Tour of Ireland 2008 - 4

Stage 4 Limerick/Dingle
Russell Downing (Pinarello CandiTV) put the hammer down in the last 200 metres to win stage four of the Tour of Ireland and wrestle the 'Geansai Bui' (yellow jersey) from the shoulders of Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia).

Russell Downing out sprints all to win stage 4 - Pic Gerry McManus

Today's stage from Limerick was a savage affair with Team Garmin-Chipotle's David Millar going into overdrive on the front and splitting the main field on the climb of the Conor Pass. Millar's effort saw Mark Cavendish stranded in a chasing group dangling 15 seconds behind and it looked like the two groups would rejoin but Millar pushed the throttle again over the top of the climb and it was game-over for Cavendish.

Downing had won the An Post sponsored intermediate sprints at Patrickswell and Dingle to earn six valuable bonus seconds ahead of Cavendish and Millar's teamate Julian Dean (Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30). Dean had started the day 20 seconds behind Cavendish and second place overall. Downing's ten second bonus for the stage win sees him yellow with a leading margin of only two seconds over Dean. Only Downing's best performance will do if the Yorkshireman wants to wear the yellow jersey after the killer stage from Killarney to Cork tomorrow. It will certainly be the biggest in the career of the former British road race champion.

The Team Garmin-Chipotle team were active all day with Magnus Backstedt in a three-man break with Peter Williamson (Pinarello CandiTV) and last year's best young rider Wesley Sulzberger (SouthAustralia.com). Backstedt made most of the running in the group and the lead grew to five until the Columbia team decided to bring their escape to a halt before they reached the Conor Pass. Millar's effort was superhuman on the tough ascent, with standing room only for hundreds of cycling fans who made the pilgrimage to the legendary category one Kerry climb. Only Matt Wilson (Team Type 1) dared to pass the Scotsman to take maximum points on the summit for the Irish Ferries sponsored King of the Mountains competition. Wilson now has an unassailable lead in the climbers' competition to ensure he will take the red jersey home to Melbourne, Australia next week.

Cavendish won't need any consolation with three stage wins and three fantastic Waterford Crystal trophies to take home to the Isle of Man, but he still leads in the An Post sponsored green jersey competition for sprinters by five points. He only needs to take two points in the sprints at Blarney and Cork tomorrow to win that competition outright. He is going to need a bigger mantle piece.

Gonzalo Rabunal (Karpin Galicia) finished a close second on the stage with Wilson in third place showing he can sprint too. Australian is third on GC too. There are now 18 riders split by only 18 seconds and it is all to play for on the final stage featuring the 25% climb of St Patrick's Hill in Cork City.

