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.

FOUR riders participating in the FBD Insurance Rás spent last night in hospital in Enniskillen after an horrific crash on the descent from Bellavalley Gap that caused the second stage from Dundalk to Carrick-on-Shannon to be declared null and void.

CIARÁN POWER (Pezula Racing) put five days of misery behind him to win the stage and put himself right up in contention for what would be a sensational third FBD Milk Rás victory at the end of a 112 mile trip from Skibbereen to Clonmel that wrought havoc at the top of the general classification sheet where Simon Richardson (Plowman Craven) now holds the overall lead and former race leader, Stephen Gallagher (An Post/Sean Kelly), moves back up to within 10 seconds of reclaiming pole position.