Two full-time working men finished in the top 30 at the An Post Rás last Sunday and not a single full-time cyclist finished in the bottom 30.

Eddie Dunbar avoided disaster to stay in contention for the yellow jersey at the An Post Rás yesterday, the young Corkman battling to limit his losses to just 14 seconds after a late mechanical threatened to derail his chances.

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.