Rás Tailteann
Race details
Datelate May
RegionIreland
Nickname(s)The Rás
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI Europe Tour (2005–2018)
National calendar (2022–)
TypeStage race
OrganiserCairde Rás Tailteann
Race directorGerard Campbell
Web sitewww.anpostras.ie
History
First edition1953 (1953)
Editions68 (as of 2023)
First winner Colm Christle (IRL)
Most wins Sé O'Hanlon (IRL) (4 wins)
Most recent Dillon Corkery (IRL)
Zbigniew Głowaty, pictured after winning the 1963 Rás

Rás Tailteann (pronounced [ˌɾˠaːsˠ ˈt̪ˠal̠ʲtʲən̪ˠ]; "Tailteann Race"), often shortened to the Rás, is an annual international cycling stage race, held in Ireland. Traditionally held in May, the race returned after a hiatus in 2022 as 5 day event held in June. By naming the race Rás Tailteann the original organisers, members of the National Cycling Association (NCA), were associating the cycle race with the Tailteann Games, a Gaelic festival in early medieval Ireland.

The event was founded by Joe Christle in 1953[1] and was organised under the rules of the National Cycling Association (NCA). At that time competitive cycling in Ireland was deeply divided between three cycling organisations, the NCA, Cumann Rothaiochta na hÉireann (CRÉ) and the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation (NICF). The Rás Tailteann was the biggest race that the NCA organised each year.

As a result of a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) motion, the NCA was banned from international races and all teams affiliated with the UCI were banned from competing in races organised by the NCA. Therefore, only teams that were not affiliated with the UCI or who were willing to take the chance of serving a suspension for competing in the Rás Tailteann competed in the Rás Tailteann. During this time the NCA cyclists achieved prominence in the Rás with Gene Mangan, Sé O'Hanlon and Paddy Flanagan being several legends of the race. Mangan won only one Rás but featured in the race throughout the 1960s and early-1970s winning a total of 12 stages while O'Hanlon won the race four times and won 24 stages. Flanagan won the Rás three times and had 11 stage wins.

The NCA and the CRÉ together with NICF began unification talks in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a result, a CRÉ team which included Pat McQuaid, Kieron McQuaid, Peter Morton and Peter Doyle was able to enter the race in 1974. Doyle won the race and the McQuaids won two stages each. The first Rás open to the two associations CRÉ and the NICF was in 1979 and enabled Stephen Roche to compete the event as part of the Ireland team. Roche won the event.

The race developed into a much sought after event by professional and amateur teams from many parts of the world. As part of the elite international calendar it was eligible to award qualifying points that are required for participation in Olympic Games and the UCI Road World Championships.

The first edition was held in 1953 as a two-day event but quickly developed into a week-long event. It ran every year, uninterrupted, until 2018. Following Cumann Rás Tailteann's failure to find a new principal sponsor for the race, it was announced in February 2019 that there would be no Rás that year.[2]

The race was a UCI 2.2 event.

The race returned in 2022.[3]

History

The official name of the race has been changed many times over the years, usually named after sponsors. An Post were the last title sponsors,[4] although this sponsorship ended after the 2017 event.

Race names

  • 1953 to 1967: Rás Tailteann
  • 1968 to 1972: You Are Better Off Saving Rás Tailteann
  • 1973: Tayto Rás Tailteann
  • 1974 to 1976: Discover Ireland Rás Tailteann
  • 1977 to 1980: The Health Race Rás Tailteann
  • 1981 to 1982: Tirolia Rás Tailteann
  • 1983: Dairy Rás Tailteann
  • 1984 to 2004: FBD Milk Rás
  • 2005 to 2010: FBD Insurance Rás
  • 2011 to 2017: An Post Rás
  • 2018 to date: Rás Tailteann

