CHRIS NEWTON (Great Britain) won the first mountain stage of this year’s FBD Milk Rás and stripped Ireland’s Tommy Evans of the race leader’s yellow jersey, as hopes of retaining the title won by Ciaran Power last year faded down the general classification sheet on a day of drama and excitement on the 90 mile trip from Letterkenny to Buncrana.

KEVIN DAWSON (Lancaster Life Repair Group) succeeded where team mate, Mark Lovatt, failed so narrowly the previous day when he rode into Letterkenny to win yesterday’s fourth stage of the FBD Milk Ras which took the riders 107 miles from Ballina in persistent if not torrential rain.