TWENTY-SEVEN YEAR OLD NAMIBIAN CHAMP DAN CRAVEN NOTCHED UP ANOTHER EPIC WIN AT THE WEEKEND TO CONTINUE HIS WINNING STREAK IN IRELAND.
Just two weeks after his win at the Shay Elliot memorial race Craven returned to the Emerald Isle to out sprint seven others to take the yellow jersey at the FBD Insurance RAS. In the stage from Dunboyne and Dundalk a break formed early and Craven jumped across to join the escapees. Whilst he had the legs to take the gallop he also scored second on each of the days intermediate sprints.
Dan explained how the race went for him "After 15km I jumped across on my own to a break of 7, most of the big teams had one rider each. After about 80km two riders came across, so then all big teams were represented. We worked really well together which was actually rather surprsing." The Chas Messenger winner continued, "on the last King of the Mountains (KOM) I broke away with the David Pell from Drapac Porsche and finally won a KOM. We stayed away for 10km but 15km to the finish six of the initial break caught back up to us, once again we worked together really well. I attacked twice in the final 3km, my last attack was chased down by Mark McNally who kept going once he caught and passed me, he just kept going so I had a free ride for about 500meters in which time the 6 guys also latched back onto us. I started my sprint very late, somehow did not realize how close we were to the line but was still able to come around for the win as well as taking all the jerseys besides the young riders one."
Nice one Dan, we reckon you're going to be pretty hot in all three jerseys on today's stage.
Overall standings after stage one
- Dan Craven (Rapha Condor Sharp) 3 hours 28 mins 12 secs
- Mark McNally (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 7 secs
- Kit Gilham (Britain Sigmasport Specialized) at 11 secs
- Masakki Kikuchi (Japan – Nippo) at 12 secs
- David Pell (Australia Drapac Porsche) same time
- Andrew Roche (Motorpoint Marshall’s Pasta) at 16 secs
- Lucas Schadlich (Germany Thuringer Energie)
- Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro) both same time
- John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie) at 2 mins 2 secs
- Joseph Lewis (Australia Drapac Porsche)
- Vincente Grau Jorda (Burgos 2016-Castilla y Leon)
- Josef Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM-Gebrüder Weis)
- Rob Partridge (Wales)
- Stuart Shaw (Australia Drapac Porsche)
- John Anderson (Sweden - Team Sprocket Pro) all same time