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.

Carrick-on-Suir sprinter Sam Bennett delivered the An Post Chain Reaction team’s second stage win of this year’s An Post Rás when he outgunned Dane Morten Ollegaard (Blue Water Cycling), Polish rider Marcin Bialablocki (Team UK Youth) and the rest of the peloton in a mass bunch sprint to the line at the end of stage three in Listowel yesterday.

The sinuous, switchback-laden ascent of Glengesh Pass was always destined to play a big role in this year’s An Post Rás, and by the time the riders reached the base of the climb after 100km of racing on yesterday’s stage six, it was beginning to look like there would be a new man in yellow by the finish in Killybegs yesterday.

Another fast and furious day on the An Post Rás saw a new rider in the yellow jersey yesterday as Swiss professional Pirmin Lang of the Atlas Personal Jackroo team outsprinted a seven-man lead group to take victory on stage two into Gort.

Irish rider Mark Cassidy (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) realised a childhood dream today in Kilcullen when he won the penultimate stage seven of this year's FBD Insurance Rás.

Jon Tiernan-Locke of the Rapha Condor Sharp team won today’s fifth stage of the FBD Insurance Rás from Tipperary Town to Seskin Hill, Carrick-on-Suir.

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.

Maximillian May of the German Thuringer Energie team claimed today’s fourth stage of the FBD Insurance Rás from Oughterard, Co. Galway to Tipperary Town.

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.

A Downpatrick man has been blinded by a woman who stood on his head in stiletto heels, according to a local Sinn Féin councillor.