Four riders against more than 50 didn’t seem like good odds towards the end of stage one of the Rás Tailteann in Kilmallock on Wednesday, but a quartet of Britons pulled off a big coup to stay clear.Rowen Baker (24) proved fastest, seizing the race lead when he led home Ewan Mackie (Cycling Connacht), Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT) and Adam Lewis (APS Pro Cycling) in a frenzied sprint.Irish riders Odhrán Doogan (Caldwell Powerhouse Racing) and Patrick O’Loughlin (Galway Bay Cycling Club) finished towards the fore of the chasing bunch, 46 seconds behind.“It is my first time doing the Rás and so it is really great on the first stage to be able to get the win and to be riding in yellow tomorrow,” said Baker.Lewis sparked off the key move at around the halfway point, leading Irish duo Liam Crowley and Willem O’Connor over the climb of Bollingbrook, and then pressing on alone.Baker, Makie and Riwnyj then got across and surprised many with their ability to fend off the peloton.“They had a minute and a half gap with maybe about 20k to go, and I was thinking, ‘right, we are going fast here, it will come back, it will come back’,” said Doogan. “The gap came down a small bit but not as much as we expected. I think everyone was surprised with how strong they were, because we were giving it a good lash behind.”The 161.1km stage began in Portlaoise and featured a trio of category-three climbs and three hotspot sprints. Doogan was third in the first of the sprints, picking up a bonus second, ending the day seventh overall and best of the Irish riders in the general classification.Second on a stage in his first Rás outing in 2023, he knows Thursday and Saturday’s hilly stages won’t suit him so well, but he’s targeting a big result on the flatted legs on Friday and Sunday.“I am delighted to come away with the under-23 jersey, it makes the winter suffering worth it,” he said. “It has only given me a positive outlook now for the rest of the week.”The Rás continues Thursday with the longest stage – a 192.7km slog from Rathmore, Co Kerry to Banteer, Co Cork – featuring six climbs, including two category-two ascents.Artur Michalek (Vindex) chats to school children in Port Laoise before the start of Stage 1 on Wednesday. Photograph: Lorraine O'Sullivan One cyclist looking for opportunities is 2022 race winner Daire Feeley. The Burren CC rider was one of the 53 who finished in the chase group on Wednesday, and echoed Doogan’s surprise over the break staying clear.Despite the front-runners gaining early time, he’s not too concerned.“It could be four different riders tomorrow, and they could get five minutes,” he said. “Anything can happen. We’ll play it day by day.“We just need to be attentive and not be letting those (breaks) get away.”Feeley has returned each year since his victory four years ago attempting to repeat that feat and knows just how difficult it is to control the race. Having crashed out of his title defence in 2023, forcing him to withdraw with concussion, he’s aware that staying upright is the coming days is one of the top priorities for any general classification contender.“Tomorrow’s a different day, the duration and the difficulty of the course is going to possibly throw it on its head. We’ll see what happens,” he said.Rás Tailteann stage 1, Portlaoise to KilmallockStage 1 top five: 1 R Baker – Cycling Club Isle of Man (161km in 3:40.26); 2 E Mackie – Cycling Connacht; 3 D Riwnyj – Foran CT; 4 A Lewis – APS Pro Cycling (all same); 5 T Shoreman – Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli (+0.46).County rider: O Doogan – Caldwell Powerhouse RacingNational/International team: Cycling Club Isle of ManIrish County/Provincial team: Foran CTGeneral classification after stage 1: 1 R Baker (3:40.15; 2 D Riwnyj (+0.4); 3 E Mackie (+0.5); 4 A Lewis (+0.9); 5 M Cigala (+0.53).Points classification: R BakerMountains classification: A Lewis (APS Pro Cycling)Under-23 rider: P O’Loughlin (Galway Bay Cycling Club)Irish county rider: M Cigala (Dan Morrissey)Cycling Ireland Category 2 rider: J O’Shea (Moynalty CC)