Anthony first home but Reus holds yellow easily

CYCLING/Junior Tour: Dutchman Kai Reus maintained his two-minute, ten-second lead at the top of the general classification after yesterday's toughest stage of the Junior Tour, but second-placed Jesse Anthony found ample compensation in Carrick-on-Suir when he sprinted to a fine win at the end of 56 hard, hilly miles of racing.

The US rider unleashed a final burst of speed which carried him home ahead of Frenchman Olivier Costechareyre and Team Ireland-Stena Line rider Barry Woods, plus the 19 other riders in the leading break.

The race was based on a tough, hilly circuit around Seán Kelly's home town and offered the biggest chance yet to reshuffle the general classification. However, Reus was never under serious threat from his rivals, despite a series of attacks, and comfortably held onto yellow.

Mark Cavandish of the Dataphonics team did, however, drop away, resulting in Woods moving back up into fourth, while fellow Irishmen Richard Maes (Killarney CC) and Paul McMahon (Bray Wheelers) also moved up, into eighth and ninth overall.

The stage began with the now-customary early attack by Usher IRC's James Lawless, who burst from the pack with Frenchman Gwenael Conte within the first mile.

Lawless fell away after two miles but Conte climbed strongly up the stage's first-category climb, a heavily wooded three-mile gradient, and crested the summit one minute clear.

He was, however, hauled back by the end of that lap, paving the way for an attack by Maarte Mandemakers and Brad Viera, who pooled their strength in a Dutch-American alliance and opened up a near-two-minute lead.

Swords rider Paul Brady rode strongly in an attempt to bridge the gap, but was hauled back on the final ascent of the first-category climb when Reus and Anthony brutally upped the pace.

Mandemakers and Viera may have been team-mates of the sparring duo but the tussle for the general classification saw the gloves come off, indirectly damning the leading duo's chances. They were finally absorbed with just one kilometre remaining, paving the way for the big group finish and Anthony's win.

Irish rider Woods was third, Mark Nestor eighth, while Maes, McMahon, Mark Cassidy, Theo Harwick and Peter Hawkins rode well to finish in that 22-rider move, a minute clear of the bunch.

The Tour continues today with a 55-mile race in Clonmel, the international contest ending tomorrow in Waterford.