Stage 4 Limerick/Dingle (186,3 km)
1 Russel Downing Pinarello Racing Team 4.19.56 (42,93 km/h)
2 Gonzalo Rabuñal Xacobeo Galicia
3 Matthew Wilson Team Type 1
4 Simon Clarke Southaustralia.com - AIS
5 Luca Mazzanti Tinkoff Credit Systems
6 Daniel Lloyd An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
7 Johan Coenen Topsport Vlaanderen
8 Nikolas Maes Topsport Vlaanderen
9 Julian Dean Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
10 Lars Petter Joker - Bianchi
11 Kurt Hovelijnck Topsport Vlaanderen
12 Alexander Gottfried Tinkoff Credit Systems
13 Valery Kobzarenko Team Type 1
14 Serguei Klimov Tinkoff Credit Systems
15 Michael Barry Team Columbia
16 Marco Pinotti Team Columbia
17 Stian Sommerseth Joker - Bianchi
18 Fredrik Ericsson Pezula Racing
19 Dan Fleeman An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
20 Kevin Evans Team MTN
21 Morris Possoni Team Columbia
22 Thomas Rabou Rabobank Continental
23 David George Team MTN 0.05
24 David Millar Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.59
25 Wesley Sulzberger Southaustralia.com - AIS
26 Joeri Adams Rabobank Continental
27 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) CSF Group Navigare
28 Mark Cassidy An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 2.04
29 Filippo Savini CSF Group Navigare
30 Ramón Troncoso Xacobeo Galicia
31 Stephen Gallagher An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 4.1
32 Roger Aiken Irish National Squad
33 Alexandr Surutkovych Team Type 1
34 Kristian House Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
35 Adam Semple Southaustralia.com - AIS
36 Massimo Graziato Tinkoff Credit Systems 8.35
37 Matteo Priamo CSF Group Navigare
38 Ramon Sinkeldam Rabobank Continental
39 Thomas Murray Pinarello Racing Team
40 Ilya Chernetskiy Tinkoff Credit Systems
41 Boy Van (Ned) Rabobank Continental
42 Paul Griffin Irish National Squad
43 Juan Francisco Xacobeo Galicia
44 Alexander Kristoff Joker - Bianchi
45 Malcolm Elliott Pinarello Racing Team
46 Maarten Neyens Topsport Vlaanderen
47 Mark Cavendish Team Columbia
48 Sven Renders Topsport Vlaanderen
49 Frantisek Rabon Team Columbia
50 Trent Lowe Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
51 Fabio Calabria Team Type 1
52 Robert Partridge Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
53 Cameron Jennings Pezula Racing
54 Ciarán Power Pezula Racing
55 Dale Appleby Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
56 Thomas Berkhout Rabobank Continental
57 Miceal Concannon Nationalmannschaft Irland 11.08
58 Zakkari Dempster Southaustralia.com - AIS
59 Johnny Walker Southaustralia.com - AIS
60 Neil MacDonald Team MTN
61 Lee Davis Pinarello Racing Team
62 Alejandro Paleo Xacobeo Galicia
63 Magnus Backstedt Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
64 Martijn Maaskant Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
65 Bart Aernouts Rabobank Continental
66 Mauro Abel CSF Group Navigare
67 Travis Meyer Southaustralia.com - AIS
68 Matthew Kipling Pinarello Racing Team 16.19
69 Alex Wetterhall Pezula Racing
70 Martyn Irvine Pezula Racing
71 Sean Lacey Irish National Squad
72 Jay Thomson Team MTN
73 Andrew Roche Pinarello Racing Team
74 Peter Williams Pinarello Racing Team
75 Joachim Bøhler Joker - Bianchi
76 Juan Van Heerden Team MTN
77 Stephen O'Sullivan Irish National Squad
78 Paul Healion Irish National Squad
79 Francesco Tomei CSF Group Navigare 17.23
80 Emile Abraham Team Type 1
81 Kenny Lisabeth An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
82 Dean Downing Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
83 Simon Holt Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
84 Kenny De Haes Topsport Vlaanderen
85 Frederick Nolf Topsport Vlaanderen
86 Michael Van Staeyen Rabobank Continental
87 Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia
88 Benny De Schrooder An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
89 Matthew King Southaustralia.com - AIS
90 Bernardo Riccio Tinkoff Credit Systems
91 Paidi O'Brien An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
92 Svein Vold Joker - Bianchi
93 Frederik Wilmann Joker - Bianchi
94 Graham Briggs Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk

