ALEXANDER WETTERHALL (Sweden Team Sprocket Pro) hung on to the race leader’s yellow jersey by six seconds as Jon Tiernan-Locke (Britian Rapha Condor Sharp) powered his way to victory at the top of Seskin Hill where a huge crowd gathered to welcome yesterday’s fifth stage of the FBD Insurance Rás.

NEW leader, Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden Team Sprocket Pro), will wear the yellow jersey when the FBD Insurance Rás arrives at the top of Seskin Hill tomorrow, but it would take a big prediction to identify the possible leader when the race departs the spiritual home of cycling.

AFTER leading the race through his home town of Cong, David O’Loughlin (An Post/Sean Kelly), supplied the perfect finishing touch to the third stage of the FBD Insurance Rás when he outsprinted defending champion, Simon Richardson (Sigma Sport Specialised).

Mayoman David O’Loughlin crowned one of the highlights of his career with a stunning stage win in the FBD Insurance Rás into Oughterard, Co Galway today.

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.

Today’s second stage of the FBD Insurance RAS from Dundalk to Carrick-on-Shannon was declared void following a serious collision involving eight riders.

DAN CRAVEN (Rapha Condor Sharp) started cycling in a tiny town in an outback of Namibia before joining a cycling club when he went to University near Cape Town and yesterday he conducted his own master class when he won the opening stage of the FBD Insurance Rás in Dundalk.

Dan Craven (Rapha Condor Sharp) won today’s opening stage of the FBD Insurance Rás from Dunboyne to Dundalk after he bested Mark McNally of the An Post Sean Kelly team to the line in glorious sunshine.

MARK CASSIDY was little more than an interested spectator when he stood alongside his mother in Drogheda to watch his father, Philip, don the coveted race leader’s yellow jersey at the end of the penultimate stage of the 1999 FBD Insurance Rás.

The An Post Sean Kelly cycling team has today announced its team for this years FBD Insurance Rás which starts this Sunday in Dunboyne.

The cycling team which bears the name of Irish cycling legend Seán Kelly has outlined an ambitious list of targets for the coming season and revealed that they are upping a gear in a bid to land success.

NICHOLAS WALKER (Australia Cinelli-DownUnder) was the surprise stage winner and Simon Richardson (Britain Rapha Condor) took the race-leader’s yellow jersey, but it was young Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) who turned in the performance of the day to finish sixth in the uphill sprint when the FBD Insurance Rás arrived in Killorglin last evening.

CHRIS NEWTON can join a handful of legends who have won the FBD Insurance Rás three times when he lines up for the 2009 edition in Kilcullen next Sunday.

Injuries and the holiday season have forced Monaghan manager Seamus McEneaney into naming an experimental side for Friday's Tommy Murphy Cup quarter-final against Louth (Dundalk, throw-in 7.30pm).