Newton sweeps home for second Rás title

British rider Chris Newtown swept to his second FBD Insurance Rás title in two years, after finishing comfortably in the bunch at the end of today's eighth and final stage criterium in Dublin's Phoenix Park.

An Irishman did take the stage victory as Meath MD Donnelly's Bill Moore headed home a bunch spint, with Julian Win of Wales just behind hime.

While the 31-year-old Newton, a 2004 Olympic silver medallist in the team pursuit, claimed the George Plant trophy for the general classification win, the best-placed Irish rider honour went to Tim Barry (Tipperary Dan Morrissey), who finished fifth - two minutes and 43 seconds behind GB - Recyling.co.uk's Newton.

Yorkshire's Malcolm Elliott, who finished 14 seconds behind Newtown overall, and Norwegian Morten Hegreberg shared the Points classification honours with 84 points each.

Meanwhile, Elliott's team mate Mark Lovatt was the outright winner of the King of the Mountains crown, scoring 72 points.

The team honours also went to the visiting Yorkshire - Trinity Capital outfit.

SUNDAY RESULT: FBD INSURANCE RAS STAGE 8 (Phoenix Park Circuit (50km)):

(1) Bill Moore (Meath – M. Donnelly) 1 hour, 1 minute, 14 seconds

(2) Julian Winn (Wales – Stena Line)

(3) Morten Hegreberg (Norway – Sparebanken Vest)

(4) Simon Kelly (Cork Nulceus)

(5) Eugene Moriarty (Meath – Cycleways.com)

(6) Aidan Crowley (Meath – Cycleways.com)

(7) Richard Kooijman (Netherlands – Kennemerland)

(8) Yanto Barker (Wales – Stena Line)

(9) Colm Bracken (Kildare – Murphy Surveyors)

(10) Arne Hinrichsen (Germany – Stevens von Hacht) all same time

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION (George Plant trophy):

(1) Chris Newton (GB Recycling.co.uk) 26 hours, 32 minutes, 39 seconds

(2) Malcolm Elliott (Yorkshire – Trinity Capital) at 14 secs

(3) Morten Hegreberg (Norway – Sparebanken Vest) at 2 mins 21 secs

(4) Yanto Barker (Wales – Stena Line) at 2 mins 42 secs

(5) Rob Sharman (GB – Recycling.co.uk) at 2 mins 43 secs

(6) Tim Barry (Tipperary – Dan Morrissey) same time

(7) Gabriel Rasch (Norway – Sparebanken Vest) at 2 mins 59 secs

(8) John Tanner (Yorkshire – Trinity Capital) at 5 mins 40 secs

(9) Stuart Gillespie (US – TIAA CREF) same time

(10) Kevin Dawson (Yorkshire – Trinity Capital) at 6 mins 19 secs