No place like home as Hanson takes yellow

LAST October Ken Hanson came over from California to visit his aunt and cousins in Leitrim and yesterday his relations were celebrating his return to the county of his ancestry as he claimed the first yellow jersey of this year’s FBD Insurance Rás in Ballinamore.

Riding for the Isle of Man team, this was a spectacular return for the 26-year-old American who exploded from the pack 300 metres out and then held off the fast finishing Dutch rider, Patrick Kos, in an enthralling bunch finish that was fought out in glorious sunshine in the town of Ballinamore.

Benny de Schrooder of the An Post/Sean Kelly team snatched third place ahead of Mateusz Komar (Poland), Dean Downing (Stena Rapha) and Mark Nestor (Dublin Eurocycles) who underscored the big Irish presence that was evident at the front of the peloton throughout the day.