Video: Martyn Irvine working hard towards ambition of Olympic Omnium medal
Irishman pleased with endurance block gained at At Post RásAlthough he didn’t repeat the stage win he took in the 2011 event, Martyn Irvine has said that he was pleased with his ride in the An Post Rás and is ready to start focussing on shorter, sharper intensity work prior to the riding the Omnium event at the London Olympics. Riding the eight day, 2.2-ranked race with the RTS Racing Team, Irvine rode aggressively on several stages. His satisfaction is not derived from any one performance, but rather from the workload he was able to put in and the benefits that he will derive from it going forward. “It was good, it was probably exactly what I needed,” the 26 year old told VeloNation on Sunday’s final day of the event. “I came in to the race thinking I could get something out of it, but I think I just [...]
Video: Nicolas Baldo hopes An Post Rás win will open doors, but says age could complicate things
Bagdonas and Bennett talk about upcoming targets Overall winner of the An Post Rás on Sunday, Nicolas Baldo is hoping that victory in the 2.2 ranked race could lead on to a bigger contract for next season. However in savouring his victory, he said that he didn’t want to focus too much on that at this point in time. The Atlas Jakroo rider won the Irish event by thirteen seconds, beating compatriot Thomas Rostollan (AVC Aix En Provence) to become the first-ever French winner in the race’s sixty year history. It was his first UCI-ranked victory since he beat Peter Sagan to win a stage of the 2009 Giro del Friuli. Asked if he believed that his stage win and overall success in the 2.2-ranked Irish event could lead on to a bigger contract, he was unsure because of his age. “I don’t know…I’m nearly 28, in France it’s already [...]
Video: Baldo marks An Post Rás yellow jersey with stylist stage win, but still cautious about chances
Armstrong encouraged by strong third, McCann improving Nicolas Baldo showed considerable flair while wearing the yellow jersey on yesterday’s sixth stage of the An Post Rás, attacking several times in a show of strength and then breaking clear with three kilometres to go and reaching the line ten seconds clear of his main rivals. The victory was the Atlas Jakroo rider’s first UCI win since he beat Peter Sagan to win a stage of the 2009 Giro del Friuli, and was a clear display to the other GC contenders that he intends to fight hard to hold on to his position at the top of the general classification. Despite that, though, he said that he was taking nothing for granted and was fully aware that the race was not over. “Everything can happen, it’s only thirteen seconds I think, it’s nothing,” he told VeloNation in the video interview below. “You [...]
Video: French riders take centre stage in An Post Rás
Baldo hoping to become first ever French overall winner on SundayA French rider has never taken the overall classification in the sixty year history of the An Post Rás, but two riders from that country moved centre stage yesterday when they clocked up the two most important podium spots at the stage finish in Buncrana. AVC Aix En Provence competitor Thomas Rostollan attacked solo approximately an hour from the end of the 149 kilometre stage, riding strongly over the remaining climbs and powering on to the finish. He hit the line nine seconds ahed of Martin Hunal (Czech Republic AC Sparta Praha) and Jonathan Fumeaux (Switzerland Atlas Jakroo), with the latter’s team-mate Nicolas Baldo two seconds further back. The result saw 27 year old Baldo join his compatriot on the podium as the new overall leader of the race. Baldo wears yellow heading into today’s sixth stage, a 134 kilometre [...]
An Post Rás video: McLaughlin impresses with daring seventy kilometre break, caught 100 metres from finish
Pedersen takes fourth stage while Lang continues to lead overallStarting Wednesday's stage in a skinsuit and using a vent-covered helmet, Ronan McLaughlin’s goal would have been clear to the other riders; get clear early, drive all the way to the line, take his first stage win in the An Post Rás. The location of the finish in County Donegal also telegraphed what he was aiming to do, with a rare chance to win on his home soil giving extra motivation to the An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team rider. And yet, despite that forewarning, McLaughlin still went incredibly close to pulling off what was one of the best performances in the race’s modern history; frustrated by the fact that several breaks he was in were closed down, the 25 year old attacked alone 70 kilometres from the finish in Bundoran, put his head down and hammered it from there. [...]
Video: Defending champion Bagdonas reacts to An Post Rás stage win
Lituanian searching for WorldTour or Pro Conti contract after Geox deal fell throughHaving gone close to a top contract for 2012 but being frustrated when the Geox TMC team he was due to race for fell apart, Lithuanian rider Gediminas Bagdonas has a clear focus this season. He’s gunning for a place on a WorldTour or Pro Continental team and takes part in each race with that goal in mind. Bagdonas underlined his ability last season, taking a number of wins including stage victory in the Tour of Britain, overall honours plus two stage wins in the An Post Rás, a stage plus the overall in the Ronde de l'Oise and the national time trial championships. He returned to the An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team this year when the Geox deal fell through, and has again been performing very strongly. He won the Ronde Van Noord Holland and [...]