SAM BENNETT (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) was back up in the thick of the action as Nicholas Walker (Australia Cinelli-Down Under) outsprinted Jaan Kirsipuu (Norway Giant-Veolia) and Monday’s stage winner, Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) for stage glory when the FBD Insurance Rás produced another explosive finish in Scariff yesterday evening.

The outlook for jobs in the European technology sector is very positive with almost 60% of firms expecting to increase recruitment over the next 12 months, according to the annual IT confidence survey by Eurocom Worldwide.

PHILIP DEIGNAN and Nicolas Roche finished 17th and 22nd respectively after contesting 177km gruelling miles in the U23 World cycling road championship in Verona yesterday.