General Classification
1 Russel Downing Pinarello Racing Team 18.14.54
2 Julian Dean Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.02
3 Matthew Wilson Team Type 1 0.11
4 Gonzalo Rabuñal Xacobeo Galicia 0.12
5 Kurt Hovelijnck Topsport Vlaanderen 0.13
6 Daniel Lloyd An Post - M. Donnelly
7 Simon Clarke Southaustralia.com - AIS
8 Nikolas Maes Topsport Vlaanderen 0.18
9 Valery Kobzarenko Team Type 1
10 Michael Barry Team Columbia
11 Luca Mazzanti Tinkoff Credit Systems
12 Alexander Gottfried Tinkoff Credit Systems
13 Lars Petter Joker - Bianchi - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 0.15
14 Serguei Klimov Tinkoff Credit Systems
15 Marco Pinotti Team Columbia
16 Johan Coenen Topsport Vlaanderen
17 Kevin Evans Team MTN
18 Dan Fleeman An Post - M. Donnelly
19 Thomas Rabou Rabobank Continental 0.4
20 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) CSF Group Navigare 1.12
21 Wesley Sulzberger Southaustralia.com - AIS 1.16
22 Joeri Adams Rabobank Continental 1.17
23 David Millar Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
24 Mark Cassidy An Post - M. Donnelly
25 Stian Sommerseth Joker - Bianchi 3.35 - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
26 Kristian House Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 4.28
27 Stephen Gallagher An Post - M. Donnelly
28 Roger Aiken Irish National Squad
29 Adam Semple Southaustralia.com - AIS
30 Morris Possoni Team Columbia 4.33
31 Filippo Savini CSF Group Navigare 6.19 - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 2.22
32 Mark Cavendish Team Columbia 8.17
33 Alexander Kristoff Joker - Bianchi 8.44
34 Boy Van Poppel Rabobank Continental 8.53 - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
35 Malcolm Elliott Pinarello Racing Team
36 Ciarán Power Pezula Racing
37 Juan Francisco Xacobeo Galicia
38 Massimo Graziato Tinkoff Credit Systems
39 Thomas Murray Pinarello Racing Team
40 Ramon Sinkeldam Rabobank Continental
41 Dale Appleby Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
42 Cameron Jennings Pezula Racing
43 Ilya Chernetskiy Tinkoff Credit Systems
44 Trent Lowe Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
45 Matteo Priamo CSF Group Navigare
46 Robert Partridge Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
47 Thomas Berkhout Rabobank Continental 9.15
48 Magnus Backstedt Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 11.23
49 Zakkari Dempster Southaustralia.com - AIS 11.26
50 Johnny Walker Southaustralia.com - AIS
51 Bart Aernouts Rabobank Continental
52 Sven Renders Topsport Vlaanderen 11.57
53 Travis Meyer Southaustralia.com - AIS 12.16
54 Alexandr Surutkovych Team Type 1 14.08
55 Neil MacDonald Team MTN 14.3
56 Ramón Troncoso Xacobeo Galicia 14.53
57 Juan Van Team MTN 16.36
58 Dean Downing Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 17.41
59 Francesco Tomei CSF Group Navigare
60 Frederick Nolf Topsport Vlaanderen
61 Fabio Calabria Team Type 1 18.33
62 Fredrik Ericsson Pezula Racing 18.39
63 Frederik Wilmann Joker - Bianchi 19.17
64 Maarten Neyens Topsport Vlaanderen 19.2
65 Martijn Maaskant Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 21.06
66 Mauro Abel CSF Group Navigare
67 Benny De Schrooder An Post - M.
68 Frantisek Rabon Team Columbia 21.35
69 Paul Griffin Irish National Squad 23.52
70 David George Team MTN 25.1
71 Joachim Bøhler Joker - Bianchi 26.15
72 Peter Williams Pinarello Racing Team
73 Alejandro Paleo Xacobeo Galicia 26.31
74 Michael Van Staeyen Rabobank Continental 27.15
75 Kenny De Haes Topsport Vlaanderen 27.21
76 Emile Abraham Team Type 1
77 Svein Vold Joker - Bianchi
78 Paidi O'Brien An Post - M. Donnelly
79 Simon Holt Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
80 Miceal Concannon Irish National Squad 27.41
81 Matthew Kipling Pinarello Racing Team 29.08
82 Jay Thomson Team MTN 29.21
83 Andrew Roche Pinarello Racing Team
84 Paul Healion Irish National Squad 29.48
85 Sean Lacey An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team
86 Kenny Lisabeth An Post - M. Donnelly
87 Graham Briggs Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk
88 Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 30.42
89 Alex Wetterhall Pezula Racing 31.16
90 Martyn Irvine Pezula Racing 32.49
91 Bernardo Riccio Tinkoff Credit Systems 36.05
92 Stephen O'Sullivan Irish National Squad 41.27
93 Matthew King Southaustralia.com - AIS 41.31 - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 30.12
94 Lee Davis Pinarello Racing Team 41.45

