DUBLINER EOIN MORTON was the star of the show on the second day of the An Post Rás this afternoon, winning the 185-kilometre stage to Charleville in Cork after a monstrous breakaway effort with fellow domestic amateur Bryan McCrystal (Louth-ASEA/Wheelworx).
The UCD-Fitzcycles.ie man battled hard to keep his emotions in check at the finish line as he struggled to the grasp the enormity of what he’d achieved.
Not since the opening stage of the race in 2013 has a full-time working man won in the country’s only UCI-ranked race but the 27-year old Swords man ended that drought in emphatic fashion this afternoon.
Having taken the King of the Mountains (KOM) jersey yesterday, it was felt that’d be his lot for the week given the effort required to claim that.
But today, on the longest stage of the race, he took the race by the scruff of the neck and spent much of the afternoon up the road.
Leaving Multyfarnham in Westmeath this morning, Morton said he wanted to defend his KOM jersey but gave little or no thought to potentially winning the day.
But that’s exactly what he did after he went clear with McCrystal with around 80 kilometres on the clock.
“A lad with a 9-5 job takes a stage in the Rás, I’ve honestly no words to describe it. I don’t even believe it this moment. I’m on cloud nine, cloud nine,” he gushed afterwards.
“At the start of the week we said we wanted to get our riders out of the bunch and into the breaks.
“I knew there was only one category three climb today so I said I’d attack and attack.
“I thought we were gone initially when a group of three went clear but we were brought back.”
Indeed, Morton managed to wriggle his way out of the peloton with Adam Armstrong (LOUTH Asea-Wheelworx) and Daire Feeley (Mayo iTap) but they were hunted down when their margin swelled to over a minute.
Morton acknowledged it was perhaps not the wisest decision, in hindsight, to go clear so early.
“We needed the narrow roads because with the big roads and a tailwind you’d be doing 50kph no problem and the bunch could always see us.
But once we got onto the narrow roads I kept driving it and driving it because I wanted to get out of the bunch and I wouldn’t give up.
He escaped again as the race headed for Nenagh and the sinuous roads he’d yearned for proved perfect for an escape to go out of sight.
“I just kept attacking, solely for the mountains points at the climb of Shalee after 120 kilometres. I wanted to hold the KOM jersey.
“But also, I’m that style of rider, I don’t like sitting in the bunch. I think the bunch went to the bathroom when we got away,” he said, with a helping of humility.
Me and Bryan kept racing full gas because we knew we’d need every second. We know when the pros put the power down they can reel you back in very quickly.
The leaders’ margin reached a whopping seven minutes at one point and with 50 kilometres to go, Morton knew they had a fighting chance of contesting the stage when the combined weight of four teams driving the pace only cut it down to five minutes.
“Maybe they underestimated us. The team of the yellow jersey team didn’t want to control the race because they think their guy won’t be able to get over the climbs tomorrow so it played into our hands.”
With six kilometres remaining the leaders still had close to two minutes of a lead and it was clear one of them would win.
As McCrystal started the day just 23 seconds down on overnight leader Taco van der Hoorn (Join-S De Rijke) he knew he could potentially take the yellow jersey so he put in some monstrous pulls to ensure they’d stay away.
Alas, that effort took its toll and with five kilometres remaining, he was out on his feet.
Morton waited until the little rise into the final bend before launching his race-winning attack.
“I read the race manual this morning and knew what would happen. There’s a little weight difference between me and Bryan and I can climb a bit better than him, I think.
“So I knew whoever came out of the final corner would win and that was me.
I don’t even know to describe it, I think I broke a few windows with how much I screamed crossing the line. It’s a dream come true, I think I’m going to well up and cry.
McCrystal was distraught at losing the stage and not getting the yellow jersey as the peloton — with the yellow jersey present — closed to within seven seconds of him.
Still, he had the class to praise the winner.
“I’m proud of my performance but I’m disappointed not to get the stage or the jersey,” he said ruefully.
“I just wanted to hold the yellow jersey for a day tomorrow, not too many Irish guys have had that distinction, but I’m proud of myself today.
The best man won, I can’t argue that, so congratulations to Eoin. We rode very honestly all the way and all of a sudden I tied up with five kilometres to go and the energy just went from my legs.”
Van der Hoorn (Join-S De Rijke) still leads outright from Dylan Kennett (New Zealand national team) by six seconds with Rasmus Mygind (Denmark Riwal Platform team) up to third a further three seconds back.
Ireland’s Jack Wilson (An Post Chainreaction) is the best-placed of the home men in fourth at 13 seconds while Conor Dunne (JLT-Condor Cycles) and Eddie Dunbar (Irish national team) are both in the top 10.
Morton still leads the KOM classification from McCrystal with George Fowler (NFTO) in third.
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