Driven on by the fact that he was racing on home soil and also by the disappointment he felt after crashing twice yesterday and losing time, Ronan McLaughlin today pulled out one of the most impressive solo performances of recent years in the An Post R�s.
The Donegal rider was involved in almost all of the breakaway moves in the early part of the stage, then after each of those was brought back, attacked alone seventy kilometres from the line. He was pursued by Christopher Jennings (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) and Sondre Hurum (Norway Oneco Mesterhus), but they were unable to get up to him, and he pulled further and further away.
He also resisted the chase of the peloton for a long time, and still had one minute 18 seconds with ten kilometres to go. However fatigue, a change in wind direction from a tailwind to a sidewind and some very fast racing by the yellow jersey group saw McLaughlin finally overhauled right before the finish line.
Mark Sehested Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) and stage one winner Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) swept past him with 100 metres remaining, Pedersen taking the top honours.
Had McLaughlin stayed clear, the headlines tomorrow would be of a stunning display and of history being made. Yet his performance still deserves plaudits as it was a staggering ride.
�I knew last night that I was in a good form. Because I was caught in two crashes I was really disappointed and convinced myself that I have to go for stage wins from now on, to be really aggressive in every stage,� he told Irishcycling.com. �It suits me and I can benefit from it by getting stage placings and then it suits the guys as well because if I go in front, I�m three minutes down, they don�t have to do a thing, they can rest in the bunch and have an easy day.�
He said that he was in �ten, twelve, fifteen moves� on today�s stage. When the bunch started closing each of these down, he got frustrated and soled clear in with 70 kilometres remaining.
The situation looked nigh-impossible but as he built time over Jennings, Hurum and other chasers and opened a huge lead on the bunch, it became clear he had a chance. And while that didn�t ultimately work out as he hoped, he can now accept that he is a very strong rider and can clock up some very good results in the future.
Best Irishman on the stage ended up being former race winner David McCann (RTS Racing) in fourth. Philip Lavery (Node4 Giordana Racing) was ninth, one place ahead of McLaughlin.
The yellow jersey remained on the shoulders of the overnight race leader Pirmin Lang (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo). He fined finished nine seconds behind Pededrsen in nineteenth place and hung onto the yellow jersey. He remains level on time with the Britons Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) and James Moss (Britain Node4 Girodana) while Irishman Connor McConvey - who had also started the stage on the same time - slipped to six seconds back.
He remains the best Irishman in fifth, while McCann is fifteen seconds further back in eleventh. Both will aim to move up on tomorrow�s tough mountain stage to Buncrana, which takes in the daunting Mamore Gap and six other climbs.
How it happened:
After three days with varying levels of climb and with some very tough mountains ahead, today�s fourth stage of the An Post R�s was almost completely flat, and regarded beforehand as a chance for the riders to recharge their batteries. However it would prove to be a tougher day than that, with open roads and winds leading to very rapid racing at times.
Two riders didn�t sign on this morning, both crash victims from yesterday. One was Kyle Houston (Antrim Chain Reaction Cycles), while the second was the rider who was leading the One4All Bikes2Work King of the Mountains classification, Dan Craven (IG Sigma Sport). He fell heavily yesterday and hit his head, suffering a period of memory loss, and also needed surgery to close a hole in his chin.
The remaining 153 riders continued without them and, almost immediately after the drop of the flag, Daniel Vejmelka (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha) and Robin Kelly (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) jumped away. While they were quickly brought back, the aggression set the tone and was followed by a number of attacks.
The fast pace also caused a split in the bunch, with two halves of the peloton becoming increasingly distanced from each other.
Heading through Castlebar (km 12.8), James Gullen (Britain East Midlands Metaltek) was ten seconds clear of that first group, which included race leader Pirmin Lang (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) and most of the race favourites. Gullen was reeled in ten kilometres later, and soon afterwards the two big groups on the road were a minute and a half apart.
Former race winner David McCann (Taiwan RTS Racing) jumped clear for a while, trying to get a gap established. After he was reeled in, his team-mate Martyn Irvine and Ryan Sherlock (Tipperary Carrick Iverk Produce) went clear. However they were hauled back 31 kilometres after the start.
