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2nd Tour of Ireland - 2.1
Ireland, August 27-31, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Stage Details Previous Stage
Stage 5 - August 31: Killarney - Cork, 144km
Stage for Rabon, Pinotti bags Tour of Ireland victory
By Shane Stokes in Cork
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Team Columbia completed a spectacular Tour of Ireland campaign today, with Italian Marco Pinotti scooping the overall victory in Cork and Frantisek Rabon landing the team's fourth stage win in five days.
Rabon and second-placed rider Fredrik Ericsson (Pezula Racing) were part of a larger breakaway group which went clear early on, and was reduced to those two riders after the first of four ascents of St. Patrick's Hill. They stayed clear until the end of the stage, where Rabon surged ahead and won by fifteen seconds.
Behind, the general classification contenders fired off numerous attacks at race leader Russell Downing, the Pinarello CandiTV rider fighting strongly and succeeding in bringing back a dangerous move by Michael Barry (Team Columbia). He also covered a subsequent attack by his closest rival Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle), but had nothing left when Pinotti raced clear with approximately ten kilometres to go.
The 32-year-old has serious horsepower, being a triple Italian time trial champion and also having won against the clock on the final stage of this year's Tour of Italy, and once he got a gap there was no bringing him back. He solod in to the finish, hitting the line one minute and four seconds behind Rabon but, crucially, 33 seconds up on Downing, Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi Team), Dean and Barry.
"I am delighted with this, it is my first stage race victory," he said. "This was already my best pro season but this is really the cherry on top of the cake – I am very happy. Before the stage I didn't think the circuit would suit me but it worked out very well. My team-mate Michael Barry attacked and after he was brought back, I went. I got a gap and was able to pull further ahead by the finish."
Together with the four-second time bonus for third place, that moved him 19 seconds ahead of points winner Downing in the overall standings. Dean was a further two seconds back in third place, while King of the Mountains Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) was fourth.
Roger Aiken was best Irishman on the gruelling 143.6-kilometre stage, finishing one minute 59 seconds back in 20th place, and also top home rider in the overall classification. He was 22nd there.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Stephen McMahon
- Sandra Hodnett, soigneur with the Garmin Chipotle H30 team and a native of Cork, prepares the liquid refreshments for her riders at the start of Stage 5 in Killarney, County Kerry.
- Race leader Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) arrives for at the sign on.
- Downing arrived at the start looking rested and composed.
- Leader of the Points Classification Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia).
- Bernard Eisel (Team Columbia) gets ready for takeoff as the peloton leave Killarney.
- Thumbs up for the start of Stage 5 from the race leader.
- The peloton began to splinter as the race passed over the first climb of the day at Crohane.
- The first significant break of the day push their advantage.
- The riders cross the border between Counties Kerry and Cork.
- The break was whittled down to three riders
- The Pinarello CandiTV team maintained a high tempo at the front of the peloton.
- The green jersey rolls through some even greener countryside.
- Fuelling up time for the leading trio.
- The peloton arrives on the brutish circuit in Cork.
- The leading trio has become a duo with Ericcson and Rabon pressing on.
- IIya Chernetskiy (Tinkoff – Credit Systems) has lost contact with his breakaway companions.
- Ericcson and Rabon wrestle with the 25 percent gradient of St. Patrick's Hill.
- Leader of the Mountains Classification Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) measures his effort on the exceptionally steep climb.
- The crowds cheer on IIya Chernetskiy (Tinkoff – Credit Systems).
- St. Patrick's Hill is hallowed ground for Irish cycling fans and anyone who has the nerve to tackle it deserves all the support they can get.
- The most difficult section is also the narrowest.
- Team Columbia rode very aggressively on stage 5. Here, Michael Barry makes his bid for overall glory.
- Frantisek Rabon (Team Columbia) takes an emphatic solo victory on the most difficult stage of the 2008 Tour of Ireland.
- Frederik Ericsson (Pezula Racing Team) crossed the line 15 seconds behind his breakaway companion to take second place on Stage 5.
- Marco Pinotti stormed home in third place on Stage 5 and completed a magnificent week for Team Columbia by taking overall victory in the 2008 Tour of Ireland.
- The suffering is over and Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) begins to enjoy the experience of victory.
- Frantisek Rabon (Team Columbia) could not have been happier as he arrived on the podium to collect his trophy for victory on Stage 5.
- A child's view of the podium presentations.
- Frantisek Rabon (Team Columbia) had good reason to be pleased. His win on Stage 5 meant that Team Columbia took victory on four out of five stages.
- Second placed rider on the stage Frederik Ericsson (Pezula Racing Team) has enjoyed his time racing in Ireland.
- Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) receives his race winner's yellow jersey.
- Pinotti's happiness was shared by the Irish crowd who were charmed by the Italian rider.
- Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) receives his Waterford Crystal race winner's trophy.
- Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) rode consistently on all five stages to take a convincing victory in the Mountains Classification.
- The final podium of the 2008 Tour of Ireland
- Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) was a deserving victor in the 2008 Tour of Ireland and was enthusiastic about the possibility of returning in 2009 to defend his title.
