Irish professional cycling team Aqua Blue Sport have had their team bus set on fire in what Spanish police believe to be an arson attack.

Ryan Mullen claimed a wonderful solo victory in the Irish elite men’s road race championships in Co. Wexford, crossing the line ahead of a gallant runner-up Christopher McGlinchey.

An Irish-registered professional cycling team will compete in a Grand Tour this year for the first time ever after Aqua Blue Sport secured a wild card entry to the Vuelta a Espana.

A 21 year old student died after he fell from cliffs while free climbing at the coast near his home Co Dublin.

Clemens Fankhauser became just the seventh rider in Rás history to win the race more than once yesterday, the Austria Tirol man riding into sun-baked Skerries adorned in the yellow jersey he claimed last Tuesday in Dingle.

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.

Ireland’s Conor Dunne claimed the biggest win of his career yesterday with a brilliant ‘smash and grab’ in the hardest one-day race on the UK calendar, the Rutland-Melton Cicle Classic (1.2).

Just when it seemed like the Vuelta a Espana was slipping from his grasp, Dutch powerhouse Tom Dumoulin produced one of the performances of his career to retake the race lead with four days to go.

Nicolas Roche slipped outside the top 20 at the Vuelta A Espana yesterday after losing over 13 minutes to stage winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).

Nicolas Roche moved up one place to 21st overall at the Vuelta A Espana after yesterday’s 12th stage of the race to Lleida, the Team Sky man not getting amongst the sprint that decided the day.

Damien Shaw was the toast of Irish cycling this weekend after he was crowned national elite road race champion for the very first time, beating many of the the country’s best amateur and professional riders on a memorable afternoon in Omagh.

Katie Taylor returned to winning ways, progressing to a bronze medal bout at the European Games in Baku yesterday.

Irish domestic amateur Damien Shaw came within a whisker of landing a stage win at the An Post Rás yesterday, emerging just metres short following a thrilling 160km of racing from Ballina to Ballinamore.

The An Post Chain Reaction celebrated their second stage win in as many days at the Rás yesterday on a savage day that saw the field split to pieces.

Italian rider Francesca Reda is the first race leader of this year’s An Post Rás after a thrilling opening stage from Dunboyne to Carlow yesterday which saw the peloton lose over 10 minutes and Ian Richardson of UCD take the county rider prize.

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.

Philip Deignan believes Ireland have a gold medal contender in Dan Martin for tomorrow’s Elite men’s road race at the World Championships in Spain.

Cycling Ireland last night named a strong team for the UCI World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain in two weeks’ time.

Irish internationals Ryan Mullen, Conor Dunne and Jack Wilson will line out as part of a six man An Post Chainreaction team at the Ride London-Surrey Classic tomorrow.

CYCLING: Sam Bennett is the hot favourite to win tomorrow’s Elite National Road Race title in Mullingar, but the Carrick-on-Súir rider is playing down his chances.

Kilkenny continue the policy of rotation for tomorrow’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final in Semple Stadium (throw-in 3.30pm).

Laois 2-21 Antrim 0-21

Michael Hutchinson won his second successive Irish national time-trial title in the elite men’s event in Carlingford, Co. Louth last night.

It was as easy as one, two, three for the An Post Chain Reaction team yesterday as Sam Bennett led teammates Nicholas Vereeken and Shane Archbold over the line in Skerries for a clean sweep of the podium places on the last stage of the An Post Rás.

Fractured femurs, punctured lungs, broken jaws, dislocated fingers and smashed collar bones are just some of the injuries Dr Conor McGrane has had to deal with during his six years in the role and you’d have to wonder what the lure of such a high-pressure job is.

Marcin Bialoblocki became the first rider on this year’s An Post Rás to retain the yellow jersey when he finished eighth on stage four yesterday in Glengarrif where Russian Kirrill Pozdnyakov took stage victory for the Irish-run Synergy Baku team.

It was all change on the An Post Rás yesterday as a seemingly flat second stage delivered a new stage winner and another Irish race leader into Nenagh.

For the second time in the last five editions of the race, the little-known Tipperary County team has outwitted the big guns to produce a stage winner at the An Post Rás.

Sean Downey finished best of the Irish yesterday in the U23 European Time Trial Championships in Goes, Holland; taking 11th place in the 78-rider field.

The only foregone conclusion in championship hurling, says Dublin manager Anthony Daly, is that there is no foregone conclusion.

For Saturday's Leinster SHC quarter-final against Dublin, the Laois hurlers are unchanged from the side which beat Carlow a fortnight ago.

Laois 0-19 Wexford 5-12

Antrim 2-18 Laois 2-16

Offaly 1-27 Laois 0-18

A HIGH Court dispute between Fás and its now former director of health and safety Greg Craig has been settled.

FÁS has been blocked by the High Court from taking any further steps to sack health and safety director Greg Craig and from making disparaging comments to the media about him.

FAS has been blocked by the High Court from taking any further steps to sack its Director of Health and Safety, Greg Craig, and from making any disparaging comments to the media about him.

Cork 10-20 Laois 1-13

Laois manager Brendan Fennelly has opted to make three changes in personnel for Saturday's All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Cork in Portlaoise (throw-in 3pm).

Cork 3-18 Laois 0-13

Recently-appointed Laois senior hurling manager Brendan Fennelly has announced his 28-man panel for the 2011 campaign.