A PUNCTURE soon after the start of the final stage of the Tour of the North yesterday proved very costly for the race leader Tommy Evans of Banbridge as he lost out and plunged to 12th place overall with Jason McIntyre of Edinburgh the overall winner.

The stage of 65 miles started and finished at Larne and went up the coast road and then into the hills and back through the glens of Antrim.

Denis Easton won the stage, with his Maryland clubmate Dave McCall second, but McIntyre emerged best overall by eight seconds from Andy Proffitt of Deal, Canterbury with Ian Chivers just another three seconds away in third.

Evans from Banbridge, last year's FBD Milk Ras winner, tried to get a chase organised after his mishap but he had no team support and failed to get sufficient outside help. With a furious pace at the head of affairs Evans was unable to get back to the leaders and his fate was sealed long before the end as McIntyre, Proffitt and Chivers battled it out.