Ryan still best in tough day on The Ras cycle tour in Ireland

An early break, extended on the first climb, left some leading teams including New Zealand battling on the penultimate day of The Ras cycle tour in Ireland.

The BikeNZ track squad are racing in Europe as part of their endurance training towards the Commonwealth Games, but they all lost time to the leaders in the tough 154km seventh stage from Gorey to Kilcullen with four category climbs.

The break went after only 10kms and the field split on the first telling climb with Aaron Gate the best of the kiwis 5m36s down on the winner Mark Cassidy (IRE – An Post Sean Kelly. Marc Ryan, Wes Gough and Shane Archbold came in together 5:45 behind.

Alexander Wetterhall (SWE) finished safely in the select peloton and now takes a buffer of 59 seconds into tomorrow final stage from Kilcullen to Skerries including three major climbs.

Ryan is still the best of the kiwis on overall classification, 9:30 behind the leader in 27th place.

Meanwhile Timaru’s Hayden Roulston showed a return to form after illness when he finished third in the individual time trial on the penultimate stage of the Bayern Rundfahrt tour in Germany.

Roulston’s Columbia HTC teammate Maxine Monfort was fastest in a show showing from the team with the kiwi making his return to the road as he chases a place in the team for the Tour de France.

Roulston is 4:09 down on his Monfort who leads in 40th place, with Alex Meenhorst also in the race, 6:52 down for his Team Netapp.

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

Alexander Wetterhall (SWE – Team Sprocket Pro) 21:31.09, 1; Peter Williams (GBR – Motorpoint Pasta) at 59s, 2; Dan Craven (GBR – Rapha Condor Sharp) at 1:32, 3.

New Zealanders: Marc Ryan at 9:30, 27; Wes Gough at 13:55, 41; Shane Archbold at 21:50, 53; Aaron Gate at 25:45, 55.

Details: www.bikenz.org.nz