An Post Points
1 Mark Cavendish Team Columbia 57
2 Russel Downing Pinarello Racing Team 52
3 Alexander Kristoff Joker - Bianchi 45
4 Julian Dean Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 44
5 Boy Van Poppel Rabobank Continental 26
6 Kenny De Haes Topsport Vlaanderen 23
7 Nikolas Maes Topsport Vlaanderen 22
8 Kurt Hovelijnck Topsport Vlaanderen 20
9 Michael Van Staeyen Rabobank Continental 20
10 Matthew Wilson Team Type 1 19
11 Simon Clarke Southaustralia.com - AIS 17
12 Ciarán Power Pezula Racing 17
13 Fredrik Ericsson Pezula Racing 15
14 Daniel Lloyd An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 15
15 Maximiliano Richeze CSF Group Navigare 15
16 Zakkari Dempster Southaustralia.com - AIS 15
17 Gonzalo Rabuñal Xacobeo Galicia 14
18 Bernardo Riccio Tinkoff Credit Systems 14
19 Dean Downing Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 13
20 Luca Mazzanti Tinkoff Credit Systems 11
21 Benny De Schrooder An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 10
22 Kenny Lisabeth An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 10
23 Johan Coenen Topsport Vlaanderen 9
24 Malcolm Elliott Pinarello Racing Team 9
25 Joachim Bøhler Joker - Bianchi 8
26 Valery Kobzarenko Team Type 1 7
27 Sven Renders Topsport Vlaanderen 7
28 Lars Petter Joker - Bianchi 6
29 Magnus Backstedt Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 5
30 Martyn Irvine Pezula Racing 5
31 Alexander Gottfried Tinkoff Credit Systems 5
32 Dale Appleby Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 5
33 Travis Meyer Southaustralia.com - AIS 5
34 Juan Van Heerden Team MTN 5
35 David George Team MTN 5
36 Mauro Abel CSF Group Navigare 4
37 Juan Francisco (Esp) Xacobeo Galicia 3
38 Peter Williams Pinarello Racing Team 3
39 Emile Abraham Team Type 1 3
40 Serguei Klimov Tinkoff Credit Systems 2
41 Wesley Sulzberger Southaustralia.com - AIS 2
42 Michael Barry Team Columbia 1
43 Marco Pinotti Team Columbia 1
44 Morris Possoni Team Columbia 1
45 Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 1

Mountains
1 Matthew Wilson Team Type 1 79 Punkte
2 David George Team MTN 37
3 Travis Meyer Southaustralia.com - AIS 21
4 Simon Clarke Southaustralia.com - AIS 12
5 Fredrik Ericsson Pezula Racing 12
6 Johan Coenen Topsport Vlaanderen 10
7 Marco Pinotti Team Columbia 10
8 Kevin Evans Team MTN 9
9 Mark Cassidy An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 8
10 Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 8
11 Martyn Irvine Pezula Racing 8
12 Kurt Hovelijnck Topsport Vlaanderen 7
13 Daniel Lloyd An Post - M. Donnelly - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly Team 7
14 Michael Barry Team Columbia 7
15 Alexandr Surutkovych Team Type 1 7
16 Lars Petter (Nor) Joker - Bianchi 6
17 Filippo Savini CSF Group Navigare 4
18 Mark Cavendish Team Columbia 4
19 Ilya Chernetskiy Tinkoff Credit Systems 4
20 David Millar Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 2
21 Kristian House Rapha Condor - Recycling.co.uk 2
22 Morris Possoni Team Columbia 2
23 Luca Mazzanti Tinkoff Credit Systems 1
24 Stian Sommerseth Joker - Bianchi 1
25 Sven Renders Topsport Vlaanderen 1
26 Frantisek Rabon Team Columbia 1

Teams
1 Topsport Vlaanderen 54.45.36
2 Tinkoff Credit Systems
3 Team Columbia
4 An Post Sean Kelly Team 2.04
5 Team Type 1 Cycling Team 4.10
6 SouthAustralia.com/AIS 5.09
7 Joker Bianchi Team 8.35
8 Garmin Chipotle H30 9.34
9 Rabobank Continental
10 Karpin Galicia Cycling Team 10.39
11 MTN Energade 11.13
12 CSF Group Navigare 11.38
13 Pinarello CandiTV 17.10
14 Rapha Condor Recycling.co.uk 21.20
15 Pezula 26.50
16 Ireland National Team 35.06

Stages
Stage 1: Dublin to Waterford, 192km - Wednesday 27th August
Stage 2: Thurles to Loughrea, 158km – Thursday 28th August
Stage 3: Ballinrobe – Galway, 201km – Friday 29th August
Stage 4: Limerick to Dingle, 186km – Saturday 30th August
Stage 5: Killarney to Cork, 155km - Sunday 31st August

Website - www.tourofireland.ie