After two days as runner-up, Dutchman Luuc Bugter got this exactly right on stage three of the Rás Tailteann and won into Listowel. He finished several centimetres ahead of Germany Bike Aid rider Lucas Carstensen, with Lindsay De Vylder (Belgian National Team) and stage two winner Robert-Jon McCarthy (Ireland National Team) next across the line.
The win ended a frustrating wait for his Netherlands Delta Cycling X team. “I am very happy. We hadn’t won this year,” he said. “We went really close with podium places in a lot of races, and now we have finally got a victory.”
Irishman McCarthy was best on Monday but didn’t get things quite right on Tuesday, netting fourth.
The 140.4 kilometre stage began in Tipperary, was almost totally flat and was run off in bright, mild conditions. A flurry of attacks went after the drop of the flag but the day’s break didn’t get established until almost an hour into the stage.
It began after 34 kilometres when Rory Townsend (Britain Canyon Eisberg) and Jason van Dalen (Netherlands Delta Cycling X) went clear. They were joined 36km later by four chasers, namely Martin Frazer (Britain Saint Piran Elite Cycling Team), Curtis White (USA Jelly Belly P/B Maxxis), Samuel Tillett (Wales Racing Academy - National Team) and Irishman Seán O'Malley (Galway Gerry McVeigh Cars - DoorMotion).
Van Dalen had started the day eighth overall, 17 seconds back. The break’s advantage saw him become race leader on the road and he and the others increased the group’s advantage to over two and a half minutes. That spelt danger for the peloton and led to a response from several teams, particularly Germany Bike Aid, Britain Team KTM and the Swiss National Team.
The lead was chipped back to under a minute, the break fragmented under the pressure and the original two, Townsend and van Dalen, pushed on. However they were caught with 8km to go and the day’s honours were settled in a big sprint.
Stage one winner Cyrille Thiery (Switzerland National Team) continues as overall leader, holding a 10 second advantage over Bugter. Former national champion Damien Shaw (Ireland Holdsworth Pro Racing Team) remains third, 11 seconds back, with Robbe Ghys (Belgian National Team), Benjamin Wolfe (USA Jelly Belly P/B Maxxis) and Jake Gray (Ireland National Team) all within 16 seconds or less.
The race now heads into the mountains on Wednesday’s 153km stage to Glengarrif. The day’s climbs include the second category ascents of Ladies View, Molls Gap and Garranes, plus the first category Healy Pass.
Thiery is fired up to defend the yellow jersey. “I am capable of climbing well,” he said. “I don’t know how the mountains are here in Ireland. But for sure I will try to do my best and I have a lot of motivation. I don’t feel nervous. I am more happy and confident in my qualities. We will see what happens.”
Rás Tailteann: Stage 3, Tipperary to Listowel: 1, Luuc Bugter (Netherlands Delta Cycling X) 140.4 kilometres in 3 hours 3 mins 44 secs; 2, L. Carstensen (Germany Bike Aid); 3, L. De Vylder (Belgian National Team); 4, R.J McCarthy (Ireland National Team); 5, R. Ghys (Belgian National Team); 6, L. Rose-Davies (Britain Canyon Eisberg); 7, R. Downing (Ireland Holdsworth Pro Racing Team); 8, M. Cigala (Westmeath Viner-Caremark - Pactimo); 9, J. Hesters (Belgian National Team); 10, T. Schir (Switzerland National Team); 11, R. Maes (Kerry Killarney); 12, M. Potts (Ireland National Team); 13, U. Alfredo Castillo Soto (USA Jell Belly p/b Maxxis); 14, J. Rathe (USA Jelly Belly P/B Maxxis); 15, P. O'Brien (Dublin Team Gerard DHL) all same time
