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.

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).

Philip Lavery, one of Ireland’s most exciting young riders, will be in the line-up for this weekend’s FBD Insurance Rás after all.

PHILIP LAVERY, one of Ireland’s most exciting young riders, will be in the line-up for next week’s FBD Insurance Rás next after all.

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.

TONY MARTIN, one of the favourites for this year’s Tour de France, won the FBD Insurance Rás three years ago and the team he led back in 2007, Thuringer Energie, is set for a return for this year’s edition of Irish cycling’s showpiece which gets under way on May 23.

CHRIS NEWTON, who won the overall title twice, will join last year’s champion Simon Richardson, and the 2008 winner, Stephen Gallagher, on the line for next month’s FBD Insurance Rás.

NEW ZEALAND are to enter a team for the first time in the prestigious FBD Rás (May 23-30).

Eurosport commentary, Milan San Remo, 1992: “And it’s Kelly in there as well! A previous winner of the race; what a finish we’re going to have. The firemen are behind pumping in the coals to try to catch Argentin, anybody with anything left in their legs is trying to get in position before the descent of the Poggio.”

Double Olympian David McCann all but sealed victory in the 2004 FBD Milk Rás this afternoon as the Belfast amateur’s solo breakaway at 107km saw him claim the seventh and penultimate stage, 149km from Carrick-on-Suir to Tullow.

DAVID O’LOUGHLIN produced a sensational performance to claim victory at the top of Seskin Hill but the yellow jersey of the FBD Milk Ras remains, and only just, with Slovenian Valter Bonca.

MALCOLM ELLIOTT, the doyen of British sprinters, finally achieved his stage victory when he won the big bunch sprint into Millstreet yesterday.

DAVID O’LOUGHLIN and David McCann are hitting top form but Irish team manager Frank Campbell yesterday said this year’s FBD Milk Rás will be the toughest yet for Irish riders.

LAST year a bunch of young riders from Kazakhstan and Sweden took the FBD Milk Rás by storm.

TEAM Bianchi Nordid, one of the most powerful cycling teams in Scandinavia, will contest next month’s FBD Milk Rás.