recycling.co.uk / MG XPower / Litespeed to FBD Insurance RAS
Team Captain Russell Downing takes a well needed rest from top-level competition this weekend and will miss Ireland’s FBD Insurance RAS after an excellent run of form that has taken him to five victory’s in three weeks. Fonzy topped off his wins in France and the Lincoln GP with an excellent win last weekend in the 2nd round of British Cycling’s National Circuit Race Series in Crawley.
Instead World Team Pursuit Champion’s and past RAS winner’s Chris Newton and Paul Manning will lead a strong line-up that includes Robin Sharman, a winner of the Girvan 3-Day in March, and Shaun Snodden and Ben Greenwood. Evan Oliphant will start as a leader of the Scottish team after his dominant win in last weekend’s Ingliston Criterium Series in Scotland.
The race started in Dublin yesterday (results later) with a record field of 200 riders and will take an anti-clockwise route around central Ireland to finish next weekend with a Criterium in Dublin’s Phoenix Park after 1,100 gruelling kilometres.
Chris Newton and Paul Manning, winners of the event in 2003 and 2001 respectively, will be the men to watch, but will face tough opposition from a record number of foreign team’s taking part in this year’s race, including six teams from the US and teams from Estonia, Czech Republic, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Germany and France.
The FBD Milk Ras is a gruelling event and one of a kind in Ireland. You can get regular live updates on the stages from www.irishcycling.com
The stages are as follows:
Stage 1, Sunday 22nd May, Dublin – Emyvale, 136km
Stage 2, Monday 23rd May, Emyvale – Tubbercurry, 165km
Stage 3, Tuesday 24th May, Tubbercurry – Lisdoonvarna, 156km
Stage 4, Wednesday 25th May, Lisdoonvarna – Templemore, 162km
Stage 5, Thursday 26th May, Templemore – Abbeyleix, 144km
Stage 6, Friday 27th May, Abbeyleix – Rathdrum, 160km
Stage 7, Saturday 28th May, Rathdrum – Wicklow Town, 138km
Stage 8, Sunday 29th May, Phoenix Park Circuit, 50km
Stage one goes to Aitken and the field is blown apart many finishing 2 minutes back…
FBD Insurance Rás, stage 1 Dublin – Emyvale (provisional results):
1, Roger Aiken (Louth Safe Cycling) 136 kilometres in 2 hours 53 mins 19 secs
2, Morten Hegreberg (Norway – Sparebanken)
3, Kevin Dawson (Yorkshire – Trinity Capital)
4, Chris Newton (GB – Recycling.co.uk) same time
5, Evan Oliphant (Scotland) at 10 secs
6, Malcolm Elliott (Yorkshire – Trinity Capital)
7, Morten Christiansen (Norway – Sparebanken)
8, Sigvard Kukk (Estonia – Kalev Chocolates)
9, Yanto Barker (Wales – Stena Line)
10, Robin Sharman (GB – Recycling.co.uk) all same time
Business as usual for Hutch in the National 10 mile TT
Michael Hutchinson won the 10 mile championships in impressive style, by half a minute from Zak Carr. In the Women’s event Wendy Houvenaghel had a closer victory from Triathlete Julie Dibens
1 Michael Hutchinson API-Metrow 00:19:34
2 Zak Carr Team Clean 00:20:03
3 Stuart Dangerfield Science in Sport.com 00:20:14
4. Matthew Bottrill De Rosa RT 00:20:42
5. Douglas Bradshaw API-Metrow 00:20:47
6. Steve Walkling In-Gear RT 00:20:47
7. Julian Ramsbottom De Rosa RT 00:20:55
8. Duncan Alexander API-Metrow 00:20:56
9. Danny Axford Arctic-Shorter Rochford RT 00:20:58
10. Richard Bradley Leo RC 00:21:00
1. Wendy Houvenaghel Bike Chain/Ricci Ltd 00:22:16
2. Julie Dibens Total Fitness Bath 00:22:24
3. Julia Shaw GS Strada 00:22:48
4. Katrina Hair Johnstone Whs. 00:23:17
5. Abigail Bayley Total Fitness Bath 00:23:44
6. Lesley-Anne Allen Science in Sport.com 00:23:51
7. Carole Gandy Kent Cycles RC 00:24:06
8. Brenda Pennell Raliegh-ERV 00:24:07
9. Ann Bowditch Guernsey Velo Club 00:24:28
10. Ruth Eyles Beacon Roads CC 00:24:31
Glendene’s boys dominated the Junior title race with Alex Dowsett (tipped by many as to be the next ‘Bradley Wiggins’) showing some excellent form. In fact his ride would have got a top twenty placing in the men’s senior event. Not bad for a 16 year old…
1. Alex Dowsett Glendene-Biketrax CC 00:21:05
2. Russell Hampton Glendene-Biketrax CC 00:21:26
3. Lewis Atkins Glendene-Biketrax CC 00:22:07
Giro now into week 2
Savoldelli takes over in Giro d’Italia, Brits still hanging in there… Charly Wegelius having a good couple of days in the mountains after team mate and leader Garzelli pulls out of the race. Our man Vlad is flying in 10th place!
General classification after stage 14
1 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 67.21.28
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi @0.25
3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita @1.48
4 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir @2.11
5 Jose’ Rujano Guillen (Ven) Selle Italia-Colombia @2.18
6 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Credit Agricole @3.25
7 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze @4.05
8 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare @5.50
9 Dario David Cioni (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi @6.40
10 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Illes Balears @6.44
49 Charles Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas-Bianchi @1.00.28
117 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Credit Agricole @2.21.13
