Stage six of the An Post Rás saw race leader Lukas Postlberger make another move towards overall victory, with the Austrian rider putting further time into several of his rivals including the third-placed competitor, Ryan Mullen.
The Irish road race champion had moved up to third overall at the end of Thursday’s fifth stage and while he conserved that position, he suffered on the category two climb of Altinure and slipped backwards. Mullen crossed the line in Ballinamore as part of a group two minutes 45 seconds behind the stage winner and, more crucially, 27 seconds behind Postlberger.
That leaves him two minutes and 19 seconds back in the overall standings and makes it very difficult for him to win the race. Ironically, it was his own An Post Chainreaction team-mate Joshua Edmondson who put him in trouble, with the Briton attacking hard on the climb in a bid to distance Postlberger.
While the past Sky rider was unable to get the gap he needed, the acceleration gapped Mullen, who is still getting over the effects of a chest infection he had earlier this week.
“We went up the hill and I went backwards he said,” speaking frankly. “I don’t really have my climbing legs this week. My chest was tight and while some might think that’s an excuse, that’s what happened.”
First to the line was the British rider Ian Bibby (NFTO), who beat the impressive Irish county rider Damien Shaw (Louth Team Asea) and Edward Laverack (JLT Condor) in the uphill sprint to the line.
All three had been part of a 13-man group which went clear within half an hour after the start in Ballina.
Building a lead of over five minutes, they remained out front for well over 100 kilometres and hit the Altinure climb together. Multiple attacks were fired off on the descent, with Bibby, Shaw and Laverack slipping clear just inside 25 kilometres to go. They hit the line 21 seconds clear of the group led in by Mark Dowling, with Bibby quicker than Shaw in the gallop to the line.
The race continues today with a 142km stage to Drogheda. Postlberger holds a one minute five second lead over Edmondson and is looking increasingly confident.
