Carrick-on-Suir sprinter Sam Bennett delivered the An Post Chain Reaction team’s second stage win of this year’s An Post Rás when he outgunned Dane Morten Ollegaard (Blue Water Cycling), Polish rider Marcin Bialablocki (Team UK Youth) and the rest of the peloton in a mass bunch sprint to the line at the end of stage three in Listowel yesterday.

Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) came close to winning his first ever stage of the Tour de France when he came seventh on yesterday’s third stage from Orchies toBoulogne-sur-Mer in the north of the country.

Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) and Nicolas Roche (Ag2R La Mondiale) steered clear of trouble on yesterday’s second stage of the Tour de France and crossed the line in the same time as stage winner Mark Cavendish (Sky Procycling).

Ireland’s Dan Martin started his maiden Tour de France with a superb 8th place finish on the opening road stage from Liège to Seraing yesterday.