City North County Rider: 1, Matteo Cigala (Westmeath Viner-Caremark - Pactimo) 3 hours 3 mins 44 secs; 2, R. Maes (Kerry Killarney); 3, P. O'Brien (Dublin Team Gerard DHL); 4, D. Corkery (Dublin Team Gerard DHL); 5, E. T Moriarty (Kerry Tralee Manor West) all same time
Team: 1, Belgian National Team, 9 hours 11 mins 12 secs; 2, Ireland National Team; 3, Britain Canyon Eisberg; 4, USA Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis; 5, Netherlands Delta Cycling X, all same time
Irish county team: 1, Dublin Team Gerard DHL, 9 hours 11 mins 12 secs; 2, Kerry Killarney; 3, Westmeath Viner-Caremark-Pactimo; 4, Kerry Tralee Manor West; 5, Tipperary Collins Cycle Center, all same time
General classification: 1, Cyrille Thiery (Switzerland National Team) 9 hours 16 mins 29 secs; 2, L. Bugter (Netherlands Delta Cycling X) at 10 secs; 3, D. Shaw (Ireland Holdsworth Pro Racing Team) at 11 secs; 4, R. Ghys (Belgian National Team) at 13 secs; 5, B. Wolfe (USA Jelly Belly P/B Maxxis) at 15 secs; 6, J. Gray (Ireland National Team) at 16 secs; 7, D. Gardias (Britain Canyon Eisberg) same time; 8, J. van Dalen (Netherlands Delta Cycling X) at 17 secs; 9, W. Harper (Britain Saint Piran Elite Cycling Team); 10, C. Imhof (Switzerland National Team) both same time; 11, R.J McCarthy (Ireland National Team) at 35 secs; 12, L. Carstensen (Germany Bike Aid); 13, T. Schir (Switzerland National Team); 14, L. De Vylder (Belgian National Team); 15, P. O'Brien (Dublin Team Gerard DHL) all same time
Esmark Finch Points classification: 1, Luuc Bugter (Netherlands Delta Cycling X) 43 points; 2, R.J McCarthy (Ireland National Team) 32; 3, L. De Vylder (Belgian National Team) 26; 4, R. Ghys (Belgian National Team) 24; 5, L. Carstensen (Germany Bike Aid) 23
Europcar Mountains competition: 1, Lukas Ruegg (Switzerland National Team) 15 points; 2, D. Coombe (Wales Racing Academy - National Team) 11; 3, C. Thiery (Switzerland National Team) 10; 4, M. Stedman (Britain Canyon Eisberg) 9; 5, L. De Vylder (Belgian National Team) 8
Keoghs Irish county rider: 1, Paidi O'Brien (Dublin Team Gerard DHL) 9 hours 17 mins 4 secs; 2, R. Maes (Kerry Killarney); 3, E. T Moriarty (Kerry Tralee Manor West); 4, L. Watson (Antrim Velo Cafe Magasin PowerHouse Sport); 5, F. Ryan (Cycling Leinster) all same time
Sport Ireland Under 23 rider: 1, Robbe Ghys (Belgian National Team) 9 hours 16 mins 42 secs; 2, J. Gray (Ireland National Team) at 3 secs; 3, M. Nowell (Britain Canyon Eisberg) at 22 secs; 4, F. Ryan (Cycling Leinster); 5, C. McCann (Tipperary Collins Cycle Centre) both same time
Cycling Ireland category 2: 1, Raymond Cullen (Tipperary Panduit) 9 hours 17 mins 4 secs; 2, C. Longmore (Dublin Lucan PDM) at 6 mins 21 secs; 3, B. English (Dublin Scott Orwell Wheelers) same time; 4, S. Jones (Dublin UCD FitzCyles) at 6 mins 48 secs; 5, N. Morris (Antrim Velo Cafe Magasin PowerHouse Sport) at 13 mins 34 secs
Team: 1, Switzerland National Team, 27 hours 50 mins 31 secs; 2, Netherlands Delta Cycling X, at 4 secs; 3, Belgian National Team, at 23 secs; 4, Ireland National Team; 5, Britain Canyon Eisberg, both same time
Irish county team: 1, Westmeath-Viner-Caremark-Pactimo, 27 hours 51 mins 12 secs; 2, Dublin Team Gerard DHL; 3, Cork Strata 3 - VeloRevolution; 4, Tipperary Panduit, all same time; 5, Kerry Tralee Manor West, at 6 mins 27 secs
