Germans retain lead.
BY GERARD CROMWELL
The German Telekom-Jan Ullrich team retained their stranglehold on this year's FBD Milk Ras in Castleisland today, but not without a scare or two along the way. Today's stage was the longest of this year's Ras, at an epic 115 miles and included three mountains to be tackled in the blistering sunshine.
The first of these climbs, the second category ascent of Bollingbrooke, came after just nine miles and saw last year's Ras winner, Julian Winn of Wales, crest the summit ahead of teenager Stefan Schumacher of the German Telekom team. This duo reversed the placings at the top of the next climb, the stiff, first category ascent of Carrigeenina, which gave the German the lead in the King of the Mountains competition.
Listowel native, Eugene Moriarty (Meath Cycleways) was involved in a four man breakaway at Galbally (45 miles). He was accompanied by Stephen Cummings of Great Britain and professionals Marek Blasej of the Polish Legia Bazylisek team and Erik Saunders of the Swiss Fisconseils squad. When this group was joined by a bigger chase group containing Tour of Ulster winner Timmy Barry (Dublin Skip), former Ras winner Tommy Evans (Ireland Shannon Oaks Hotel) and 2000 Giro D'Italia stage winner David McKenzie, the peleton deemed the move a serious threat and by the halfway point at Knocklong had reeled them in.
As the intense heat saw most of the peleton going back to team cars for extra fluids, local man Eddie O'Donoghue, riding for the Carlow Dan Morrisey team took advantage of the stall in the main field and attacked. He was joined by former Irish champion Ray Clarke (Derry Classic Walls), Chris Young (York) and two Welshmen, Anthony Malarczyk and James Griffiths. With the bunch still idling and the breakaway now travelling at over thirty miles per hour, they soon opened a gap of over one minute. By the village of Drominan, at 72 miles, the gap had increased to two minutes and fifty seconds and just four miles later increased again to three and a half minutes, with no reaction coming from the bunch.
Eventually the German Telekom team were forced to chase and with some help from the RG Hamburg team started to close the gap. A few miles later, the Great Britain team joined the fray at the head of the bunch and soon the deficit was disintegrating as the speed rose to over 40 miles per hour. On the final climb at Ballydesmond, with just 16 miles left and the gap down to one minute and ten seconds, Ray Clarke attacked the rest of the breakaway group in a brave solo bid for stage glory. A helter-skelter 40mph descent saw him hold the advantage for the next few miles, but the undulating roads and sheer pressure of the German / British combination behind saw his downfall with just six miles to go.
David Kopp of Germany won a pulsating sprint finish ahead of Fisconseil professional David McKenzie and local hero Eugene Moriarty. "We are all fast in the team." said babyfaced Kopp after, "But I am the fastest. We hope to keep all of the jerseys of course, but we will see what happens when we get to the mountains. I think it will be good for us." Kopp's Telekom teammate, nineteen-year-old Dirk Reichl held on to retain his yellow jersey for another day and also leads the best under 23 rider competition. Not surprisingly, the German Telekom team also lead in the international team competition, while Athlone man Morgan Fox of the Ireland Shannon Oaks Hotel team held onto his green points jersey by virtue of a fine fourth place on the stage."I'm delighted to have the points jersey." said Fox, "This Irish team is really well run, we are looked after brilliantly and their is great morale in the team. We haven't decided about a leader yet, but I'm sure the Ras will decide. A lot of people are saying that this team is all chiefs and no indians, but whoever it is I will be more than happy to ride myself into the ground for the team. When myself and Tommy , or Mark and Aiden are riding in France or David is riding in Poland or wherever for our teams, we have to ride for a Pole, a Frenchman or whatever. I would much rather ride for another Irishman than a Frenchman or someone else and so would everybody else."
Tommorow's fourth stage will see the riders leave Castleisland at 12.am to tackle
the daunting climbs of the Conor Pass and Lispole on their 74 mile trip to Killorglin.
Estimated arrival time in Killorglin is 3.pm.
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