McCann clipped away again 40 kilometres into the stage and this foray spurred on several others. He was joined by Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Nicolas Baldo (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo), Thomas Rostollan (France AVC Aix en Provence) and Wouter Sybrandy (Britain IG Sigma Sport). Yet, despite the quality of the group, they were caught at the 44 kilometre point.
Undeterred, McLaughin tried again approximately four kilometres later, slipping away in a seven man group. He combined with Nicolas Baldo (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo), Martyn Irvine (Taiwan RTS Racing), Ben Grenda (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp), Philip Lavery (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing), Fredrick Johansson (Britain UK Youth Cycling) and Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre). The latter lost contact soon after but the others persisted, being joined by Jiri Nesveda (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha).
However the moment wasn�t quite right and 52 kilometres after the start and 83 from the end, they were caught. McLaughlin was in a very determined mood and tried yet again minutes later, this time teaming up with Mark Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling), Peter Hawkins (Britain IG Sigma Sport), Christian Varley (Isle of Man) and Jonathan Fumeaux (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) to try to break the elastic.
And when that move was once again hovered up, McLaughlin decided to throw caution to the win and to attack alone, 65 kilometres after the start and a full seventy from the finish.
Long solo effort begins:
Perhaps not believing that he could go all the way to the finish, the bunch didn�t hunt down the move. McLaughlin built a thirty second lead over two riders who also clipped away and tried to get across, namely Christopher Jennings (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) and Sondre Hurum (Norway Oneco Mesterhus), the latter already well known from his impressive effort to win yesterday�s stage.
With 65 kilometres left, they were 28 seconds adrift of McLaughlin, who showed no signs of wanting to wait for reinforcements. He kept the head down and maintained his half-minute gap, while further back Rolf Nyborg Broge (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) and Robin Kelly (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) made separate attempts to get up to the action.
Another who tried to bridge was Martyn Irvine (RTS Racing), who soon passed Kelly. He won a stage in the race last year and since then has qualified for the omnium track event in the Olympic Games. He wanted to leave his mark on the An Post R�s and thought that today could be a good opportunity.
After two hours of racing McLaughlin held a 40 second lead over the chasers and a one minute 50 second advantage over Irvine. The main bunch was three minutes 52 seconds back, its biggest gap yet, although it began to accelerate and to turn things around somewhat.
Irvine sat up approximately 35 kilometres from the finish, realising that he wasn�t going to get across. At that point he was two minutes twenty off the lone leader then and one minute twenty ahead of a bunch that was knuckling down to the chase.
Things continued to tighten up between the lone leader and the bunch; with ten kilometres to go, McLaughlin was one minute 18 seconds ahead of those two chasers, but these had been joined by other riders who emerged from the peloton and were trying to take time out of the yellow jersey wearer, who had missed the move.
Inside five kilometres to go, it was clear that the final outcome could go either way. The gap was 45 seconds there, and dropped lower when Philip Lavery (Britain Node4 Girodana) and James Gullen (Britain East Midlands) clipped away in pursuit.
Although that duo were brought back, the gap continued to fall and McLaughlin�s lead was down to twenty seconds with two kilometres remaining. The tailwind had turned to a sidewind, making things more difficult, and his legs were buckling after seventy kilometres in the lead.
Still believing that he might make it, he dug as deep as he could but was swallowed up with 100 metres to go, in sight of the finish line. Nine riders swept past, with Mark Sehested Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) narrowly beating stage one winner Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) to the line. McCann was best Irishman in fourth, showing further signs of good form.
Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) took the Cuchulainn Crystal county rider for the stage and also leads the same classification overall, while Handley and Art McManusa lead the Irish Sports Council Under 23 and CI category 2 standings.
Bialoblocki tops the Post Office sprints classification and Hurum leads the One4All Bikes4Work King of the Mountains.
