Stage 3 - May 21: Nenagh - Killorglin, 156 km     <Main Page>     <Previous Stage>     <Next Stage>

Cassidy grabs stage, Power takes yellow

Prior to the third stage of the FBD Milk Rás, Phil Cassidy performed a curious pre-race gesture. The Meath Lee Strand Cycleways rider was fired up after placing second on yesterday's stage into Nenagh, and heading into the home region of his team sponsor he vowed to do even better. "Stage 3 Nenagh to Killorglin – Phil Cassidy" he wrote on the chamois of his shorts, then pulled on his racing gear and headed out to do battle.

Lashed by rain and a cruel crosswind, Cassidy threw down the gauntlet from the start and raced clear, ripping the bunch to shreds behind and causing total chaos. Fellow Irishmen David O'Loughlin (Mayo Connacht Gold) and Tim Barry (Team Ireland Stena Line) recognised the danger and joined up to the flying 40 year old. This leading trio were soon joined by Barry's team-mate Ciarán Power, France VC La Pomme rider Denis Lynch, Ray Clarke (Meath Lee Strand Cycleways) and sole foreign rider Anthony Malarczyk (Wales).

The audacious move ultimately proved a rewarding one for Cassidy and Power. Race leader Chris Newton missed the boat and never got back on terms with the attackers, and at the end of the 97 mile stage Cassidy took a stunning victory while Power wrested the yellow jersey of race leadership from the shoulders of his English rival.

The win marked Cassidy's third in the race, with his last stage coming 15 years ago; he also won the event twice and is the archetypical 'Man of the Rás'. Power too repeated history – he took yellow in 1998 as a young amateur and went on to win the race overall.

Newton was left ruing the slip-up which allowed his rivals to race clear. The 28 year old found himself stranded back in the bunch shortly after the start, over two minutes in arrears, and for the first time this week his Great Britain team looked fragile. Although he bridged across to a chasing group the pursuit was scrappy and disorganised, and by the third category climb of Barnagh Gap he was a massive 5 minutes and 45 seconds adrift.

Power led smoothly up the climb, with Cassidy, Lynch and O'Loughlin close behind, and while Clarke, Malarczyk and Barry slid back into a small group of chasers the reduced leading group showed little sign of weakening.

Back in the bunch, Newton and three of his team-mates were making little impression on the lead. By the 68 mile mark Power's group had an advantage of seven minutes, and in desperation GB manager Simon Jones ordered Tim Buckle to sit up out of the chasing group and go back to give assistance. In response Power and Cassidy turned the screw yet further, accelerating once more and shedding O'Loughlin and Lynch in the process.

Newton was still over five minutes back as Power and Cassidy raced into the streets of Killorglin, and it was clear that Power was heading towards a comfortable lead in the general classification. For Cassidy, the fruits of his efforts were a stunning stage win and the King of the Mountains jersey, once again showing up the younger riders in the field.

Lynch and O'Loughlin were next over the line, the latter jumping to second overall, while Newton sprinted home second in the main bunch some 5 minutes and 10 seconds adrift. There are five stages remaining in the race, including tomorrow's mountainous 107 miles to Castletownbere, but the GB team have a lot to do to get back onto terms.

"It is great to win a stage in the race," said Cassidy afterwards. "I was second yesterday but this was always the day for me to try to do it as our sponsors Lee Strand are from the area. My legs felt very good this morning and I decided to have a go at the start – with that strong crosswind, you are as well being off the front as in the bunch. The day was going to be equally hard no matter where you were."

"As regards the overall classification, I am not too interested in going for that. Saturday's stage (a gruelling mountainous race through Wicklow) will not suit me and so there is little point in trying to get up overall. I will take it easy tomorrow and then see what I can do later in the week – if I can get another stage, I will certainly go for it."

Power, on the other hand, is thinking very much about the final general classification. "My legs are good and I am going to defend the lead from here," said the Navigators professional. "Today's stage was an ideal opportunity to get some time – when I saw Cassidy and the other go, into that sidewind, I knew it was a serious move and one which could really pay off."

Despite the loss of Dermot Nally today to food poisoning, Power feels that the Team Ireland Stena Line squad are strong enough to protect his advantage. "The team are getting better day by day and I think we should be up to the task," he said.

Manager Declan Byrne echoed this sentiment. "The Great Britain team seem to be getting weaker, while our riders are coming into top form as the race progresses. There are some tough stages yet to come but I think we will be strong enough to defend the lead," he vowed.

For his part, Newton vows to fight on. "It is not too easy to defend the jersey in this race," he warned. "Everyone expects you to ride. A strong rider has it now but we are going to keep attacking!"

1 Philip Cassidy (Irl) Meath Lee Strand Cycleways 3.43.51
2 Ciaran Power (Irl) Team Ireland Stena Line
3 Denis Lynch (Irl) France VC La Pomme 3.48
4 David O'Loughlin (Irl) Mayo Connacht Gold 3.52
5 Huw Pritchard (GBr) Wales 5.10
6 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain
7 Julian Winn (GBr) Wales
8 Hubert Nowak (Pol) Poland Team Legia
9 Dariusz Rudnicki (Pol) Poland Team Legia
10 Ian McLeod (Rsa) South Africa Team HSBC

General classification after stage 3

1 Ciaran Power (Irl) Team Ireland Stena Line 12.05.40
2 David O'Loughlin (Irl) Mayo Connacht Gold 3.54
3 Chris Newton (GBr) Great Britain 4.43
4 John Tanner (GBr) Lancaster Compensation Group 4.55
5 Ben Brooks (Aus) NW England Cycle Centre RT 5.00
6 Kevin Dawson (GBr) Lancaster Compensation Group 5.04
7 Huw Pritchard (GBr) Wales 5.10
8 Gary Dodd (GBr) Surrey League
9 Ari Hojgaard (Den) Denmark Distrikt Jylland-Fyn 5.11
10 Ian McLeod (Rsa) South Africa Team HSBC 5.12