George Kimber endured a nerve-racking final day of racing to win the Rás Tailteann on Sunday, finishing safely in the main bunch in Bective after a day of dangerous attacks.
Compatriot Josh Charlton took the 142.8km final stage, going solo from a big breakaway and holding off a hard-chasing peloton.
Isle of Man Cycling Club rider Kimber came under pressure just 10km into the 142.8km stage from Kildare Town, with the 2022 Rás winner Daire Feeley (Clare: Burren CC) going clear with Dean Harvey (Team Ireland) and becoming virtual race leader.
Holding a gap of over a minute for much of the stage, those two were joined by a dozen others before the first of four 12km finishing laps. Charlton attacked on the penultimate lap and went solo, while Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster) bridged across to the chasers inside the last 12km.
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He had started the day third overall, just 22 seconds back and put Kimber under further pressure, but a furious chase saw all bar Charlton hauled back before the end.
“It feels amazing,” final yellow jersey Kimber told The Irish Times. “It’s unreal. I don’t know how I pulled it off at the end there. I thought the race was gone, but I just stuck in there and it came back.”
Former individual pursuit record holder Charlton used his track racing speed to win by 58 seconds. Irish riders John Buller (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers) and Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster) were to the fore in the bunch sprint, taking second and third on the stage.
Team Ireland rider Jamie Meehan had hoped to overcome his overnight deficit of five seconds but while he jumped away on the final lap, he was unable to hold off a hard-chasing Kimber.
“The tactic today was to try and find six seconds,” he said. It was a really hard day, but we tried. We got away in the last lap with about three quarters of a lap to go, and gave it everything. It’s a bit of a flat circuit for a 57 kilo man and he was able to come across.”
He took second overall, while previous race leader Doogan was third. Meehan was the best under-23 and Doogan the best county rider.
The latter said after stage one that he didn’t envisage being in the running for the overall victory, but finished far closer than he had anticipated.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “Coming in, I don’t think my expectations were as high as what I’ve achieved. I was obviously disappointed to lose yellow yesterday, but I went out swinging today and gave it everything.”
It was an exciting end to the 70th edition of the race, and one which gave Meehan, Doogan and others important boosts in confidence and experience.
Rás Tailteann Stage 5 results
Kildare Town to Bective: 1 Josh Charlton (UK: Great Britain CT) 142.8kms in 3:0.29, 2 J Buller (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers) at 58 sec, 3 O Doogan (Cycling Ulster), 4 J Hales (UK: Ride Revolution), 5 M Gill (UK: DAS Richardsons), 6 C Page (UK: Foran CT), 7 P Keller (German: Team Storck-Metropol Cycling), 8 W Perrett (UK: DAS Richardsons), 9 M Teggart (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers), 10 A Lewis (USA: Team Skyline)
Final General Classification: 1 George Kimber (Isle of Man Cycling Club) 16:36.40, 2 J Meehan (Team Ireland) at 5 sec, 3 O Doogan (Cycling Ulster) at 22 sec, 4 D Feeley (Clare: Burren CC) at 32 sec, 5 M Teggart (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers) at 33 sec, 6 A Lewis (USA: Team Skyline), 7 H Macfarlane (UK: Ride Revolution), 8 J Giles (DAS Richardsons), 9 G Peden (UK: Team PB Performance) all same time, 10 D Riwnyi (UK: Foran CT) at 49 sec
Points classification: Odhran Doogan
Mountains: Adam Lewis
Under-23 rider: Jamie Meehan
Irish County rider: Odhran Doogan
Cycling Ireland Category 2: Ben Murphy
National/International team: UK: DAS Richardsons
Irish County/Provincial team: Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers
