BOASSON HAGEN WINS, IRISH UNLUCKY

Talented young Norwegian rider Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) won today's fourth stage of the Tour of Ireland, proving quicker than Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile Team), Maximiliano Richeze (Ceramica Panaria Navigare) and the rest of the 41 rider front group in the mass sprint into Galway.

Race leader Stijn Vandenberg (Unibet.com) placed 16th and retained his 20 second led over Marcus Ljungqvist (Team CSC). Aaron Olson (T-Mobile Team) is a further second back in third place. With just tomorrow's mainly flat stage remaining, it looks likely that Vandenberg will hold onto his yellow jersey.

Today's stage was marked by a long distance breakaway comprising five riders - Danny Pate (Slipstream Chipotle), Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven Evans Cycles), Adam Bergman (Colavita Sutter Home), Roger Beuchat (LPR) and Rob Partridge (Recycling.co.uk). Riding well on the tough 232.5 kilometre route around Connemara, they built a maximum lead of seven minutes 40 seconds but the main bunch began to close this right down. Pate and Beuchat went on ahead in the closing stages but were chased by five others with approximately six kilometres remaining.

There were two Irish riders present - David McCann (Colavita Sutter Home) and national champion David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance), plus former Tour de France stage winner Frank Schleck (CSC), Matteo Priamo (Ceramica Panaria Navigare) and Tom Veelers (Rabobank).

However any hopes of a home win were dashed due to bad luck. Just before the chasing group caught the front duo, two spokes broke in O'Loughlin's back wheel and ruled him out of the break. He was highly disappointed after the finish, as was McCann. He said that he was feeling very strong and believed he had the legs to win, but a lack of information about the location of the bunch cost him his chance.

"I am raging. We caught the front two and got a time check of 50 seconds. There was no blackboard, no radio..nothing. I thought we were well clear. I had the legs to jump the boys, I was just waiting for my moment and suddenly the bunch appeared from nowhere. I had no idea they were coming up."

The group were caught with about a kilometre to go. Boasson Hagen then made his move with 400 metres remaining and his explosive power saw him rip well clear of the bunch, adding to his high season tall of wins.

Yellow jersey Vandenberg finished in the bunch to defend his lead. A disappointed McCann was best of the Irish in 22nd and also remains best of the home contingent overall. He is 18th overall, 13 minutes and 45 seconds back.

The Tour of Ireland concludes tomorrow with a flat 147.7 kilometre leg from Athlone to Dublin. The riders will slug it out on a route through Mullingar and Enfield, up the Strawberry Beds, though the Phoenix park and concluding with ten laps of a circuit of Merrion Square.

It's mainly flat, lacking any categorised climbs, but intermediate sprints at Kinnegad (56.4 km), Lucan (104 km) and Merrion Square (130.9 km) will spice things up before the final few circuits outside government buildings.

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Tour of Ireland (2.1, August 22 - 26)

Stage 4, Galway to Galway:

1, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) 232.5 kilometres in 5 hours 53 mins 23 secs (39.48 km/h)
2, Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile Team)
3, Maximiliano Richeze (Ceramica Panaria / Navigare)
4, Borut Bozic (Team L.P.R.)
5, Baden Cooke (Unibet.com)
6, Daniele Colli (Ceramica Panaria / Navigare)
7, Matti Breschel (Team CSC)
8, Simon Clarke (South Australia.com / AIS)
9, Joachim Bohler (Team Maxbo Bianchi)
10, Daniel Lloyd (DFL - Cyclingnews / Litespeed)
11, Charles Dionne (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
12, Wesley Sulzberger (South Australia.com / AIS)
13, Mike Friedman (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle)
14, Gene Bates (South Australia.com / AIS)
15, Marcus Ljungqvist (Team CSC) all same time

Irish:

22, David McCann (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) same time
63, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team) at 2 mins 9 secs
64, Mark Cassidy (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
66, Paidi O'Brien (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
68, Derek Burke (Irish National Team)
71, Brian Keneally (Irish National Team)
72, Stephen Gallagher (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
76, Isaac Speirs (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) all same time
78, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team) at 2 mins 21 secs
79, David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) at 3 mins 15 secs

DNS: Philip Deignan (Irish National Team)

Sprints:

An Post Sprint at Westport:

1, Rob Partridge (Recycling.co.uk) 5 pts
2, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 3
3, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 2
4, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 1

