Dylan Foley solos to fantastic stage win in Rás Mumhan but Sean McKenna takes yellow

Men of the moment; Dylan Foley was the winner of today's stage 2 in Kerry Group Rás Mumhan but the man to his left Sean McKenna's third place on the 144km leg into Kenmare was enough to put him into yellow.

Just months out of the junior ranks, one of the most promising young riders in the country Dylan Foley has taken his biggest ever win at Kerry Group Rás Mumhan on today's stage 2 which included the feared Healy Pass.

The Aquablue rider competing this weekend with the Irish Development team infiltrated the winning breakaway on the 144km trek starting and finishing in Kenmare and attacked it as the leaders hurtled towards the final 10km.

He held off the chase behind to take a brilliant win and his Irish Development team mate Sean McKenna's 3rd place on the stage was enough to secure for him the yellow jersey.

He had been in yesterday's winning escape and on the line today he just about pipped Sean Lacey (Aquablue) for 3rd. That was a significant result as both riders had started today equal on time, some 19 seconds down on the yellow jersey after both being in the winning escape on stage 1.

It meant McKenna's finishing ahead of former overall winner Lacey today gave him the lead on count back.

It was a great day for the U23 national team, with Foley also taking the mountains leader jersey to add to his stage win and McKenna's yellow.

With around 70km raced today, an escape of 15 had formed out front, with the yellow jersey of stage 1 winner Cathal Moynihan (Tralee BC) absent.

And that was to be the winning move of the day; a lead group of an initial five being caught by 10 and pressing hard for home all the way.

Towards the back end of the stage with 15km remaining to the chequered flag in Kenmare, the leaders had 1:30 on a chase group, with the main bunch some four minutes back.

Approaching the 10km to go mark Foley took a flyer on his own from the breakaway and pulled out of gap of 10 seconds almost immediately.

He put the head down and that gap grew to around 20 seconds as he dipped inside 10km remaining. At that point the chase group had closed down the breakaway by around 30 seconds and the gap between the two groups fell a couple of seconds under the one minute mark.

Foley was however more concerned about the road ahead of him than what was happening behind and he very strongly and courageously pressed for home in Kenmare, building a gap of 40 seconds as he passed the 4km to go mark.

He had finished yesterday’s opening stage in the peloton and so was 57 seconds off the yellow jersey. It meant as he closed in on the finish this afternoon he had a chance at taking the leader’s jersey with his stage win.

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However, he was to get no further, holding 35 seconds as he passed the 1km to go point and soloed into the finish for an absolutely terrific stage win and by far the biggest victory of his career to date.

Win Botman of the Dutch WV Noord Holland team took second place behind him, with Foley’s Irish Development squad team mate McKenna pipping Lacey of the Aquablue team for third.

And that was enough for young McKenna to take the race lead, a fantastic result for the UCD CC rider. He was only called into the Irish team for the weekend contest in Kerry after two of those originally picked to start were diverted to Nations Cup action on the Continent because of injuries to other squad members there.

More later.