There was Irish success on day two of the Rás Tailteann on Thursday, with Conn McDunphy (USA: Skyline-Cadence) outsprinting Liam O'Brien (Team Ireland) into Sneem.
The duo attacked just after the fifth of six climbs on what was a daunting 183.8k stage from Kanturk.
Accelerating shortly after the summit of Coomakista with approximately 43k left, O’Brien and McDunphy opened up a lead of one minute 40 seconds over a large chasing group, with yesterday’s stage winner Alex Pritchard (Richardsons Trek DAS) suffering on the climbs and slipping down the overall standings.
O’Brien did the bulk of the work in the final three kilometres, with McDunphy then beating him in the sprint to take the first Rás Tailteann stage of his career.
"Me and Liam kind of rolled off the front with maybe 40k to go," he told RTÉ Sport. "Look, he's an animal. I was giving everything I could, and I told him that. It was kind of even enough, and he was pulling hard on the up-hills, to be fair to him.
"Then once we came onto the circuit, I had a good feeling that I might be able to get him. I told him we’d give it everything. And then with 3k to go, I sat on. I kind of played the game, then came around him with 50 meters to go.
"I was second here in Rás Mumhan, so I knew the finish and I knew I had to wait, wait, wait because I went early in Rás Mumhan and came second. I’m delighted."
O’Brien was visibly frustrated at the finish.
"It was a strong ride. I felt good in the end, but just didn’t have it… I got played a bit. But three days to go, so plenty more opportunities."
Asked if he was doing most of the work, he agreed. "I think so. And then with four K to go he pulled the plug working. I was probably the strongest, but when it's one on one, it's hard to get away, because you only have to follow one person.
"So it was difficult, but a good day."
British-based Irishman George Peden (UK: Team PB Performance) finished third, 30 seconds back, with defending Rás champion Dillon Corkery (Team Ireland) winning the group sprint for fourth, 32 seconds behind.
Yesterday’s third-placed rider Dom Jackson (UK: Foran CT) finished in this group and ended the day exactly level on time with O’Brien and McDunphy.
However he was awarded race leadership due to better accumulated stage placings, and so will wear the yellow jersey when the race travels from Kenmare to Cahir tomorrow.
"The whole stage was brutally hard. The [individual] climbs were even harder… Especially towards the end. And I think maybe because I was in the break yesterday, I just felt so much fatigue in my legs.
"Was I expecting it [the yellow jersey], definitely not. But we knew there was a possibility of it. And the team just worked all day to try and make that happen.
"Then up Ballaghasheen, the climb that goes super steep at the end, Team Ireland were three abreast on the front, and it was kind of a driving crosswind. And then me and one other Foran rider were just right behind that and he did absolute jobs for me today. He ate so much wind to put me in in a good position, along with all the other Foran riders. So I'm just super happy to be in this jersey."
Friday’s 154.8km stage is much flatter, with just two category three climbs. However with things so tight overall, attacks are inevitable and things could become very tactical. The Rás Tailteann runs until Sunday.
Stage 2, Kanturk to Sneem
1 Conn McDunphy (USA: Skyline-Cadence) 183.8km in 4 hours 14'10"
2 Liam O’Brien (Ireland: Team Ireland) same time
3 George Peden (UK: Team PB Performance) at 30"
4 Dillon Corkery (Ireland: Team Ireland) at 32"
5 Tim Shoreman (UK: Wheelbase-Cabtech-Castelli)
6 Matteo Cigala (Carlow: Dan Morrissey-Cabtech-Castelli)
7 Daniel McDermott (UK: Ride Revolution Coaching)
8 Daire Feeley (Cork: All Human-VeloRevolution)
9 Pete Cocker (UK: Richardsons Trek DAS)
10 Will Perrett (UK: Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) all same time
General classification after two stages:
1 Dom Jackson (UK: Foran CT) 7 hours 23 mins 58 secs
2 Liam O'Brien (Ireland: Team Ireland)
3 Conn McDunphy (USA: Skyline-Cadence) both same time
4 George Peden (UK: Team PB Performance) at 30 secs
5 Dillon Corkery (Ireland: Team Ireland) at 32 secs
6 Tim Shoreman (UK: Wheelbase-Cabtech-Castelli)
7 Matteo Cigala (Carlow: Dan Morrissey Primor by Pissei)
8 Kuicheng Wang (China: Team Bodywrap)
9 Will Perrett (UK: Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling)
10 Pete Cocker (UK: Richardsons Trek DAS) all same time
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