Young-gun Dunne blasts to stunning opening stage Rás victory

For the second time in the last five editions of the race, the little-known Tipperary County team has outwitted the big guns to produce a stage winner at the An Post Rás.

In 2009 it was an 18-year-old Sam Bennett who upstaged the more established riders and yesterday, the Iverk Produce backed team saw their U23 national time trial champion Conor Dunne blast up the road with 20km remaining in the 136km stage and then outsprint his breakaway companion Michael Northey of the British Node4 Giordana pro team to claim the biggest victory of his young career.

Dunne, who is usually based in Belgium as an amateur, was active throughout yesterday’s opener, infiltrating two dangerous moves on the road to Longford before finally escaping with Northey in the closing kilometres.