Cormac McGeough bounces back to claim third stage win at Rás

Irish-registered American-born Cormac McGeough made up for his disappointment at losing his general classification chances on Thursday's second stage of the Rás by winning stage three in Cahir on Friday.

The 27-year-old from Snoqualmie, Washington, was part of a ten-man breakaway which pushed clear with approximately 30km remaining and which had a lead of 46 seconds over the peloton with 15km left on the clock.

The gap narrowed closer to the line, with McGeough, riding for the Canel’s Java team, attacking solo inside the final five kilometres and holding on to win by three seconds ahead of fellow Irishman John Buller (Spellman Dublin Port CT), Odhran Doogan (Team Ireland) and the rest of the group.

Overnight race leader Dom Jackson (Foran CT) finished in the main bunch 18 seconds back and held the yellow jersey.

He remains on the same overall time as stage two winner Conn McDunphy (Skyline-Cadence) and Liam O’Brien (Team Ireland).

McGeough finished second overall last year behind Dillon Corkery (Team Ireland) but slipped back on Thursday’s tough mountain stage. Responding as he did on Friday to take the win was the best thing for his morale.

"It feels fantastic. I’m delighted," he said of his first ever Rás Tailteann stage win.

"It’s hard to do better than second overall as well. A stage win was definitely on the list of things I wanted to accomplish.

"I obviously wanted to start and see how the general classification fight went, but I lost time yesterday on the climbs. To be able to win the stage today is great. To be able to bounce back and win the stage is wonderful."

Earlier O’Brien, defending Rás champion Corkery, last year’s longtime race leader Conor McGoldrick (Richardsons Trek DAS) and Warren Ewan Scanlon (Brocar Rali