Irish rider Robert Jon McCarthy in the thick of it with the WorldTour men during the sprint finish at the end of stage 3 of the Tour de Yorkshire.
Robert Jon McCarthy has popped up at the Tour de Yorkshire and taken 5th place in the sprint to the line at the end of stage 3.
The JLT-Condor rider fought to hold his place on the frantic run-in to Scarborough. And though he was sprinting against some real quality from the WorldTour, he took a very strong result.
The 24-year-old, who beat Caleb Ewan in a sprint for the Australian title as a junior, spent some time away from the sport in 2015 and 2016.
Since his comeback he has switched his allegiance from Australia to Ireland; having emigrated from Fermoy, Co Cork, as a child with his family.
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He had taken 2nd in the prologue TT at the Istrian Spring Trophy in Croatia earlier this year. But today's result is his best since coming back to cycling.
McCarthy has always been a very fast sprinter; a stage win and yellow jersey in the Rás just one of the results that proves it.
Still only young and in what should still be his development years; he has today perhaps reminded even himself of what he is capable of.
The stage was won by Max Walscheid (Team Sunweb) from overall leader and stage 2 victor Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana).
Jon Aberasturi (Euskadi-Murias) took third place, with Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept Club) 4th, and then McCarthy.
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French veteran Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Énergie) almost spoiled the sprinters' party. He attacked in the final 5km after several earlier breakaways had been mopped up.
But with the breeze and a long steady incline before the finish proving testing, he was caught well inside the final kilometre.
Of the other Irish riders in the race; Eddie Dunbar (Aqua Blue Sport) was in 39th place today, on the same time as the winner.
Ben Walsh (18), of Vitus Pro Cycling, did very well to stay with the bunch on some very rolly roads towards the end.
He found himself on the wrong side of a split as the battle for sprint positioning got underway. And he would finish in 79th place, just 1:12 down - a good ride once again.
Sean McKenna (Holdsworth Pro Cycling) came home in 109th place, at 8:18.
Dunbar remains best of the Irish overall; the 21-year-old in 11th place just 29 seconds down.
And he will look to do something on tomorrow's final stage; a very difficult day, with some hard climbing that can suit him.
The riders face 189.5km from Halifax to Leeds, with six ascents in all; two in the final third of the race.
Combined, the four categorised climbs make for just over 16km of climbing. And the Park Rash ascent, just before the halfway point, is 2.2km lone and tips out at 25 per cent.
Today, Dunbar's Aqua Blue Sport team was hoping for a sprint stage win with Adam Blythe. And while the former national British champion was in the hunt at the finish, he had to settle for 13th.
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