For most of yesterday's stage of the FBD Milk Ras, this year's longest, the all-out action of the first three days was missing and the day lacked sparkle. But it livened up towards the end of the 116 miles from Westport to Kilrush.
A change of leadership seemed likely, but eventually there were no alterations to the top placings, so Kosie Loubser of South Africa still leads.
Belgian Peter Lernout, who will be 21 next month, took the stage honours when he beat Stephane Rifflet of France, with Colin Roshier (Surrey) third. So it was another bad day for the Irish, and in particular the Ireland team, who were never involved in the action at the front.
Lernout had one win this season, in March, and was second in the championship in his region in Flanders.
Though he said he was not a sprinter, but he produced a great turn of speed up along Francis Street in Kilrush to foil Rifflet, with Roshier two seconds adrift.
This trio had gone on out of the leading group of 16 with eight miles to go. One of the Germans, Heiko Szonn, was fourth at nine seconds. Jacques Fullard (South Africa) followed in fifth place with Irish champion Morgan Fox, riding with the Belgian team, next.
The Belgians had four in the group of 16, and Lernout said they discussed tactics the night before and it all worked out very well for them.
"We decided to start attacking after Galway," he said. Lernout began the winning move when he went ahead near Oranmore. He was joined by Rifflet, Paddy Moriarty (Kerry), Mark Kiernan (Carlow), Kevin Proost (Belgium) and Wopke Veenstra (Netherlands).
After Proost had taken the prime prize at Clarinbridge, a group of 11 bridged the gap across to the leaders. Fox was there with another of his team-mates, Wim Renders, and the only other Irishman involved was Colm Farrell (Meath).
The Gort prime went to Lernout and, at that point, with 70 miles covered, the main group were a minute and 40 seconds behind. In the overall classification, 1:40 was the margin between Loubser and Dave Williams, who was highest placed of the leading group, 12th, and when the gap widened to 2:10 at 85 miles, and 2:15 seven miles further on, Williams was leader on the road.
This spurred Williams on and he did a lot of the work pace setting at the front. But back in the main group there was no reaction from the South Africans or the Ireland team, and only the Japanese showed any anxiety about chasing and they were left to maintain a steady pace.
When Loubser got a puncture near Ennis there was a flurry of activity in the main group, and, as they raced on across County Clare with the tar bubbling on the road again, the gap came down gradually until it was less than 1:30 and Williams was no longer likely to take over.
Although the 16 at the front split into small groups spread out over 35 seconds, with Lernout, Rifflet and Roshier leading the charge towards Kilrush, they all held the chasers off.
Fitzgerald was first in the bunch sprint, 47 seconds after Lernout, but Loubser was there safely to hold onto his lead of 11 seconds over Yasuhiro of Japan, with David O'Loughlin (Mayo) still leading the Irish challenge in third place at 31 seconds.
There could be an upheaval at the top today, however. The 91 miles from Listowel to Castletownbere includes the climbs at Lady's View and Moll's Gap outside Killarney, and then the Healy Pass 14 miles from the finish. It is obvious territory to gain time, and maybe the Ireland team will get involved in the battle for leadership.
