Stage 5 - August 31: Killarney - Cork, 144km

Pinotti wins the Tour of Ireland and Rabon takes the final stage

Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) couldn't stop smiling after he crossed the finish line to take victory in the Tour of Ireland, in association with Failte Ireland, in Cork on Sunday. The triple Italian time trial champion and Giro d'Italia stage winner used his specialist talent to break away from race leader Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) and turn his 18 second deficit into a 19 second Tour winning margin.

It was a double celebration for Team Columbia after Frantisek Rabon had dropped his breakaway companion Fredrik Ericsson (Pezula Racing) on the final lap to win the tough stage and take home a fabulous Waterford Crystal trophy.

Frantisek Rabon (Columbia), Ilya Chemetskiy (Tinkoff Credit Systems), Mauro Richeze (CSF Group Navigare) and Frederiek Nolf (Topsport Vlaanderen) had gone clear very early as the race left Killarney . Nolf dropped back to the bunch but was replaced by Ericsson and Thomas Rabou (Rabobank). Rabou had the most to gain from the break as the highest ranked rider on general classification and he became the virtual leader on the road when their lead went up to nearly fifty seconds.

The break raced past the castle gates and canons in Macroom and through the town of Blarney where Chernetskiy won the sprint near the castle which is home to the famous Blarney Stone. The break was not working well together. Rabou and Richeze went back to the bunch and the remaining three riders powered ahead with their lead climbing to nearly four minutes as they reached the tough finishing circuit in the City of Cork.

Chernetskiy finally snapped as the leaders ascended the 25% climb of St Patrick's Hill for the first time. The hill was packed to the rafters with fans who had decided to watch the race even though the Cork football team were playing a crucial semi final game in Croke Park, Dublin. Thousands had turned out to watch the race on the 17-mile finishing circuit. Ericsson and Rabon shared the pace but the main chase group started to bring the duo back. Triple stage winner Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) had retired early from the race with his job already finished for the week and the An Post sponsored green sprinters jersey moved onto the shoulders of Russell Downing.

Six riders went clear from the chasing pack and were two minutes 49 seconds back. Yellow jersey Downing, Michael Barry (Columbia), Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle), mountains leader Matt Wilson (Team Type 1), Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com) and Lars Petter Nordhaug (Joker Bianchi) finally broke the elastic to the rest of the group. Pinotti saw the danger and jumped across. Barry attacked the group with about 25km of the stage and became the race leader on the road.

The chase group behind had swelled with Massimo Graziato (Tinkoff), Gonzalo Rabunal Rios (Karpin Galicia) and Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com) joining the elite group. Barry was caught and Pinotti made his race winning move, attacking with 10km to go and riding his way into the yellow jersey on the final lap in the Cork sunshine.

Rabon finally dropped Ericsson to win the stage with Pinotti finishing in third to become the Tour of Ireland race winner. Downing sprinted home in fourth to secure second place overall on GC as well as the An Post Green Jersey. Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) took home the Irish Ferries King of the Mountains jersey. Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com/AIS) won the white jersey as the best young rider.

