Today's stage of Dornan Ras Mumhan has been won by Tom Martin.
Mark Murphy reports
Stage 3 of Rás Mumhan delivered yet another thrilling shake-up in the general classification as riders faced a gruelling route through the Cork countryside, culminating in a summit finish atop the Kerryman’s Table.
Racing commenced at 11:00 following a 2.3km neutralised roll-out from the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet. The peloton set off in earnest from Lucy Transport Warehouse, heading west toward Macroom via the R582. A double loop through Clondrohid, Ballyvourney, and Macroom kept the pace high before riders returned to Millstreet for the decisive climbs.
First came the long ascent to St John’s Well via the infamous Mushera climb—an 8.5km drag that tested every rider’s climbing legs. But it was the final sting in the tail, the Old Butter Road climb to the Kerryman’s Table, that saw the day’s victor emerge.
Tom Martin of Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team powered away in the final kilometres to claim a solo victory in a time of 2h39'03'', earning a valuable time bonus and moving up to second place overall. Martin finished seven seconds clear of Willem O’Connor (Velo Performance), who also leapfrogs up the GC standings with a strong ride to second on the stage.
Despite the fierce competition, Jamie Whitcher (Composite Black) retained his grip on the yellow jersey. A composed performance over the day’s climbs saw him finish safely in the main GC group, holding a 25-second lead over Martin heading into the final stage.
With just one stage remaining, tomorrow promises fireworks as the chasing pack looks to dislodge Whitcher from yellow. The Rás is far from over.
