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Rás 2017

Matt finish! First Irish win as Teggart takes Stage 3 of the Rás

Five Irish riders finished in the top 10 on Tuesday.

Matthew Teggart on the road to Ballysadare Matthew Teggart on the road to Ballysadar. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

MATTHEW TEGGART DELIVERED the first Irish win of the 2017 An Post Rás in a sprint finish to Tuesday’s third stage.

The Banbridge rider made his move with 300 metres to go in Bundoran and held on to beat Britain’s Ian Bibby and France’s Stéphane Poulhies into second and third.

It was a great day’s racing for the Irish with five riders in the top 10. Philip Lavery and Darragh O’Mahony finished sixth and seventh respectively, with Teggart’s An Post Chain Reaction team-mates Damien Shaw and Sean McKenna in eighth and 10th.

Matthew Teggart celebrates winning the 3rd stage Teggart celebrates. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

“It’s an absolute honour to even ride the Rás, never mind win a stage,” Teggart said.

“The boys played an absolute blinder today. Damien and Sean pretty much sacrificed themselves for me.

“This is my first race back from injury so I’m over the moon with the result.”

Dennis Bakker leads the general classification after finishing fourth on today’s stage. The Dutch rider holds a 22-second lead over 11 riders including Teggart, O’Mahony, Lavery, Shaw and McKenna.

The Rás hits the mountains tomorrow with a 152-kilometre stage from Bundoran to Buncrana.

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