An Post Sprint at Louisburgh:

1, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 5 pts
2, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 3
3, Rob Partridge (Recycling.co.uk) 2
4, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 1

An Post Sprint, Oughterard:

1, Rob Partridge (Recycling.co.uk) 5 pts
2, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 3
3, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 2
4, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 1

Mountains:

Cat 1, Tourmakeady:

1, Roger Beuchat (Team L.P.R.) 15 pts
2, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 12
3, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 10
4, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 8
5, Rob Partridge (Recycling.co.uk) 6
6, Luis Pasamontes (Unibet.com) 4
7, Jeremy Hunt (Unibet.com) 2
8, Troels Vinther (Unibet.com) 1

Cat 3, Leenaun:

1, Roger Beuchat (Team L.P.R.) 6 pts
2, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 4
3, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 2
4, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 1

Cat 2, Finny:

1, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 10 pts
2, Roger Beuchat (Team L.P.R.) 7
3, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 4
4, Rob Partridge (Recycling.co.uk) 2
5, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 1

Cat 3, Maumturk:

1, Roger Beuchat (Team L.P.R.) 6 pts
2, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 4
3, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 2
4, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 1

Cat 2, Keeagh:

1, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 10 pts
2, Roger Beuchat (Team L.P.R.) 7
3, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 4
4, Rob Partridge (Recycling.co.uk) 2
5, Adam Bergman (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 1


General Classification after stage 4:

1, Stijn Vandenberg (Unibet.com) 18 hours 13 mins 31 secs
2, Marcus Ljungqvist (Team CSC) at 20 secs
3, Aaron Olson (T-Mobile Team) at 21 secs
4, Wesley Sulzberger (South Australia.com / AIS) at 24 secs
5, Pieter Jacobs (Unibet.com) at 27 secs
6, Craig Lewis (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) at 28 secs
7, Glenn Bak (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 43 secs
8, Valeriy Kobzarenko (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) at 2 mins 37 secs
9, Matti Breschel (Team CSC) at 13 mins 15 secs
10, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) at 13 mins 20 secs
11, Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile Team) at 13 mins 29 secs
12, Borut Bozic (Team L.P.R.) at 13 mins 34 secs
13, Martijn Maaskant (Rabobank Continental) at 13 mins 43 secs
14, Daniel Lloyd (DFL - Cyclingnews / Litespeed)
15, Moises Aldape Chaves (Ceramica Panaria / Navigare) both same time

Irish:

18, David McCann (Colavita - Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) at 13 mins 45 secs
36, Paul Griffin (Irish National Team) at 15 mins 54 secs
39, Mark Cassidy (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly)
40, Brian Kenneally (Irish National Team) at 16 mins 13 secs
41, David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance Cycling Team) at 17 mins
63, Paidi O'Brien (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 41 mins 59 secs
64, Nazareno Rossi (Team L.P.R. 42.00
71, Stephen Gallagher (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 42 mins
72, Isaac Speirs (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) same time
77, Derek Burke (Irish National Team) at 42 mins 35 secs
81, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team) at 44 mins 2 secs

Points classification:

1, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Maxbo Bianchi) 44 pts
2, Matti Breschel (Team CSC) 43
3, Borut Bozic (Team L.P.R.) 41

Mountains classification:

1, Roger Beuchat (Team L.P.R.) 67 pts
2, Gordon McCauley (Plowman Craven - Evans Cycles Racing) 38
3, Danny Pate (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle) 36

U25 Rider classification:

1, Stijn Vandenberg (Unibet.com) at 18 hours 13 mins 31 secs
2, Wesley Sulzberger (South Australia.com / AIS) at 24 secs
3, Pieter Jacobs (Unibet.com) at 27 secs

Irish:

18, Mark Cassidy (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 15 mins 54 secs
28, Paidi O'Brien (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 41 mins 59 secs
34, Isaac Speirs (Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn/M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) same time
38, Derek Burke (Irish National Team) at 42 mins 35 secs
40, Martyn Irvine (Irish National Team) at 44 mins 2 secs

Team Classification:

1, Unibet.com, 54 hours 54 mins 42 secs
2, Team CSC, at 13 mins 44 secs
3, T-Mobile Team, at 13 mins 48 secs

Other:

12, Irish National Team, at 33 mins 53 secs
14, Murphy and Gunn, at 44 mins 30 secs