Stage 4, Wednesday May 22: Listowel to Glengarriff, 153 kms:
Day four is substantially more difficult, with O’Sullivan cramming in no less than eight climbs on the 153 kilometres between Listowel and Glengarriff. The first of those, Lacka West, comes just 7.9 kilometres after the start and the category two climb will shake up the bunch and could provoke early splits.
After that, the riders head on to the Crinny climb (category three, km 28.3), Castleisland, the category three ascent of Farranfore (km 47.3) and then pass through Killarney. From there the peloton will be shaken up by a succession of mountains, starting with the category two trio of Ladies View (km 82.4), Molls Gap (km 87.3) and Garranes (km 117.1), then the gruelling Healy Pass, which comes 127 kilometres after the start and marks the first category one climb of this year’s race.
That is certain to rupture the main bunch and scatter riders going over the summit, but with 25 kilometres remaining from there until the line and only the category three Cooleriagh (km 145.3) interrupting a fast run-in to the finish, some of those gaps could tighten up.
Legend
