Swede sweeps to stage win

TOMMY EVANS retained the Rás leader’s coveted yellow jersey but the Banbridge man, who won the title in 1996, insisted yesterday’s windswept 117-mile stage from Roscrea to Clifden was the hardest of his career.

“I certainly never experienced anything like it before. The rain was so cold it was just incredible,” Evans said as he clung on to his slender four-second lead over the impressive young Dane, Ari Hojgaarde. “And there was absolutely no protection from the cross-wind once we hit Galway.”

Stage victory went to 20-year-old Swede Jonas Holmkvist, who won the sprint into Clifden from Assan Bazayev of Kazakhstan with South African Ian McLeod in third ahead of Keith Gallagher for the Kildare North team and defending champion Ciaran Power.