PL No. Nat Name TM Team Time @
1 6 CZE Rabon,Frantisek THR Team Columbia 3h27'04"  
2 156 SWE Ericsson,Fredrik PZR Pezula 3h27'19" @15"
3 4 ITA Pinotti,Marco THR Team Columbia 3h28'08" @01'04"
4 131 GBR Downing,Russell POT Pinarello CandiTV 3h28'41" @01'37"
5 142 NOR Nordhaug,Lars Petter TMB Joker Bianchi Team 3h28'41" @ s/t
6 15 NZL Dean,Julian TSL Garmin Chipotle H30 3h28'41" @ s/t
7 7 CAN Barry,Michael THR Team Columbia 3h28'41" @ s/t
8 91 AUS Clarke,Simon SAI SouthAustralia.com/AIS 3h28'44" @01'40"
9 27 ITA Graziato,Massimo TCS Tinkoff - Credit Systems 3h28'44" @ s/t
10 46 AUS Wilson,Matt TT1 Team Type 1 Cycling Team 3h28'44" @ s/t
11 82 ESP Rabunal,Gonzalo KGZ Karpin Galicia Cycling Team 3h28'48" @01'44"
12 54 BEL Maes,Nikolas TSV Topsport Vlaanderen 3h28'48" @ s/t
13 116 RSA Evans,Kevin MTN MTN Energade 3h28'48" @ s/t
14 25 ITA Mazzanti,Luca TCS Tinkoff - Credit Systems 3h28'50" @01'46"
15 106 NED Rabou,Thomas RB3 Rabobank 3h28'50" @ s/t
16 23 GER Gottfried,Alexander TCS Tinkoff - Credit Systems 3h28'55" @01'51"
17 65 GBR Fleeman,Daniel SKT An Post Sean Kelly Team 3h28'56" @01'52"
18 103 NED Berkhout,Thomas RB3 Rabobank 3h29'03" @01'59"
19 53 BEL Hovelijnck,Kurt TSV Topsport Vlaanderen 3h29'03" @ s/t
20 74 IRL Aiken,Roger IRL Irish National Team 3h29'03" @ s/t
21 101 BEL Aernouts,Bart RB3 Rabobank 3h29'03" @ s/t
22 83 ESP Mouron,Juan Francisco KGZ Karpin Galicia Cycling Team 3h29'03" @ s/t
23 51 BEL Coenen,Johan TSV Topsport Vlaanderen 3h29'03" @ s/t
24 45 UKR Kobzarenko,Valeriy TT1 Team Type 1 Cycling Team 3h29'03" @ s/t
25 122 GBR House,Kristian RCR Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk 3h29'03" @ s/t
26 64 GBR Lloyd,Daniel SKT An Post Sean Kelly Team 3h29'03" @ s/t
27 22 RUS Klimov,Serguei TCS Tinkoff - Credit Systems 3h29'03" @ s/t
28 154 AUS Jennings,Cameron PZR Pezula 3h29'21" @02'17"
29 112 RSA George,David MTN MTN Energade 3h29'24" @02'20"
30 55 BEL Neyens,Maarten TSV Topsport Vlaanderen 3h30'09" @03'05"
31 94 AUS Walker,Johnnie SAI SouthAustralia.com/AIS 3h30'12" @03'08"
32 95 AUS Semple,Adam SAI SouthAustralia.com/AIS 3h30'12" @ s/t
33 92 AUS Sulzberger,Wesley SAI SouthAustralia.com/AIS 3h30'15" @03'11"
34 93 AUS Meyer,Travis SAI SouthAustralia.com/AIS 3h30'15" @ s/t
35 17 AUS Lowe,Trent TSL Garmin Chipotle H30 3h30'15" @ s/t
36 125 GBR Briggs,Graham RCR Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk 3h31'59" @04'55"
37 57 BEL Renders,Sven TSV Topsport Vlaanderen 3h31'59" @ s/t
38 32 ITA Priamo,Matteo CSF CSF Group Navigare 3h31'59" @ s/t
39 104 NED Van Poppel,Boy RB3 Rabobank 3h31'59" @ s/t
40 42 UKR Surutkovych,Alex. TT1 Team Type 1 Cycling Team 3h32'33" @05'29"
41 102 BEL Adams,Joeri RB3 Rabobank 3h34'48" @07'44"
42 81 ESP Troncoso,Ramon KGZ Karpin Galicia Cycling Team 3h34'48" @ s/t
43 152 IRL Power,Ciaran PZR Pezula 3h36'11" @09'07"
44 61 IRL O'Brien,Paidi SKT An Post Sean Kelly Team 3h36'11" @ s/t
45 67 BEL De Schrooder,Benny SKT An Post Sean Kelly Team 3h36'11" @ s/t
46 141 NOR Kristoff,Alexander TMB Joker Bianchi Team 3h39'15" @12'11"
47 56 BEL Nolf,Frederiek TSV Topsport Vlaanderen 3h39'15" @ s/t
48 111 RSA MacDonald,Neil MTN MTN Energade 3h39'15" @ s/t
49 105 NED Sinkeldam,Ramon RB3 Rabobank 3h39'29" @12'25"
50 132 GBR Elliott,Malcom POT Pinarello CandiTV 3h39'29" @ s/t
51 62 IRL Cassidy,Mark SKT An Post Sean Kelly Team 3h39'29" @ s/t
52 145 NOR Vold,Svein Erik TMB Joker Bianchi Team 3h39'29" @ s/t
53 87 ESP Paleo,Alejandro KGZ Karpin Galicia Cycling Team 3h42'00" @14'56"
54 76 IRL Concannon,Miceal IRL Irish National Team 3h43'47" @16'43"
55 72 IRL Griffin,Paul IRL Irish National Team 3h43'47" @ s/t
56 77 IRL O'Sullivan,Stephen IRL Irish National Team 3h43'47" @ s/t
57 121 GBR Downing,Dean RCR Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk 3h43'47" @ s/t

Did Not Finish: 1-Cavendish.M, 2-Eisel.B, 5-Possoni.M, 11-Millar.D, 14-Backstedt.M, 16-Maaskant.M, 24-Chernetskiy.I, 26-Riccio.B, 31-Savini.F, 33-Tomei.F, 35-Richeze.M, 36-Richeze.M, 43-Calabria.F, 47-Abraham.E, 52-De Haes.K, 63-Gallagher.S, 66-Lisabett.K, 73-Healion.P, 75-Lacey.S, 96-King.M, 97-Dempster.Z, 107-Van Staeyen.M, 114-Thomson.J, 117-van Heerden.J, 124-Partridge.R, 126-Appleby.D, 127-Holt.S, 133-Roche.A, 134-Davis.L, 135-Murray.T, 136-Williams.P, 137-Kipling.M, 144-Bohler.J, 146-Wilman.F, 147-Sommerseth.S, 155-Wetterhall.A, 157-Irvine.M