Newton again wins battle with Elliott

CHRIS NEWTON (Recycling.co.uk) maintained leadership of the FBD Insurance RAS with Malcolm Elliott (Yorkshire Trinity Capital) still the closest challenger after yesterday’s stage.

The pair once again fought out an exciting sprint finish when the third stage finished in Lisdoonvarna with Newton claiming a second successive stage win.

The battle for supremacy on Corkscrew Hill added an extra dimension to the 97 mile trip from Tubbercurry. While KOM leader, Eugene Moriarty (Meath cycleways.com), was not involved in this skirmish, he reinforced his defence of the Polka Dot jersey finishing second behind former winner, Julian Winn on the first prime at Lurga.