Dean Downing wins opening stage of 2011 An Post Rás - Cycling News
Rapha Condor Sharp team’s Dean Downing won the opening stage of 2011 An Post Rás after beating Sam Bennett of the An Post Kelly team on Sunday, May 22. He also took overall leader’s yellow jersey.
The race started in Dunboyne and ended at Portumna. The 36-year-old, Dean covered a distance of 148 kilometres in 3 hours, 47 minutes and 53 seconds.
Erwan Brenterch of the France AVC Aix en Provence team was in third place in the opening stage with the same timing of Dean.
After winning the stage, Dean told the media, "I was designated sprinter today, so I had an easy day, our guys kind of gambled on me to go for the sprint but we had other guys still following moves and we had guys in all the main splits.”
The stage couldn't have ended in more controversial circumstances after the bunch was involved in a crash with a little less than eight kilometres to go.
The three riders had built a lead of 32 seconds, including Sean Downey (Ireland Team Skoda), Yuriy Agarkov (ISD Lampre Continental) and Pete Williams (Motorpoint).
Due to big crash the road was blocked and the race commissaries decided to stop the race. After a couple of seconds the race started again with the same time difference given in the break.
The trio tried to stay away in the race before being caught inside the last kilometre. Sam Bennett tried to attack the sprint but Downing was in good from and picking up his first-ever stage victory and also claimed the yellow jersey.
Dean Downing was also leading in the overall classification with the timing of 3 hours, 47 minutes and 43 seconds. Sam Bennett was runner-up with 4 seconds behind Dean.
Erwan Brenterch finished third with the difference of 6 second, while David McCann was in fourth place, in the overall classification.
He said, "It was so hard out there with the head wind, but we took a gamble with it being a bunch sprint and my team gave me a fantastic lead out. I’m happy to take the victory and overall it’s a great start for the team,"
The next stage will start in Portumna and end in Kilrush. All riders will cover a distance of 164 kilometres.
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