Latest news with #TeamSkyline
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
George Kimber outsprints Team Ireland duo to take yellow jersey on penultimate Rás stage
Kimber went clear with the Irish duo over the top of the Wolftrap climb after 114km of the 128km fourth stage, and admitted afterwards that he was hanging onto their coat tails on the rise to the summit. 'It was Ireland that kept the pace high on the climb,' said Kimber afterwards. 'My position was pretty good but then they went really hard from the bottom and I was probably about 10 or 15 wheels back. 'I know how well those guys climb, so I went full gas to get over to them. They had me on the limit to be fair, as I was the only 70 kg-plus guy left, but I said to them basically 'If you take it steady on the steep bits, I'll help you over the top'. I think they needed me on the fast bits and we worked well together.' Overnight leader Odhran Doogan found himself in the chase group behind, which also contained most of the top ten overall, including Irish duo Matthew Teggart and 2022 winner Daire Feeley, but they couldn't match the lead trio on the run-in to Mountrath. By the time Mexican Sebastian Brenes led them over the line 14km later, they had lost 28 seconds to stage winner Kimber. 'I was glad we didn't play games because that could have ruined our chances of keeping the gap but the commitment was there,' said 25-year-old Kimber, who began the day just six seconds off the race lead. 'We were sort of team time trialling it until about 300 metres to go and I just backed my sprint in the end. I've been sprinting quite well this year. 'I don't know them [Harvey and Meehan] personally but just being the only big guy left, I was pretty confident. This is huge for me. It's the biggest win of my career, so I'm really happy at the moment.' Kimber now leads the Rás by five seconds from Meehan, with previous leader Doogan dropping to third at 22 seconds with Matteo Cigala at 25 seconds, Brenes at 28 seconds, Feeley at 32 seconds and Teggart and the rest of the top ten at 33 seconds. As well as the yellow jersey, most of the other jerseys in the race changed hands with Pan American road-race silver medallist Brenes taking over the green jersey of points leader. Meehan took the white of under 23 leader and Doogan wearing the blue jersey of best county rider overall. The only jersey that didn't change hands was the Irish independent King of the Mountains jersey. Alan Lewis of Team Skyline consolidated his lead in the competition by taking points at the summit of both Portumna and Wolftrap. With just one climb left on Sunday's stage, that almost guarantees victory in the classification. 'After wearing it all week keeping it was definitely one of the goals for today,' said Lewi. 'I was also hoping to maybe move up on GC and try and take yellow as well. It was full gas from the bottom of the last climb. 'The Irish lads set a very hard pace all the way up and unfortunately I lost contact a few hundred metres from the top and got caught by the second group with 4km to go, so that didn't work out. But this was the primary goal and that has been a success, so I can ride into Bective tomorrow with the jersey.' With just a 143km mainly flat stage to Bective remaining on in the Rás, new race leader Kimber hopes to retain his yellow jersey by simply doing what he has done all week. 'As I've been doing this whole race, I'll just be keeping an eye on the strong guys and keep following them,' he said. 'There's no need to overcomplicate it. I don't need to make the race. I just need to follow. That'll be the plan.'
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Second stage win in Rás Tailteann for Tim Shoreman; Odhrán Doogan retains yellow jersey
Rás Tailteann race leader Odhrán Doogan moved one step closer to success in the event on Friday, but he and his Cycling Ulster team were under real threat for approximately 100km of the 164km third leg to Miltown-Malbay. The Irishman started the day with a narrow lead in the general classification and experienced real danger when a 15-rider group went clear about 20km after the start in Cong. Racing through rain and on slippery roads, the breakaway move contained many strong riders, including 2022 Rás winner Daire Feeley (Burren CC), last year's runner-up Conn McDunphy (Team Skyline) and George Kimber (Cycling Club Isle of Man). The latter had started the day fourth overall, just six seconds behind Doogan, and became virtual race leader when the group built and maintained an advantage of around a minute. Doogan and others finally returned to the front approximately 40km from the finish, with stage one victor Tim Shoreman (UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) best in a 60 rider sprint to the line. He beat Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrissey Pissei), Sebastian Brenes (Mexico: Canel's Java) and Matthew Teggart (Down Banbridge CC Specsavers), the first Irish rider home. Irish-based Italian Cigala remains second overall, just three seconds behind Doogan. Shoreman was well ahead at the end, taking advantage of his sprinting speed and also the skill honed by years of criterium racing in Britain. Full Stage 3 results from Rás Tailteann are now available. A huge day on the road into Miltown Malbay — check