Past winners

No. Year GC Winner Nationality Team Points class KOM U23
11953Colm Christle IrelandJames' Gate C.C.
21954Joe O'Brien IrelandNational C.C.
31955Gene Mangan IrelandKerry
41956Paudie Fitzgerald IrelandKerry
51957Frank Ward IrelandDublin
61958Mick Murphy IrelandKerry
71959Ben McKenna IrelandMeath
81960Paddy Flanagan IrelandKildare
91961[5]Tom Finn IrelandDublin TeamSeán Dillon Republic of Ireland
101962Sé O'Hanlon IrelandDublin
111963Zbigniew Głowaty PolandPoland
121964Paddy Flanagan (2) IrelandKildare
131965Sé O'Hanlon (2) IrelandDublin
141966Sé O'Hanlon (3) IrelandDublin
151967Sé O'Hanlon (4) IrelandDublin
161968Milan Hrazdíra CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
171969Brian Connaughton IrelandMeath
181970Aleksandr Gusyatnikov Soviet UnionU.S.S.R.
191971Colm Nulty IrelandMeath
201972John Mangan IrelandKerry
211973Mike O'Donaghue IrelandCarlow
221974Peter Doyle IrelandI.C.F.
231975Paddy Flanagan (3) IrelandKildare
241976Fons Steuten NetherlandsNetherlands
251977Yuri Lavrushkin Soviet UnionU.S.S.R.
261978Séamus Kennedy IrelandKerry
271979Stephen Roche IrelandIreland
281980Billy Kerr IrelandIreland
291981Jamie McGahan United KingdomScotland
301982Dermot Gilleran IrelandIreland
311983Philip Cassidy IrelandIreland
321984Stephen Delaney IrelandDublin
331985Nikolay Kosyakov Soviet Union
341986Stephen Spratt IrelandIreland
351987Paul McCormack IrelandLongford
361988Paul McCormack (2) IrelandIreland
371989Dainis Ozols Soviet Union
381990Ian Chivers IrelandIreland
391991Kevin Kimmage IrelandMeath
401992Stephen Spratt (2) IrelandDublin
411993Éamonn Byrne IrelandDublin Wheelers
421994Declan Lonergan IrelandIreland
431995Paul McQuaid IrelandIreland
441996Tommy Evans IrelandArmagh
451997Andrew Roche Isle of ManKerry
461998Ciarán Power IrelandTeam Ireland
471999Philip Cassidy (2) IrelandTeam Ireland
482000Julian Winn United KingdomWales teamDavid McCann Republic of IrelandDavid McCann Republic of Ireland
492001Paul Manning United KingdomGreat Britain teamDavid KoppGermanyNicholas White South Africa
502002Ciarán Power (2) IrelandTeam Ireland-Stena LineChris Newton United KingdomJulian Winn United Kingdom
512003Chris Newton United KingdomGreat Britain teamJonas Holmkvist SwedenMaxim Iglinsky Kazakhstan
522004David McCann IrelandIreland-Thornton's Recycling TeamMalcolm Elliott United KingdomTobias Lergard Sweden
532005Chris Newton (2) United KingdomRecycling.co.ukMalcolm Elliott United KingdomMark Lovatt United Kingdom
542006Kristian House United KingdomRecycling.co.ukMorten Hegreberg NorwayCiarán Power Republic of Ireland
552007Tony Martin GermanyThüringer Energie TeamDominique Rollin CanadaRicardo Van der Velde Netherlands
562008Stephen Gallagher IrelandAn Post–Sean KellyDean Downing United KingdomKit Gilham United Kingdom
572009[6]Simon Richardson United KingdomRapha Condor–recycling.co.ukNiko Eeckhout BelgiumDavid O'Loughlin Republic of IrelandMark McNally United Kingdom
582010Alexander Wetterhall SwedenTeam Sprocket ProJohn Degenkolb GermanyMark Cassidy Republic of IrelandConnor McConvey Republic of Ireland
592011Gediminas Bagdonas LithuaniaAn Post–Sean KellyShane Archbold New ZealandOleksandr Sheydyk UkraineAaron Gate New Zealand
602012Nicolas Baldo FranceAtlas Personal–JakrooGediminas Bagdonas LithuaniaDavid Clarke United KingdomRichard Handley United Kingdom
612013Marcin Białobłocki PolandTeam UK YouthOwain Doull United KingdomMartin Hunal Czech RepublicSimon Yates United Kingdom
622014Clemens Fankhauser AustriaTirol Cycling TeamPatrick Bevin New ZealandMarkus Eibegger AustriaAlex Peters United Kingdom
632015Lukas Pöstlberger[7] AustriaTirol Cycling TeamAaron Gate New ZealandAidis Kruopis LithuaniaRyan Mullen Republic of Ireland
642016Clemens Fankhauser (2) AustriaTirol Cycling TeamAaron Gate New ZealandNikodemus Holler GermanyJai Hindley Australia
652017James Gullen United KingdomJLT–CondorDaan Meijers NetherlandsPrzemysław Kasperkiewicz PolandMichael O'Loughlin Republic of Ireland
662018Luuc Bugter NetherlandsDelta Cycling RotterdamLuuc Bugter NetherlandsLukas Rüegg SwitzerlandRobbe Ghys Belgium
672022[8]Daire Feeley IrelandAll Human–VeloRevolutionRory Townsend Republic of IrelandDean Harvey Republic of IrelandLouis Sutton United Kingdom
682023[9]Dillon Corkery IrelandCC ÉtupesMatthew Fox AustraliaConor McGoldrick United KingdomAaron Wade Republic of Ireland

Bibliography

  • Daly, Tom (2003). The Rás – The Story of Ireland's Unique Bike Race. The Collins Press. ISBN 1-903464-37-4.
  • Daly, Tom (2012). The Rás – The Story of Ireland's Unique Bike Race – paperback edition. The Collins Press. ISBN 978-1-84889-148-7.
  • Traynor, Jim (2008). The Rás – A Day by Day Diary of Ireland's Great Bike Race. The Collins Press. ISBN 978-1-905451-71-5.
  • Riordan, Christy (2009). A Special tribute to Mick Murphy: Winner of 1958 Rás Tailteann. C.R. DVD & Video production.

References

  1. "Death of former cycling supremo Joe Christle" Irish Independent Accessed date: 30 May 2009
  2. "No UCI-ranked Ras Tailteann to take place in 2019". www.cyclingnews.com. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  3. "Rás Tailteann 2022 Route Details". www.rastailteann.com. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  4. "An Post Takes over Title Sponsorship of Rás". Irish Cycling.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  5. "1961 Rás Tailteann results". fbdinsurances.com. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
  6. "2009 FBD Insurance Rás results". irishcycling.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
  7. "Lukas Postlberger finally strikesit lucky in Ras". Irish Examiner. 25 May 2015.
  8. "Men of the Rás 2022: Stage 5 results and final classifications". www.stickybottle.com. 15 June 2022.
  9. "Full & Final Results & Photos: Stage 5 Rás Tailteann 2023". www.irishcyclingnews.com. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.