AFTER the opening two days of the FBD Milk Ras, a member of the team representing Holland, Jeroen Slagter, has the leader's yellow jersey setting out on stage three this morning from Clifden to Lisdoonvarna.
Slagter was first into Clifden yesterday after 103 miles from Roscommon, mostly in the rain. He just pipped British time trial expert Gethin Butler of England North East, with Karl Donnelly (Dublin-IRC) a close third and Matthew Postle (Wales) next.
Overall Slagter leads by three seconds from Postle, with Butler third at nine seconds but on the same time as seven others, including Donnelly who is fifth.
One of Butler's teammates, Jeff Wright, won Saturday's stage from Dublin to Roscommon, but although he said he had peaked again for the Ras he was left trailing yesterday. He came in 38th at 4:14 and dropped to that place overall, 3:52 behind Slagter.
Near the finish on Saturday, Wright went on out of a break-away group with Polish champion Gregorz Gwiazdowski, riding for the French ACBB team, and Mike Harrison (England North West), and he led them over the line, unchallenged.
A group of six they had been with were at 22 seconds, while 140 of the record number of 164 starters were just another six seconds in arrears.
After Ireland's number one, Peter Daly, had to change a wheel because of a puncture with only two miles covered yesterday, Slagter was involved in the first breakaway attempt when he went clear with Paul Hellon (Dublin-Tallaght), and the Dutchman played a leading role in the action at the front for most of the way.
Cian Lynch, of the Swords club, riding with Dublin-Hillebrand, took the first two prime awards at Ballygar and Moylough; the other one, at Headford, went to Micheal Fitzgerald (Tipperary).
Morgan Fox, back from France to ride with the Meath team, led over the three climbs, at Claggan, Maam and Derrnacleigh, so is first to wear the red king of the mountains jersey. He tried to go away on his own approaching Clifden but was overhauled and then when in the group behind the three leaders he fell with less than a Kilometre to go.
Fox went on out of a breakaway group of 11 on the third climb, but he was rejoined by Daly, Slagter, Donnelly, Matthew Postle (Wales), Andy Naylor (Stoke), Frenchman Thierry du Garle and Andy Roche, who is riding for Kerry.
Fitzgerald and Ciaran Power of the Ireland team were among those unable to hold their places at the front, but when Butler came through with another Dutchman, Pelle Kil, in a great late surge, Power managed to get back up to the leaders with them.
With three miles to go Slagter had to stop for a back wheel change when he got a puncture, but he quickly regained contact. Then, approaching the finish, Butler went to the front of the leading string and looked set to take the stage.
Butler took the lead on the last occasion the Ras visited Clifden, in 1991, but he was denied the honour yesterday as Slagter just got past with a powerful sprint in the last few yards.
Today's stage of 99 miles goes through Oughterard, Galway, Oranmore, Clarinbridge, Kinvara and Ballyvaughan with the third category climb at Ballynalacken four miles from the finish in Lisdoonvarna.
