Nally's triumphant return to Cork

DERMOT NALLY, who has spent all of his racing career in Spain, made a dramatic return to his native Cork yesterday when he screamed into Charleville to win the third stage of the FBD Milk Rás.

The 24-year-old professional was born in Cork City and lived on College Road until his family moved to Valencia when he was six. Since then all of his visits to Ireland have featured the podium. He won the national junior road race championships in Carrick-on-Suir as a first year junior and won the under-23 championships in 2001.

But nothing matched yesterday's achievement when he sprinted clear of the leading group of riders that had dominated the race from the very start to claim victory on his own and savour every moment of it up the finishing straight.