Images by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
- Mark Cassidy (An Post - Sean Kelly team) on the approach to the summit of Patrick's Hill, Cork.
- Paidi O'Brien (An Post - Sean Kelly team) leads the chasing peleton on the approach to the summit of the Crohane climb.
- Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV)after being presented with the An Post green jersey.
- Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) was happy having won the green jersey.
- Frantisek Rabon (Team Columbia) celebrates as he crosses the line to win the stage into Cork.
- Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) pulls on the race winners yellow jersey after winning the 2008 Tour of Ireland.
- Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) after winning the 2008 Tour of Ireland.
- Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) along with his team dominated the Irish Tour.
Results
1 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 3.27.04 (40.60 km/h) 2 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 0.15 3 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia 1.04 4 Russel Downing (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team 1.37 5 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 6 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 7 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia 8 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 1.40 9 Massimo Graziato (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 10 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 11 Gonzalo Rabuñal Ríos (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 1.44 12 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 13 Kevin Evans (RSA) Team MTN 14 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 1.46 15 Thomas Rabou (Ned) Rabobank Continental 16 Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems 1.51 17 Dan Fleeman (GBr) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 1.52 18 Thomas Berkhout (Ned) Rabobank Continental 1.59 19 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 20 Roger Aiken (Irl) Irish National Team 21 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank Continental 22 Juan Francisco Mourón Doldán (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 23 Johan Coenen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 24 Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 25 Kristian House (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 26 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 27 Serguei Klimov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 28 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Pezula Racing 2.17 29 David George (RSA) Team MTN 2.20 30 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 3.05 31 Johnny Walker (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 3.08 32 Adam Semple (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 33 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 3.11 34 Travis Meyer (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 35 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 36 Graham Briggs (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 4.55 37 Sven Renders (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 38 Matteo Priamo (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 39 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank Continental 40 Alexandr Surutkovych (Ukr) Team Type 1 5.29 41 Joeri Adams (Bel) Rabobank Continental 7.44 42 Ramón Troncoso Sobrino (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 43 Ciarán Power (Irl) Pezula Racing 9.07 44 Paidi O'Brien (Irl) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 45 Kurt De Schrooder (Bel) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 46 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 12.11 47 Frederick Nolf (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 48 Neil MacDonald (RSA) Team MTN 49 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Rabobank Continental 12.25 50 Malcolm Elliott (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team 51 Mark Cassidy (Irl) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 52 Svein Vold (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 53 Alejandro Paleo Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 14.56 54 Miceal Concannon (Irl) Irish National Team 16.43 55 Paul Griffen (Irl) Irish National Team 56 Stephen O'Sullivan (Irl) Irish National Team 57 Dean Downing (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk DNF Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia DNF Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia DNF Morris Possoni (Ita) Team Columbia DNF David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 DNF Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 DNF Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 DNF Ilya Chernetskiy (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems DNF Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems DNF Filippo Savini (Ita) CSF Group Navigare DNF Francesco Tomei (Ita) CSF Group Navigare DNF Mauro Abel Richeze (Arg) CSF Group Navigare DNF Maximiliano Richeze Ariel (Arg) CSF Group Navigare DNF Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 DNF Emile Abraham (Tri) Team Type 1 DNF Kenny De Haes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen DNF Stephen Gallagher (Irl) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team DNF Kenny Lisabeth (Bel) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team DNF Paul Healion (Irl) Irish National Team DNF Sean Lacey (Irl) Irish National Team DNF Matthew King (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS DNF Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS DNF Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Rabobank Continental DNF Jay Thomson (RSA) Team MTN DNF Juan Van Heerden (RSA) Team MTN DNF Robert Partridge (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk DNF Dale Appleby (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk DNF Simon Holt (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk DNF Andrew Roche (Irl) Pinarello Racing Team DNF Lee Davis (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team DNF Thomas Murray (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team DNF Peter Williams (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team DNF Matthew Kipling (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team DNF Joachim Bøhler (Nor) Joker - Bianchi DNF Frederik Wilmann (Nor) Joker - Bianchi DNF Stian Sommerseth (Nor) Joker - Bianchi DNF Alex Wetterhall (Swe) Pezula Racing DNF Martyn Irvine (Irl) Pezula Racing Mountains Crohane, cat 3 1 Thomas Rabou (Ned) Rabobank Continental 6 pts 2 Frederick Nolf (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 4 3 Ilya Chernetskiy (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 2 4 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 1 St Patricks Hill 1st Passage, cat 1 1 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 15 pts 2 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 12 3 Ilya Chernetskiy (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 10 4 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 8 5 Ciarán Power (Irl) Pezula Racing 6 6 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank Continental 4 7 Kristian House (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 2 8 Neil MacDonald (RSA) Team MTN 1 St Patricks Hill 3rd Passage, cat 1 1 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 15 pts 2 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 12 3 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 10 4 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 8 5 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia 6 6 Russel Downing (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team 4 7 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 