Stage 8 - Kildare to Skerries, 28th May 2011, 133 km
Former Ras winner David McCann (Giant Kenda) and Tobyn Horton (Motorpoint) attacked after 40km and the two worked well together to hold a lead into the first lap of the final circuit around the seaside town of Skerries. McCann, the Irish national time trial champion, dropped Horton with two laps to go and continued solo. The peloton gradually eroded his lead, but he held on to win by 14 seconds. Shane Archbold won the pack sprint and finished second for the third time in the race.
1 David McCann IRL Giant Kenda Cycling 2:58:57
2 Shane Archbold NZL New Zealand National Team @0:00:14
3 Dean Windsor AUS Rapha Condor Sharp s/t
4 James McCallum GBR Rapha Condor Sharp s/t
5 Erwan Brenterch FRA AVC Aix en Provence s/t
6 Ralf Matzka GER Thuringer Energie s/t
7 Bernardo Riccio ITA D'Angelo & D'Antenucci s/t
8 Peter Williams GBR Motorpoint s/t
9 Felix English IRL Team Skoda s/t
10 Bob Rodriguez FRA AVC Aix en Provence s/t
Final General Classification
1 Bagdonas, Gediminas LTU An Post Sean Kelly 23h59’52"
2 Pakhtusov, Anatoliy UKR ISD-Lampre @32"
3 Sheydyk, Oleksandr UKR ISD-Lampre @01’13"
4 Mihaylov, Nikolay BUL AVC Aix en Provence @01’16"
5 Williams, Peter GBR Motorpoint @01’24"
6 Gate, Aaron NZL New Zealand National Team @01’31"
7 Richardson, Simon GBR Sigma Specialized s/t
8 Goesinnen, Floris NED Drapac Cycling s/t
9 Sybrandy, Wouter NED Sigma Specialized @02’16"
10 Archbold, Shane NZL New Zealand National Team @02’21"
Points Classification
1 Archbold, Shane NZL New Zealand National Team 70pts
2 Bagdonas, Gediminas LTU An Post Sean Kelly 53pts
Mountains Classification
1 Sheydyk, Oleksandr UKR ISD-Lampre 50pts
2 Casey Munro AUS Rapha Condor Sharp 37pts
Young Rider Classification
1 Gate, Aaron NZL New Zealand National Team 30:41:19
2 Archbold, Shane NZL New Zealand National Team @50"
This was an excellent race for the An Post Sean Kelly team, and Gediminas Bagdonas in particular, with the Lithuanian rider taking two stage victories and the overall. The team protected the jersey for six days, which is not an easy feat given that there is only five riders per team and also given the attacking, bordering on chaotic, way in which the Ras is ridden. It is the biggest race of the season for the team, as it's the preeminent stage race in their sponsor's home country and it's also sponsored by An Post.
Bagdonas was quoted in the Irish Examiner saying:
Gediminas Bagdonas said:
It has been a tough week but I enjoyed every moment, particularly this moment," he said as he donned the final yellow jersey of the week. "It was a good race but six days I am the leader and that’]
Bagdonas is one of two Lithuanian riders who joined the Irish/Belgian squad at the beginning of the season, given a chance after performing well in lower tier domestic races in Belgium. Apparently Bagdonas was only selected for the Ras team after impressing the week before (he won the small Verrebroek-Beveren race).
It was also an excellent race for a very young New Zealand National Team, taking home a stage victory, the young rider's jersey and the points jersey, while also putting two men in the top 10 and having a day in Yellow. The Ukrainian ISD-Lampre squad took the Mountains jersey and had two men on the GC podium. The Asian Giant Kenda team had come to the race with one of the GC favourites, David McCann, but after he lost time they went stage hunting and won the final two.
The domestic teams had a tough time of it in a field that's been getting stronger. A number of good Continental squads now come to the Ras and are serious about winning it and the amateur domestic teams just aren't strong enough to compete with them over eight days. The Irishmen who featured prominently were almost all on the An Post Sean Kelly or Giant Kenda teams. Eastern European riders on the other hand had a great time of it, taking the first four places on GC, the Mountains jersey, and a number of stage wins.
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