Newton bids to join Rás legends

CHRIS NEWTON has the opportunity to join the legends of cycling over the coming week by winning the FBD Insurance Rás for a third time and John Herety, manager of the British Rapha Condor team, admitted on the eve of Irish cycling’s showpiece that the former world champion and three-time Olympic medallist has that as his ambition.

“I am pretty sure he would love to win it,” said Herety, who starred as a professional in other races in Ireland like the Kelloggs City Centre series and the Nissan Classic in the 1980s.

“But this is a very, very difficult race to win,” he added. “It is very difficult to control the bunch with a team of five riders. You just cannot employ normal tactics that you would employ in another stage race.