Rás welcome

Mayo gives Rás a warm welcome

Large crowd turns out for FBD Rás in Claremorris

Martin Ayres

CLAREMORRIS had a long wait to host the FBD Insurance Rás, 55 years in fact. But the town made up for it by organising a spectacular finish to yesterday’s second stage. With a large crowd and perfect weather, all that was needed to crown the day was a home win. It wasn’t to be.
Instead, the tale ended with an Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman sprintinga for victory. And the winner was British champion Dean Downing ahead of Scot Evan Oliphant, with Stephen Gallagher of the An Post team in third place. But while stage honours went abroad, the coveted yellow jersey was presented to Irishman Gallagher, the overall leader by just one second.
The Mayo crowd had to wait 69 seconds before local favourite David O’Loughlin came in with a 51-man group that also contained his four Pezula team-mates.  O’Loughlin had figured in an early breakaway, but prominent in his Irish champion’s white and green jersey, he was heavily marked throughout the stage. The Cong man will be hoping to escape his minders when the terrain gets tougher later in the race.
For many of the professionals and internationals in the 140-man field, Monday’s 167km stage from Ballinamore was another day at the office. Not so for Chris Troy from Newport, who has risen from average club competitor to Rás rider in three years. Desperate to ride the fabled event, Troy clinched his place with only ten days to go.
The debutant was on a high after finishing with the pack 12 minutes down. “Today was just brilliant,” he said. “I got very emotional coming through Castlebar and saw the Castlebar Cycling Club jerseys in the crowd. I mustn’t get carried away, there’s a lot of hard days to come.”
Castlebar’s David Brennan, riding his second Rás, attempted to make his mark on the event by getting into a chasing group over the day’s major climb, Slieve Gamph. He paid the price for his efforts in the closing kilometres and finished 129th on the day.
There was a carnival atmosphere at the finish in The Square, with many champions among the crowd. Among them was Westport’s Mickey Palmer, third-placed overall in the Rás in 1954 and again in 1955. The fans don’t forget, and more than half a century later Mick found himself targeted by an autograph hunter.
The stage over, prizes and jerseys presented, the riders departed for their hotels and guest houses in and around Claremorris for a shower, massage and meal. Today (Tuesday), the hills of Clare await the peloton en route to the stage finish in Lisdoonvarna. Three hundred kilometres completed, only 900 to go.