The leader of the An Post Rás was disqualified today and he was none too happy about it.

Italian rider Francesca Reda is the first race leader of this year’s An Post Rás after a thrilling opening stage from Dunboyne to Carlow yesterday which saw the peloton lose over 10 minutes and Ian Richardson of UCD take the county rider prize.

There has been only one Irish winner of the An Post Rás in the last decade and that trend is unlikely to change this year, writes Brian Canty.