2026 Rás Tailteann: stage 5 report and results

Conn McDunphy (APS Pro Cycling) has won the 2026 Rás Tailteann, defending the yellow jersey he took on the Wicklow Gap on stage four and bringing it safely to Dunboyne on Sunday. Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) finished second overall, 52 seconds behind, with Ewan Mackie (Connacht Cycling) third.

The final stage went to Liam Flanagan (APS Pro Cycling) in a bunch sprint at the end of the 141-kilometre route from Carlow, his second stage win of the week after Enniscorthy on Friday. Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) was second, with Matteo Cigala (Dan Morrissey) third. Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) finished fourth and Matthew Bostock (Isle of Man CC) fifth.

Report

For McDunphy, the race had been effectively decided 24 hours earlier on the Wicklow Gap. The removal of Glenmalure from the stage four route — necessitated by road resurfacing — had reportedly drawn his frustration, but the former Lucan CRC rider answered any doubt about it by making the difference, decisively, on the Wicklow Gap itself. It was, as Sticky Bottle put it, one of the most deserved Rás wins in years, built on a really consistent ride through the week and then a queen-stage ride that settled the race.

The final stage to Dunboyne was aggressive from the start, but never quite slipped APS Pro Cycling’s control. An 11-rider group went clear for a prolonged period: Daire Feeley (Burren CC), Liam Crowley (Team Ireland), Luke Smith (Cycling Leinster), Odhran Doogan (Caldwell Powerhouse Racing), Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT), Adam Lewis (APS Pro Cycling), Ivan Linser (Cyclesport.com), Michael Gill (DAS Richardsons), Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Matthew Webber (Taap Kalas) and Alex Pickering (RideRevolution Coaching CT).

By the time the race entered the three-lap finishing circuit in Dunboyne, with 45 kilometres remaining, the gap was right down and the yellow jersey team was leading the chase. Crowley attacked off the front and went briefly clear, before a chase group of Riwnyj, Mackie, Pim Fransen (West-Frisia), Matt Bostock (Isle of Man CC), Olivier Mangham (DAS Richardsons) and Jackson Duncan (Cyclesport.com) re-formed the front of the race.

The final lap saw another move go clear, containing junior Hugh Óg Mulhearne, Crowley, Flanagan, Zac Walker (Isle of Man CC), Shoreman, Ronan McLaughlin (Foyle CC) and Bostock. Their advantage held past the 10-kilometre marker, but with around six kilometres to go the race was together, and a bunch sprint was on for Dunboyne. Flanagan took it cleanly, with Armstrong second — a podium finish on the final day of the Rás for the 2025 open National Circuit Series champion who had not previously featured at the front of this race.

Wheelbase CabTech Castelli leave Ireland with a strong set of results despite losing yellow on stage four. Martin’s second overall, two stage wins (Shoreman in Banteer on stage two, Martin in Baltinglass on stage four), Shoreman’s win of the points classification, and Armstrong’s second on the final stage make this one of the team’s strongest weeks in recent Rás memory.

The visiting British and Isle of Man teams shaped the race throughout. Rowan Baker (Isle of Man CC), guesting from JAKROO Handsling, won stage one in Kilmallock and finished fourth overall. Lewis wore yellow after stage two, and Shoreman took the jersey after stage three. Martin and Mackie are the only non-APS riders in the top three on GC; Riwnyj, the Rás Mumhan winner earlier this year, finished fifth. Lewis is seventh.

Willem O’Connor (O’Leary Stone Kanturk) confirmed an exceptional Rás for the Cork rider, winning both the U23 and County Rider classifications and finishing sixth overall. Crowley took the mountains classification after a week of consistent presence in breakaways.

Stage 5 result — top 20

Pos	Bib	Rider	Team	Time
1	25	Liam Flanagan	APS Pro Cycling	2h55m34s
2	44	Tom Armstrong	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli	s/t
3	86	Matteo Cigala	Dan Morrissey	s/t
4	42	Tim Shoreman	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli	s/t
5	1	Matthew Bostock	Isle of Man CC	s/t
6	28	Ivan Linser	Cyclesport.com	s/t
7	62	Oliver Curd	DAS Richardsons	s/t
8	58	Jake Hales	RideRevolution Coaching CT	s/t
9	37	Archie Peet	O’Neills Spirit Racing Team	s/t
10	17	Pim Fransen	West-Frisia	s/t
11	9	Luca Harter	Hucare Factory	s/t
12	81	Niall McLoughlin	Cycling Connacht	s/t
13	60	Harry Macfarlane	RideRevolution Coaching CT	s/t
14	134	Odhran Doogan	Caldwell Powerhouse Racing	s/t
15	2	Zac Walker	Isle of Man CC	s/t
16	135	Gary Donaldson	Caldwell Powerhouse Racing	s/t
17	45	Aaron King	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli	s/t
18	53	Cameron McLaren	TAAP KALAS	s/t
19	68	Robin Mould	Foran CT	s/t
20	91	Daire Feeley	Burren CC	s/t

Final general classification — top 20

Pos	Bib	Rider	Team	Time
1	21	Conn McDunphy	APS Pro Cycling	17h18m03s
2	43	Tom Martin	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli	+52s
3	85	Ewan Mackie	Connacht Cycling	+1m31s
4	4	Rowan Baker	Isle of Man CC	+1m45s
5	67	Danylo Riwnyj	Foran CT	+2m02s
6	98	Willem O’Connor	O’Leary Stone Kanturk	+2m26s
7	24	Adam Lewis	APS Pro Cycling	+2m28s
8	32	Joshua Dike	Natural Greatness Rali Ale	+2m49s
9	16	Niek Hoornsman	West-Frisia	s/t
10	25	Liam Flanagan	APS Pro Cycling	+3m50s
11	86	Matteo Cigala	Dan Morrissey	+3m52s
12	2	Zac Walker	Isle of Man CC	+4m02s
13	91	Daire Feeley	Burren CC	s/t
14	89	Conal Scully	Dan Morrissey	+4m04s
15	132	Lindsay Watson	Caldwell Powerhouse Racing	+4m20s
16	18	Daan Jurriaans	West-Frisia	+4m30s
17	42	Tim Shoreman	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli	+4m31s
18	102	Ronan McLaughlin	Foyle CC	+5m14s
19	62	Oliver Curd	DAS Richardsons	+5m30s
20	28	Ivan Linser	Cyclesport.com	s/t

Other classifications

Classification	Winner	Team
Points	Tim Shoreman	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
Mountains	Liam Crowley	Team Ireland
U23	Willem O’Connor	O’Leary Stone Kanturk
Irish County Rider	Willem O’Connor	O’Leary Stone Kanturk
National/International team	APS Pro Cycling	—
Irish County/Provincial team	Carlow: Dan Morrissey	—