out the full classification sheet below. #RásTailteann #Rás70 #Rás2025 — Rás Tailteann (@rastailteann) May 23, 2025 "When I saw that we were finishing around a corner, I just knew I had to be first around that," he told RTE Online. "So that's what I did." Doogan took six seconds in time bonuses on the opening day and while he said he didn't expect to contend for the overall classification, he jumped to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday. Key rivals did what they could to depose him Friday, but he and his team rose to the challenge. "I was definitely nervous," he admitted. "But I knew the guys up the road had a big, hard day ahead of them. I knew I just couldn't let them get a big gap. So me and my team were able to control it." Team Ireland rider Dean Harvey was also in that big break. He crashed 85km into the stage and had to chase for several kilometers, but he was strong enough to go clear on the Corkscrew Hill climb approximately 35km later. However while he opened a lead of almost 30 seconds over eight other riders, a headwind made things too difficult and he was caught with approximately 40km to go. Doogan and others had bridged across to the chasers by that point and, following the climbs of Doonagore Cross and the category two Cliffs of Moher, the race leader himself showed defiance to attack alone with 11km to go. He didn't get far and came under threat again when George Peden (Team PB Performance) countered. The Team PB Performance rider had started the day just 11 seconds behind Doogan and became race leader on the road when he was 13 seconds in front with 9km to go. However he was caught inside the final 5km, with Shoreman winning the bunch sprint. Doogan was tenth and remains in the lead with two stages remaining. His rivals vow to keep attacking, but he's gaining confidence and will do what he can to win overall on Sunday. "There another big day tomorrow but I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to try to keep yellow for as long as I can," he vowed.
RTÉ News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Odhran Doogan seizes overall lead at Rás Tailteann
Irish riders ended stage two of the Rás Tailteann in a prominent position in the overall standings, with Odhran Doogan seizing the race lead and four other home competitors sitting in the top eight. The general classification was completely reshuffled on the 170.9km stage from Charlestown to Clifden, with 20 riders gaining over three minutes on the rest of the field, due in part to tough climbs and strong winds. British rider Will Perrett (UK Das Richardsons) was the first to the finish, attacking inside the final four kilometers and hitting the line six seconds ahead of compatriot Josh Charlton (Great Britain). Doogan was third and leaped into the yellow jersey as a result. He had started the day third overall thanks to the six seconds in time bonuses he collected on Wednesday's opening stage, and then found himself with an opportunity he didn't expect. The two riders ahead of him in the overall standings - day one winner Tim Shoreman (UK Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli) and Niall McLoughlin (Connacht Cycling) - were both left behind when the crucial break formed and lost considerable time. "I didn't expect it at all," Doogan told RTÉ Sport. "Yesterday was probably the best chance for a stage win, and today I was just going to try my hardest. "I think I went a bit too hard at the start. I got a bit carried away and rode a bit too hard, so in the middle I kind of pulled myself back a bit, recovered a bit, and then realized a group had actually nipped off up the road. "So then I started riding again, and found myself back at the front of the race. And just so happened that I got into yellow. "It's an unbelievable, incredible," feeling. "I didn't actually believe it when I heard it called out saying I was in yellow." Perrett, too, was elated at the finish. He's been coming to the race for years and long dreamed of a stage victory. "It is an amazing, amazing feeling," he said. "With 4k to go, I went really hard up this drag that I didn't really know about. I looked behind, and managed to get a gap. And then that was it. I was all in. Once you've done that, there's no point waiting for the sprint because you've already spent your final bullet. "This is my fourth Rás now. I've come second [on stages] twice. I've come fourth about three times, I think, and I was fifth overall last year. So I've always been close, but not quite got it over the line. "So to actually get a stage win is an incredible feeling." Doogan will begin Friday's third stage three seconds ahead of the Irish-based Italian Matteo Cigala (Carlow Dan Morrissey Pissei) and six ahead of the Costa Rican Sebastian Brenes (Mexico Canel's Java). The other Irish to the fore are last year's runner up Conn McDunphy (USA: Team Skyline), who moved to fifth overall. The 2022 winner Daire Feeley (Clare: Burren CC), Matthew Teggart (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers) and Cian Keogh (USA: Team Skyline) are sixth through eighth. Racing continues Friday with a tough 163.8km stage from Cong to Miltown Malbay. It takes in three climbs inside the final 45km, including the second category hills of Corkscrew Hill and the Cliffs of Moher.
Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Past winners and young thrusters among riders going for Rás Tailteann glory
Former champion Daire Feely, last year's runner-up Conn McDunphy and a very young Irish national team will be among those in the thick of the action when the Rás Tailteann battle rages this week. Starting on Wednesday with a stage from Drogheda to Boyle in Co Roscommon, the 761km event will feature strong teams from home and abroad. A total of 13 visiting squads have travelled for the event, of which eight are from the United Kingdom. These include the Das Richardsons squad of Dom Jackson, the affable British rider who triumphed overall last year. Cycling Club Isle of Man and the German team Storck-Metropol Cycling are the other two Europe-based visitors. READ MORE Good Guys Racing and Team Skyline hail from the USA, while Canel's Java is registered in Mexico. The latter squad includes Cormac McGeough, who won stage three in Cahir last year. Team Skyline features Irishmen McDunphy and Paul Kennedy, who had fine performances in the 2024 event. Kennedy was second on day one, while McDunphy was one of the big stars of the week. He won stage two to Sneem and ended up second overall, having been involved in a close three-way battle with Jackson and young Irish talent Liam O'Brien throughout the event. Those three ended up on precisely the same time in the final standings, marking the closest-ever finish in the race. Kennedy will also be eager to get going in the 2025 edition, having finished second on the opening stage to Kilmallock. The route of the 2025 Rás Tailteann, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday. The 2022 Rás winner Feeley will spearhead the Burren CC team and will hope to reach the same level of success as three years ago. He rode a brilliant race then, becoming the first Irish winner since Stephen Gallagher back in 2008. The Irish national squad will again be guided from the team car by Martyn Irvine. The former track world champion steered Dillon Corkery to success in 2024 and although Corkery will not be taking part this year, Irvine hopes that a young Irish team will find success. At 22, double king of the mountains winner Dean Harvey is the most senior on the squad, and will head into the race with confidence boosted from his win this month in the national criterium championships. He will be joined by the 21-year-olds Ruairi Byrne, Con Scully and Jamie Meehan, plus the 19-year-old Willem O'Connor. Fifteen Irish county and regional teams will also be hoping to leave their mark. The 70th edition of the Rás Tailteann gets under way at 11.40am in Drogheda on Wednesday, with the first stage covering 155.5km to Boyle. Stage two from Charlestown to Clifden is the longest at 170.9km and takes in five categorised climbs, including the first-category Windy Gap. Day three from Cong to Miltown Malbay is just 7km shorter and includes the category-two climbs of Corkscrew Hill and the Cliffs of Moher close to the finish. The following day's race from Ennis to Mountrath is the shortest of the week at 128.1km but the first-category climb of Wolftrap will wreak havoc inside the final half-hour of racing. The final winner will be decided on Sunday with a fast 142.8km race from Kildare Town to Bective in Co Meath. Rás Tailteann 2025 Stage 1, Wednesday, May 21st: Drogheda to Boyle, 155.5km Stage 2, Thursday, May 22nd: Charlestown to Clifden, 170.9km Stage 3, Friday, May 23rd: Cong to Miltown Malbay, 163.8km Stage 4, Saturday, May 24th: Ennis to Mountrath, 128.1km Stage 5, Sunday, May 25th: Kildare Town to Bective, 142.8km
Irish Independent
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ronan O'Connor climbs highest to win Shay Elliott Classic
The 21-year-old from Dublin, racing in the colours of Team Skyline, was active throughout the day and ultimately finished clear of Gareth O'Neill on the steep slopes of the Shay Elliott climb. The former national junior champion had been part of numerous breaks throughout the day but crucially made his way into the 14-rider group that forced its way to the front with about 20km to go. O'Connor then pulled clear with JB Murphy to forge ahead, hitting the bottom of the final climb with 20-seconds advantage ahead of three chasers. O'Connor dropped his breakaway companion Murphy as the road rose upwards to claim one of the biggest one-day races in the Irish calendar. 'It's a huge honour, it's such a historic race. I'm really delighted to add my name to the trophy,' he said after joining a roll of honour that includes Seán Kelly, Martyn Irvine and Martin Earley. O'Neill and Ruairi Byrne passed Murphy on the climb to the line to take second and third place. At the Giro d'Italia today Mads Pedersen outsprinted Corbin Strong to win stage three, the Dane's second stage victory of this year's race which also saw him reclaim the overall leader's jersey from Primoz Roglic. Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who won the opening stage, took to the front in the final metres and held off New Zealander Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) for the win. The win gave Pedersen a 10-second bonus, which means he retakes the pink jersey from race favourite Roglic, having begun the day one second behind the Slovenian.