An Post Ras stage 4, Westport to Bundoran:
1, Mark Sehested Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) 135.4 kilometres in 2 hours 55 mins 36 secs
2, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing)
3, Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix En Provence) at 2 secs
4, David McCann (Taiwan RTS Racing )
5, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly)
6, Dale Appleby (Britain East Midlands Metaltek)
7, Wouter Sybrandy (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport)
8, Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling)
9, Philip Lavery (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) at 6 secs
10, Ronan McLaughlin (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly)
11, Krister Hagen (Norway Oneco- Mesterhus) at 7 secs
12, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) at 9 secs
13, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp)
14, Christopher Stevenson (Britain UK Youth Cycling)
15, James Gullen (Britain East Midlands Metaltek) all same time
Cuchulainn Crystal county rider:
1, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speed) 2 hours 55� 45�
International team:
1, Britain Node4 Giordana, 8 hours 47 mins 3 secs
2, Belgium An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly, at 8 secs
3, Britain East Midlands Metaltek, same time
4, France AVC Aix en Provence, at 11 secs
5, Britain Team IG � Sigma Sport, at 17 secs
County team:
1, Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes, 8 hour 48 mins 6 secs
2, Dublin West Eurocycles, at 40 secs
3, Meath Dunboyne DID Electrical, at 56 secs
4, Tipperary Carrick Iverk Produce, at 1 min 59 secs
5, Dublin South UCD, at 2 mins 38 secs
General classification after stage 4:
1, Pirmin Lang (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) 12 hours 47 mins 45 secs
2, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp)
3, James Moss (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) both same time
4, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) at 3 secs
5, Connor McConvey (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) at 6 secs
6, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) at 15 secs
7, Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix En Provence) at 19 secs
8, Mark Sehested Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) same time
9, Nicolas Baldo (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) at 20 secs
10, Wouter Sybrandy (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport) at 21 secs
11, David McCann (Taiwan RTS Racing ) same time
12, Krister Hagen (Norway Oneco- Mesterhus) at 26 secs
13, Peter Hawkins (Britain Team IG - Sigma Sport) same time
14, Cameron Karwowski (New Zealand National Team) at 28 secs
15, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) same time
Post office sprints classification:
1, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) 43
2, Gediminas Bagdonas (Belgium An Post Sean Kelly) 43
3, Remi Sarreboubee (France AVC Aix En Provence) 35
4, Mark Sehested Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) 26
5, Roy Eefting (Netherlands Koga Cycling) 24
One4All Bikes4Work King of the Mountains:
1, Sondre Hurum (Norway Oneco- Mesterhus) 29
2, Gruffudd Lewis (Britain UK Youth Cycling) 25
3, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 20
4, Martin Hunal (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha) 16
5, David Clarke (Britain Node4 Giordana Racing) 13
Irish sports council Under 23:
1, Richard Handley (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 12 hours 47 mins 45 secs
2, Mark Sehested Pedersen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) at 19 secs
3, Cameron Karwowski (New Zealand National Team) at 28 secs
4, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes)
5, Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) both same
CI category 2:
1, Art MacManusa (Dublin South UCD) 12 hours 54 mins 56 secs
2, John O'Shea (Tipperary Carrick IverkProduce) same time
3, William McCabe (Dublin West Eurocycles) at 3 mins 38 secs
4, Keith Walls (Meath Stamullen MartinDonnelly) at 8 mins 37 secs
5, Ciaran O'Sullivan (Antrim Chain Reaction Cycles) at 9 mins 51 secs
Fitz Cycles county rider:
1, Aaron Buggle (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) 12 hours 48 mins 13 secs
2, Adam Armstrong (Dublin West Eurocycles) at 6 secs
3, Ryan Sherlock (Tipperary Carrick IverkProduce) at 13 secs
4, Conor Murphy (Dublin West Eurocycles) same time
5, Sean Lacey (Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes) at 46 secs
International team:
1, Britain Node4 Giordana, 38 hours 23 mins 53 secs
2, Switzerland Atlas Jakroo, at 20 secs
3, Belgium An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly, at 21 secs
4, France AVC Aix en Provence, at 52 secs
5, Netherlands Koga Cycling, at 1 min 1 sec
County team:
1, Dublin West Eurocycles, 38 hours 29 mins 34 secs
2, Carlow Dan Morrissey Speedy Spokes, at 7 mins 25 secs
3, Tipperary Carrick Iverk Produce, at 7 mins 50 secs
4, Meath Dunboyne DID Electrical, at 11 mins 20 secs
5, Dublin South UCD, at 11 mins 37 secs