 11 mins 23 secs; 3, France AVC Aix en Provence, 12 min 53 secs; 4, New Zealand, at 18 mins 19 secs; 5, Ukraine ISD Lampre, at 21 mins 18 secs.