This article is from page 65 of the 2011-06-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 65 JPG
IT WASN’T long ago that the An Post Rás worked its way through the roads of County Clare en route to the second stage finish in Kilrush and race organiser Dermot Dignam has delivered a message of “thanks” to the many fans that turned up along the route to cheers the riders along.
“The support the race received along the route was incredible and it really made the Rás a wonderful spectacle for everyone to see. The encouragement from the locals in Kilrush was fantastic and no doubt it was a great boost to the riders after such a long day in the saddle racing into a gale force wind. Thanks to all involved in making it such a great stage.”
After an action filled eight days of top class racing, An Post had cause for a double celebration as Lithuanian Gediminas Bagdonas took the yellow jersey home for the An Post Sean Kelly team. He was also first past the line in Kilrush, and from there on he never looked back, holding the yellow jersey from the fol- lowing day all the way to the finish line in Skerries, Dublin.
Bagdonas also had words of praise for the Clare crowds after roaring him on to his first stage victory, which he said helped him believe he could go on to take the overall title.
“It was such a difficult stage, with really strong winds. The cheers along the route helped me and the team a lot and I was so happy that I won the stage in Kilrush. It was a special day for me and the support pushed me on to get the victory. After that stage I really believed I could win the race and thankfully I did. It is the biggest win of my career so far and one I will never forget.”