After yesterday's dominant win by Team Gazelle we should see another team run off with the win today. It is a flat 173-kilometres ride from Dundalk to Carrick-on-Shannon. There's one climb in there a bit past midways. A 2nd Category one that will decide who gets to wear the first KoM jersey of the race. That one is going to be very much up for grabs later on though.
Quickly two riders got away. Tanovitchii and Maisto.
Jaguar - Eritel leading out nice and easy hoping Sam Bennett has fireworks prepared for later.
Well there's not a whole lot going on here.... apart from the fact that it has started raining. Slippery road when we reach Carrick-on-Shannon maybe? A lot of the big guys surely don't hope so.
ANC-Halford is also doing some turns now as the deficit is coming down. Around the 6-minute mark with 80 kilometres left.
Up front we have reached the 2nd Category climb which the Romanian Tanovitchii takes and with it the KoM jersey.
30 kilometres later and the gap is down to 2'19 as Adira has also hit the front now for Jürgen van Loocke!
6 kilometres to go now and the duo in front is back in the pack the race is moving very fast right now.
2,200 metres to go now.
Leading train is Adira with Irvine, Gajek and Van Loocke. In the Belgian's wheel are Cardoso, Speirs and Schinker.
Second train is ANC-Halfords leading with Clancy, Thwaites and Nelson. Latching onto them are Papok and Ciocan.
Jaguar is in the third train and it's not looking good for Bennett who is sitting tucked in behind lead-outs Tewelde and Cisse
Adira has delivered Van Loocke nicely as Gajek has taken over for Irvine now. Behind Nelson has made his move, but has some ground to make up, also Bennett is gaining ground on the left side on our screen!
700 metres to go.
Schinker has come from behind and it looks like Van Loocke is fading as Cardoso and Speirs are also coming around. Bennett looks to be boxed in behind Gajek as Nelson now has a clear path on the far right!
300 metres to go.
Here comes Cardoso! Schinker is starting to fatigue as Speirs is gaining speed! Can he come 'round Cardoso?
Cardoso wins it! Speirs in second but how he would have loved to win this one. He is looking strong though and Bennett should also be back tomorrow to give the Irish something to cheer about.
Marco Minnard does well enough to finish 14th and he keeps the yellow jersey at least for one more stage.
