Cycling:The process of elimination continues. On Monday, 20-year-old Ricardo Van der Velde took over the yellow jersey of race leadership, but by the end of yesterday's 171km stage to Sligo he had lost his chance of winning the race.
The young Dutchman is clearly a rider for the future, but he found himself isolated on the second-longest leg of this year's FBD Insurance Rás, losing a chunk of time to most of the race favourites and seeing his yellow jersey pass onto the shoulders of American rider Jesse Anthony.
It was a tough day for Van der Velde but a good day for Anthony plus several Irish riders.
Páidí O'Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group) and Paul Griffin (Ireland Subway Eat Fresh) finished second and third to Canadian Dominique Rollin (US Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada) on the stage, with Brian Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Town Centre Orwell) and Mark Cassidy (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M Donnelly Sean Kelly) also placing in the first seven.
The overall classification is also going well for the home brigade. Brian Kenneally started the day third overall but moved up to second behind Anthony due to Van der Velde's loss.
He's just two seconds off the race lead going into today's 138km stage to Dungloe in Co Donegal, while Mark Cassidy (5th, Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M Donnelly Sean Kelly) and Paul Griffin (8th, Ireland Subway) are both just four seconds off yellow and are perfectly poised to strike later in the week.
"I'm pretty happy with how things are going," said Griffin after the stage.
"With the Rás you have to take it one day at a time. There is no big mountain stage where everything will be decided, so every day is important. But so far things are going well."
O'Brien has taken second on two stages thus far.
"Our sponsors are based here so it is important for us to do well in this race," he said.
"I went close again today but didn't get the win. We'll keep trying and hope it works out."
Yesterday's stage started off very aggressively with several big groups going clear. While these initial forays didn't materialise into anything long-lasting, they had the effect of softening up Van der Velde and his Netherlands team.
About 50km after the start a more serious split formed when 21 riders surged clear; these were later joined by two other groups, making it 44 up front. Most of the race favourites were represented here.
Approximately 90km after the start four riders then pressed on ahead.
Irishman Roger Aiken (Armagh Big Picture Developments) was here, as was Petr Pucelik (Czech Republic Sparta Praha), Alo Jakin (Estonia Kalev Chocolate) and Australian Nathan Jones (Kildare Newbridge Remax).
They opened up a lead over 1:15 but were recaptured with about seven kilometres to go, setting things up for the subsequent, 34-man sprint and Rollin's victory.
"With 10 kilometres to go we had a minute and thought we might have a chance then," said Aiken.
"But it came back together after the top of the last climb. I'll take it easier for a couple of days and then try again."
Stage details:
Stage 3(171km, Loughrea - Sligo): 1, D Rollin (US Kodak Gallery) 3 hours 55 mins 10 secs; 2, P O'Brien (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Sean Kelly); 3, P Griffin (Ireland Subway); 4, P McDonald (Australia FRF Couriers NSW); 5, Y Kusters (Neth); 6, B Ahern (Dublin Dundrum Centre Orwell); 7, M Cassidy (Ireland Murphy and Gunn/Sean Kelly); 8, R Roth (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies); 9, D Bowman (USA Kelly); 10, A Van der Velde (Neth); 11, T Martin (Ger Thuringer Energie); 12, J Soukup (Czech Rep Sparta Praha); 13, S Lacey (Dublin Murphy and Gunn); 14, B Hill (Ger Stevens Von Hacht); 15, R Chaigneau (Neth) all same time.
General classification:1, J Anthony (US Kodak Gallery) 11 hours 10 mins 13 secs; 2, B Kenneally (Meath MyHome.ie/BDBC) at 2 secs; 3, D Rollin at 4 secs; 4, Y Kusters; 5, M Cassidy); 6, P. McDonald; 7, T Martin; 8, P Griffin; 9, R Roth all same time; 10, J Spinelli (USA Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 57 secs; 11, P O'Brien at 1 min 2 secs; 12, P Pucelik (Czech Rep Sparta Praha) at 1 min 4 secs; 13, C Newton (Britain Stena Line/Recycling.co.uk) at 1 min 6 secs; 14, O Pavek (Czech Rep Sparta Praha) same time; 15, M Johansen (Denmark Vision Bikes) at 1 min 7 secs.
Points competition:1, Rollin 39; 2, Kusters 28; 3, P O'Brien 28.
Mountains competition:1, J Anthony 29; 2, Van der Velde 23; 3, R Birkenfeld (Germany Stevens Von Hacht) 10.
Under-23:1, Anthony 11 hours 10 mins 13 secs; 2, Kusters at 4 secs; 3, Cassidy same time.
County rider:1, B Kenneally 11 hours 10 mins 15 secs; 2, S Lacey at 1 min 6 secs; 3, B. Ahern same time.