2 8 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 1 Sprints Blarney 1 Ilya Chernetskiy (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 5 pts 2 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 3 3 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 2 4 Thomas Murray (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team 1 McCurtain Street #1 1 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 5 pts 2 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 3 3 Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems 2 4 Juan Francisco Mourón Doldán (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 1 McCurtain Street #2 1 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 5 pts 2 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 3 3 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia 2 4 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1 Teams 1 Team Columbia 10.23.53 2 Tinkoff - Credit Systems 2.36 3 Topsport Vlaanderen 3.01 4 Rabobank 3.03 5 SouthAustralia.com/AIS 5.15 6 Team Type 6.27 7 Karpin Galicia Cycling Team 8.46 8 Pezula 8.58 9 An Post Sean Kelly Team 10.17 10 MTN Energade 13.34 11 Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk 20.56 12 Joker Bianchi Team 23.32 13 Irish National Team 32.44 Final general classification 1 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia 21.43.16 2 Russel Downing (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team 0.19 3 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.21 4 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 0.33 5 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia 0.36 6 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 0.37 7 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 8 Gonzalo Rabuñal Ríos (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 0.38 9 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 0.44 10 Kevin Evans (RSA) Team MTN 11 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 0.46 12 Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems 0.50 13 Dan Fleeman (GBr) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 0.52 14 Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 0.54 15 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 0.56 16 Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 0.59 17 Serguei Klimov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 18 Johan Coenen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 19 Thomas Rabou (Ned) Rabobank Continental 1.08 20 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 3.09 21 Kristian House (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 5.09 22 Roger Aiken (Irl) Irish National Team 23 Adam Semple (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 6.18 24 Joeri Adams (Bel) Rabobank Continental 7.43 25 Massimo Graziato (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 9.15 26 Juan Francisco Mourón Doldán (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 9.34 27 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Pezula Racing 9.52 28 Thomas Berkhout (Ned) Rabobank Continental 9.56 29 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 10.46 30 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank Continental 12.07 31 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank Continental 12.30 32 Matteo Priamo (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 33 Johnny Walker (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 13.16 34 Mark Cassidy (Irl) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 13.29 35 Travis Meyer (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 14.09 36 Sven Renders (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 15.34 37 Ciarán Power (Irl) Pezula Racing 17.02 38 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 17.23 39 Alexandr Surutkovych (Ukr) Team Type 1 18.19 40 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 19.37 41 Malcolm Elliott (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team 20.00 42 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Rabobank Continental 43 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 20.01 44 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 21.07 45 Ramón Troncoso Sobrino (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 21.19 46 Neil MacDonald (RSA) Team MTN 25.23 47 David George (RSA) Team MTN 26.12 48 Frederick Nolf (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 28.34 49 Kurt De Schrooder (Bel) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 29.16 50 Dean Downing (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 33.06 51 Graham Briggs (GBr) Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 33.49 52 Paidi O'Brien (Irl) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 35.10 53 Svein Vold (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 38.28 54 Paul Griffen (Irl) Irish National Team 39.17 55 Alejandro Paleo Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 40.09 56 Miceal Concannon (Irl) Irish National Team 43.06 57 Stephen O'Sullivan (Irl) Irish National Team 56.52 Points classification 1 Russel Downing (GBr) Pinarello Racing Team 64 pts 2 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 54 3 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 45 4 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 40 5 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 26 6 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank Continental 26 Mountains classification 1 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 87 pts 2 David George (RSA) Team MTN 37 3 Fredrik Ericsson (Swe) Pezula Racing 36 4 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 32 5 Travis Meyer (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 21 Young rider classification 1 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 21.43.53 2 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 3 Gonzalo Rabuñal Ríos (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 0.01 4 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 0.07 5 Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems 0.13 6 Thomas Rabou (Ned) Rabobank Continental 0.31 7 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 2.32 8 Adam Semple (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 5.41 9 Joeri Adams (Bel) Rabobank Continental 7.06 10 Massimo Graziato (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems 8.38 11 Juan Francisco Mourón Doldán (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 8.57 12 Thomas Berkhout (Ned) Rabobank Continental 9.19 13 Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 10.09 14 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank Continental 11.53 15 Johnny Walker (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 12.39 16 Mark Cassidy (Irl) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 12.52 17 Travis Meyer (Aus) Southaustralia.com - AIS 13.32 18 Alexandr Surutkovych (Ukr) Team Type 1 17.42 19 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 19.00 20 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Rabobank Continental 19.23 21 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia 19.24 22 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 20.30 23 Frederick Nolf (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 27.57 24 Paidi O'Brien (Irl) An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 34.33 25 Svein Vold (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 37.51 26 Miceal Concannon (Irl) Irish National Team 42.29 Teams classification 1 Team Columbia 65.09.29 2 Tinkoff - Credit Systems 2.36 3 Topsport Vlaanderen 3.01 4 SouthAustralia.com/AIS 10.24 5 Team Type 10.37 6 An Post Sean Kelly Team 12.21 7 Rabobank 12.37 8 Karpin Galicia Cycling Team 19.25 9 MTN Energade 24.47 10 Joker Bianchi Team 32.07 11 Pezula 35.48 12 Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk 42.16 13 Irish National Team 1.07.50
