Cork's Dillon Corkery wins Ras Tailteann after late raid 

Corkman Dillon Corkery is the toast of Irish cycling after staging a stunning late raid to win Ras Tailteann in the final kilometres in Blackrock, Co. Louth on Sunday.

The 24-year old from Banteer in North Cork started the final leg - a relatively short and flat 133-kilometre journey from Monaghan town - in seventh place overall, 19 seconds down on overnight race leader Conor McGoldrick.

He's been a watched man since the race rolled out of Navan last Wednesday, not least because he was the designated General Classification hopeful of the national team but also having won Saturday's penultimate stage he was right in contention.

But he found an extra gear again when it mattered most on Sunday, forging his way into the day's early breakaway alongside another dozen riders and absconding from that with around 40 kilometres remaining to take back the time he needed to secure overall victory.

If it sounds easy, it was anything but, because around Corkery all day on Sunday were a clutch of other GC hopefuls, so he first needed to shake those off - one of whom happened to be his Irish teammate Aaron Wade.

From an initial group of 13, five broke clear as the race approached the four 11-kilometre circuits around Blackrock that brought this year's edition to a conclusion.

Corkery along with eventual stage winner Finn Crockett (Derry: Foyle CC), Ben Chilton (Halesowen Academy), double stage winner Matthew Fox (Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli), and Jack Crook (Richards Trek DAS) were in that selection which proved to be a perfect coalition.

Crucially, Corkery's biggest worry - Cormac McGeough (Good Guys Racing) did not make the move, while McGoldrick was out of steam back in the peloton after bravely defending the yellow jersey for three consecutive days.

Crockett took the stage win, Corkery trailing behind by a few seconds but with over two minutes to the group behind it meant he had time to get his hands in the air and celebrate the biggest win of his career.

McGoldrick did have some consolation by taking the Polka Dot jersey as winner of the King of the Mountains Classification, while the other jerseys were won by Conn McDunphy - Cycling Leinster (Best County Rider), Aaron Wade - Irish National Team (best U23 rider overall), Matthew Fox - Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli, (Points Jersey), Aureliusz Kluz - Louth/ Jons SCME Dimplex (best A2 rider overall) and Derek Joyce - Galway Bay CC (best A3 rider overall). Derry/Foyle CC won the County Team Prize while Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli won the International Team award.

Meanwhile, Corkery's close friend and training partner Eddie Dunbar held firm on a brutally hard 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday, the 26-year-old Corkman losing no major time to those around him in the battle for the pink jersey.

The Jayco-ALula rider crossed the line in 19th position with almost 200 kilometres and 3,600 metres of climbing in his legs, but most importantly he stayed in the hunt and is still eighth overall.

He's still 3'40” down on race leader Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ) who took the jersey from Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) on Saturday after infiltrating a race-winning breakaway and staying away until the finish.

With three major mountain days ahead this week Dunbar has a long way to go yet, but with a penultimate day time-trial involving a climb, he'll look to get there in the best possible condition.