Close as House gets home in FBD Rás

CHRISTIAN HOUSE (Recycling.co.uk) held off the challenge of American Danny Pate (TIAA-CREF) to win the FBD Insurance Ras in the tightest finish in the history of the event when the race ended in the seaside down of Skerries yesterday.

House had been on equal time with Pate since Friday evening but held the yellow jersey on placings. Yesterday, he finished seven places ahead of the American ­ a 27 year old from Colorado Springs ­ into Clara on Saturday evening when Bartlomiej Matyhsiak from Poland won the stage from Ciaran Power (Dan Morrissey) and yesterday, when Morten Hegregberg from Norway won the stage into Skerries from Simon Kelly (Murphy & Gunn/Newlyn Group) House finished fifth with Pate ninth.

While he had failed to gain any time in what was a tense psychological and physical struggle between two of the strongest teams in the peleton, House reinforced his leadership to take the title from team mate, Chris Newton.