Paul Kimmage said he felt like a member of the Beatles when he lay down, drowned in a pool of his own sweat, on the kerb at the top of O’Connell Street, basking in the moment of helping secure the Nissan Classic for his Irish compatriot Sean Kelly in 1987.

After breaking his collarbone back in mid-February, Donegal professional cyclist Philip Deignan returns to action today with a stage-race in Italy and is optimistic about his chances of riding the Giro d’Italia, which starts in Belfast on May 9.

American Chris Horner won the final stage of the Tour of the Basque Country to beat Spain’s Alejandro Valverde to the overall crown.