Ryan best of kiwi cycle team in Ireland tour

The New Zealand cycling team, down a rider after Tom Scully crashed out yesterday, finished in the peloton on the fourth stage of The Ras tour in Ireland today.

The kiwis, along with the two leading teams worked hard to chase down the seven minute break reducing the deficit to 2m30s, with German rider Maximillan May out-kicking the leading group to win in the 169km stage to Tipperary.

It promoted Sweden’s Alexander Wetterhall into the overall lead with four stages remaining, after previous leader Dan Craven (UK) was left in the main pack with the New Zealand contingent.

“We put all the eggs in one basket today and hoped for a sprint finish,” said BikeNZ coach Stuart MacDonald. “We contributed to the chase with about 40km to go, but I didn't want to put too much pressure on the younger lads with four hard days of racing to go. The most important thing for them is that they get through the whole tour.”

The team consists of some of the BikeNZ track team, using the European road season for important  endurance preparations for the Commonwealth Games.

Timaru’s Marc Ryan remains the best of the New Zealanders 6m15s behind the leader in 31st place, with Wes Gough (Waipukurua) at 8m29s down.

Meanwhile team officials confirmed that Scully has damaged ligaments in his knee after the fall during the sprint finish on stage three yesterday which may require minor surgery which will be determined after an MRI scan tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s fifth stage is 175km from Tipperary to Carrick On Suir, with the Tour finishing on Monday (NZ time).

 Overall classification, The Ras Tour, Ireland after four stages:

Alexander Wetterhall (SWE – Team Sprocket Pro) 11:07.51, 1; Joseph Lewis (AUS – Crapac Porsche) at 1:46, 2; Josef Kugler (NED – KTM) same time, 3.

New Zealanders: Marc Ryan at 6:15, 31; Wes Gough at 8:33, 39; Shane Archbold at 16:19, 61; Aaron Gate at 20:48, 72.

Details: www.bikenz.org.nz