Great local welcome for Dornan Rás Mumhan & the sun on Good Friday

The Dornan Engineering Rás Mumhan and its Stage 1A Time Trial got under way in Currow on Good Friday afternoon just seconds after mid-day and on a 8.8km course.

Cycling Ireland’s junior team members posted a time of 10.04 and it proved unbeatable.

By the start of Stage 1B in Castleisland interest in the Rás was heightened considerably with the introduction of the Yellow Jersey to the scene and it set the tone and increased competition levels.

And all on a day on which the clouds parted and the sun made a most welcome return for the duration of the event’s Castleisland involvement. The 150-strong peloton had just cleared the speed limit signs on the Brosna Road when the first few drops of rain fell and a brief shower followed - and that was it - but in a good way.

Stage 1B took off after a ceremonial start with a leisurely lap of Castleisland. This was greatly appreciated by the locals in a town which has had much more than a passing acquaintance with big time racing over a long span of years.

The names of the late great Johnny Drumm along with Dan Ahern, Johnny Brosnan, Eamonn Breen, Brendan and John Brosnan and Denis Twomey were mentioned as participants in the great and ancient sport.

Some of them were mentioned as participants in the much anticipated stages of An Rás Tailteann which frequently passed through the town and sometimes stopped here overnight.

The legendary 1958 Rás Tailteann winner, Mick Murphy from South Kerry wasn’t forgotten either - as he worked on the farm here with Neilie Horan for a while during his association with the Desmond Cycling Club around that time.

You’d know there was a local hand in the planning of the current event and John Breen, son of the aforementioned, Eamonn, had an army of gilets jaunes volunteers at every possible junction and flash point.

That and the inclusive involvement of the neighbouring villages in the opening day’s stages is what made it memorable and possibly provided a ground plan for an event of a more local flavour and with a name yet to be thought of.

Even the sponsors, Dornan Engineering had a local representative with the stewards at Hartnett’s Corner.

Brendan Herbert was on duty there with Jerome ‘Fagin’ Hartnett, Tommy Dom O’Connor and Patsy O’Donoghue with Seánie Broderick keeping an eye on them from the corner itself.

The peloton left An Ríocht announced by Denny McSweeney in a lead vehicle and turned left onto Upper Main Street with team car musical horns blaring its arrival.

It headed down the town and around the Back-of-the-Forge before straightening itself for the top of the town again.

The long, human ribbon of colour and pure excitement set its course for the Brosna Road where racing began in earnest.

In this, Brosna Town and ultimately a Knocknagoshel and a Good Friday history making stage finish awaited it in the arms of a huge welcome there.

To most of us who stand on the flags and footpaths of towns and villages as the cyclists tear through with all the atmospheric noise of team cars and the blurring of colours, it takes all we have to comprehend what we’ve just seen.

But there’s a world of minute calculation involved in every turn on the road and every twist of the pedal.

By way of providing an insight into that side of the world of cycle racing, the following race details of Friday’s stages in this area - with event technicalities were sent from the road by Mark Murphy.

“Team Ireland cyclists were looking well early on Friday with being fastest at the first split.

However, Team Skyline and Trinity racing soon caught up and proved to be the quickest team with a time of 09.52.35. with Liam Flanagan of North Carolina crossing the line first and so headed into Stage 1B in Castleisland in the yellow jersey.

The Trinity Racing team was not far behind with a time of 09.55.71. The Foran CT won two stages last year and performed well again giving a time of 10.03.62. and earning a third placing. The teams made their way to An Ríocht Athletic Club for a brief break before stage 1B began which took in Brosna and on to a circuit and stage finish in Knocknagoshel.

From the get go, Velo Revolution were on the attack and stringing out the bunch. This resulted in a three man break consisting of Lindsay Watson, George Mitchell and JB Murphy, however this was soon brought back by the main bunch with riders being dropped out the back on the climb up to Brosna.

Once it entered the circuit in to Knocknagoshel, the probing attacks started to take affect with a five man break being made consisting of Tom Martin of Velo Revolution, Liam Crowley of UCD, George Kimber of Skyline, Luke Tuckwell of Trinity as well as Dominick Jackson of Foran CT who won a stage in last years Ras Mumhan.

The five riders worked their way to a gap of 52 seconds with the closest to the peloton coming down to 38 seconds. Once the five mentioned riders settled in to the fourth and fifth circuit there was no come back for the bunch. Luke Tuckwell from Trinity attacked however, Tom Martin from Velorevolution was quick to shut it down.

The pace was high with George Kimber pressing on and applying pressure and it was between Kimber and Tuckwell for the win with George Kimber having the edge.