23-05-2025
Tim Shoreman doubles up on stage wins at the Rás while Odhran Doogan stays in yellow
Today at 13:01
Tim Shoreman proved he is the fastest sprinter on this year's Rás Tailteann when he scorched to his second stage victory on the race at the end of stage three in Miltown Malbay today, while Donegal youngster Odhran Doogan retained the yellow jersey of race leader.
Today's stage victory came in the same manner as Shoreman's opening day win, with the British rider putting daylight between himself and the rest of the heaving bunch as he crossed the line after a fast but rain-soaked 164km stage from Cong.
Shoreman was part of a large early breakaway group that dangled just over a minute clear of the peloton for much of the stage, before the climb of the Corkscrew on the road to Lisdoonvarna after 120km saw both the 11 man front group and the peloton fragment.
'I wasn't really sure how today was going to go,' admitted the double stage winner afterwards. 'I was quite disappointed to lose the yellow yesterday. It was pretty unpredictable yesterday and it slipped from us. So, today I went out swinging and got myself in the early break. I thought it was gone to be honest, but we never got really more than a minute.'
With the peloton scattered all over the road behind a solo attack from Ireland's Dean Harvey over the top of the Corkscrew, the wet blustery conditions saw a merging of around 60 riders at the front with just under 40km to go, but with two more categorised climbs to come, another bunch sprint was anything but certain.
'When it came back I wasn't really sure quite what was going to happen,' said Shoreman. 'Then it was a headwind so it kept everything together and I just went for the sprint. I couldn't be happier with another win.'
Second placed Matteo Cigala of Carlow Dan Morrissey took the country rider award on the stage, pipping Sebastian Brenes of Mexico Canel's Java, the recently un-retired Matthew Teggart of Specsavers Banbridge and the rest of the leaders into Miltown Malbay.
Although he missed the early break, Alan Lewis of Skyline crossed the summit of Doonagore Cross in second place and crested the Cliffs of Moher climb at the head of affairs to hold onto his Irish Independent King of the Mountains jersey for another day, while 21-year-old Doogan finished tenth on today's stage to retain the yellow jersey of Rás leader.
Doogan also missed the early break and has his Cycling Ulster teammates to thank for getting him back to the front today.
'I was lucky enough to have three of the four teammates with me so we didn't panic too much or too soon,' he said afterwards. 'A minute and five was the biggest they got so we had it under control.'
Requests for help from other GC contenders who had missed the move fell on deaf ears however and eventually the race leader had to lead the chase himself.
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'I realised pretty soon that there was a lot of danger men up the road so I took it upon myself to pull some big turns. I knew if we got to the first KOM with the gap under a minute I was more than capable of bridging across. Kevin McCambridge did a big turn coming into the climb which really brought the gap down. Over the top then, is when I made contact with the break.'
With the yellow jersey now at the head of affairs, he was left to bring back any late attacks out of the group on the run-in to Miltown Malbay.
'There were a lot of attacks coming in the road and I was the one they were looking at to close everything,' he said. 'I was feeling good, so I was confident that I wasn't going to let anything else go. It would have been a shame to catch them on the first climb and then let somebody else slip away. It would have been all that hard work for nothing.'
Doogan even turned the tables with his own attack just outside Lahinch, with around 9km remaining.
'George Peden got away in the last 10km and he's one man you don't want really want to let go. If he gets a gap he's going to make the most of it. I got myself on the front and managed to close him down and then, when I looked around, I realised there were a lot of tired legs. I was feeling pretty good after such a hard day so I thought I may as well give it a go.'
Reeled in soon after though, Doogan's legs were not as sharp as usual in the final sprint to the line, although he had other things on his mind.
'I said the first two days that I was here for a stage win but, the position I found myself in today, I couldn't have cared less about the stage win. I was just trying to hold onto yellow for another day.'
Tomorrow's penultimate stage takes the peloton from Ennis to Mountrath, the 128km stage featuring three more classified climbs. With the top ten on GC all within 11 seconds of his lead, Doogan is expecting more of the same.
'I think the GC is pretty much exactly the same today as yesterday. There are that many people within touching distance of the overall lead that I can't really let anyone go.. It'll definitely be another hard day for sure.'
