The An Post Rás burst into life yesterday as an Irish rider landed a first stage win of the week and the race for the yellow jersey was blown wide open.

Taco van der Hoorn of the Dutch Join-S de Rijke squad won yesterday’s opening stage of the An Post Rás on a day that saw 40-year old ex-Irish Olympian Ciarán Power roll back the years and barrel in for a mighty result of his own.