It will be an An Post Rás full of nostalgia for one of the country’s most experienced riders next week as Eugene Moriarty lines up at the start in Dublin Castle for an incredible 20th time, writes Brian Canty.

Damien Shaw has been handed the onerous task of leading the An Post Chain Reaction team into battle for this year’s An Post Rás which gets underway from, Dublin Castle on Sunday week, May 21.

Tom Mazzone of the Isle of Man team will wear the first yellow jersey of this year’s Kerry Group Rás Mumhan after claiming a brilliant opening stage win last night in Killorglin.

The Kerry Group Rás Mumhan rolls out of Killorglin at 3pm today and another cracking race is expected with upwards of 190 riders set to do battle over the coming four days.

Mark Downey won’t be 21 until July but he is already one of the most decorated Irish track riders of all time.

Wandering around the lobby of the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Spain, on a gun-metal grey afternoon in January are a host of the world’s best cyclists and teams.

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.

An Post Chain Reaction took their first win of the Rás so far this week with a trademark sprint from Aaron Gate as Clemens Fankheuser retained the yellow jersey by the skin of his teeth once again.

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.

Nicolas Roche had an encouraging start to the Giro d’Italia yesterday when he posted a time of 11 minutes 33 seconds for the opening stage of the three-week race.

The horrific leg injury sustained by Spanish road cyclist Francesco Ventoso has forced the sport’s governing body, the UCI, to suspend the use of a new type of braking mechanism in the pro peloton.

Ed Laverack claimed a sensational final stage victory to win the Suir Valley 3-Day in stunning fashion.

Dave McGowan of the UK-based Champions Systems/VCUK Racing team holds a four second advantage over Ed Laverack (Condor JLT/Mavic) going into today’s final stage of the Suir Valley 3-Day in Clonmel.

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.

Ryan Mullen is the big favourite to land back-to-back U23 time-trial titles tonight as this year’s national championships get underway in Omagh, Co. Tyrone.

Lukas Postlberger was yesterday crowned the winner of An Post Rás following a week that saw him deal with crashes, crosswinds, and even the theft of his bike the night before the final stage.

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.

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.

Páidi O’Brien made it three wins from four at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan yesterday when he blasted to glory on the fourth stage of the race but it was Sean McKenna who took overall glory.

With five former winners on the start-line and a large overseas contingent competing, this weekend’s Kerry Group Rás Mumhan certainly lives up to its name as one of the country’s foremost international stage races.

Kerry Group Rás Mumhan champion Mark Dowling has played down his chances of repeating his heroics of 12 months ago when the race rolls out of Killorglin on Friday.

Sam Bennett will break new ground tomorrow when he competes in the iconic Milan-San Remo. 

Eddie Dunbar was named the Irish Male Cyclist of the Year at the Cycling Ireland Awards night over the weekend.

Páidí O’Brien is one of the hot favourites to win the final major stage race of the domestic cycling season, the Suir Valley 3-Day, which starts in Clonmel today and runs until Monday afternoon.

Cycling: The in-form Ali Macaulay of Phoenix CC took victory at the end of yesterday’s feature race on the Irish cycling calendar, the Brendan Campbell Memorial in Donore.

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.

Clemens Fankhauser of the Austria Tirol Cycling Team scooped the biggest victory of his career in Skerries yesterday when he won the An Post Rás.

New Zealand have a real star in the making in Patrick Bevin after he scorched to another stunning stage win on stage four of the An Post Rás in Caherciveen yesterday, ensuring he retains the leader’s yellow jersey at the halfway point.

Jan Sokol of the Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team won stage three of the An Post Rás into Charleville, Co. Cork yesterday on a day where two of the strongest domestic Irish riders lit up the race and Kiwi Patrick Bevin retained the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Patrick Bevin is the new race leader of the An Post Rás after he stormed to a solo win on the second stage of the race into Lisdoonvarna, Clare, yesterday.

Ireland’s Dan Martin suffered one of the biggest disappointments of his career yesterday when he crashed within sight of the line in the iconic one-day Belgian classic, Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Paddy Clarke takes the yellow jersey into today’s final stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan – level on time with Mark Dowling (DID Dunboyne) – following yesterday’s thrilling third stage.

Former international rower turned bike rider, Cathal Moynihan won yesterday’s opening stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan for the biggest win of his career and the first leaders’ yellow jersey of this year’s race.

Reigning Kerry Group Rás Mumhan champion Damien Shaw believes he has the form to become the first man to win back-to-back titles on the country’s second biggest stage race.

UCI President Pat McQuaid has ensured doubters his nomination from the Swiss Cycling federation for a third term as head of the sport’s governing body is legitimate.

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.

The Visit Nenagh Classic is shaping up to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event, with 200 riders already pre-entered for a two-day programme of racing.

Home are the heroes, a bit later than expected.

Irish President Michael D Higgins has led tributes to Team Ireland on their outstanding performance at the London Paralympic Games.

For a few moments, the hubbub that soundtracked Brands Hatch from early morning and through to teatime seemed to melt away into the sun-kissed Kent countryside, as James Brown and Damien Shaw cocked an ear towards the track’s tannoy.

Team Ireland are celebrating another gold medal at the London Games.