CYCLING:SECOND LAST weekend in the prestigious Lincoln Grand Prix in England, Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain Node4 Girodana) moved up to the top of the podium when he clocked up a fine stage win in the opening day of the An Post Rás yesterday.

After all other breakaway moves were brought back during the 147-kilometre race from Dunboyne to Kilkenny, the Polish rider was part of a four-man escape which moved clear inside the final 10 kilometres of the stage. He proved quickest on the crowd-lined, slightly uphill drag to the line, powering home ahead of Jacob Nielsen (Denmark Blue Water), Nicolas Baldo (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo) and 2009 race winner Simon Richardson (Britain IG Sigma Sport).

Last year’s champion, Gediminas Bagdonas, of the Irish-sponsored An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team, got his defence off to a strong start when he finished towards the front of the bunch in sixth, six seconds behind Bialoblocki, and one place ahead of best-placed Irish rider Peter Hawkins (Britain IG Sigma Sport).

This plus his intermediate sprint prime win at Glenmagoo put Bagdonas fourth overall heading into today’s second stage, while Irish rider Philip Lavery’s earlier prime victory at the Hill of Allen ensures he sits sixth overall.

He’s also leading the Irish Sports Council under-23 classification, while his Node4 Giordana team-mate David Clarke marked his birthday by taking the One4All Bike4Work King of the Mountains award.

“We have taken almost every jersey, the yellow jersey and the stage win,” Lavery said after the stage. “If you had offered us that at the start of the day, we would have taken that, so we are pretty happy.”

The young Irishman was previously guided by former Rás winner Séamus Kennedy, who sadly passed away earlier this month. Wanting to pay tribute to him, Lavery channelled that emotion into winning the Shay Elliott Memorial last week and riding well yesterday.

Bialoblocki said he didn’t expect to push so hard, so early. He said that he had planned to wait a couple of days before trying something, but that he was able to get clear with three others and stay out front.

He’s now four seconds clear of Nielsen at the top of the classification, but isn’t presuming anything. “It is great to have the yellow jersey but for sure is a very hard race and there are still seven days to go,” he said. “Each day will be very hard and anything could happen.”

The race continues today with a 158-kilometre race from Kilkenny to Gort.