DONEGAL man Paul Giles, who won the opening stage of the FBD Milk Ras into Kilkenny last Saturday, was the winner again yesterday on the first of three stages finishing in his home county.

Giles, from Downings, and riding with the Derry team, beat Rafael Hennes of Germany after 94 miles in the rain again from Tubbercurry to Letterkenny with Peter Daly of the Ireland squad third.

For most of the way another change of leadership seemed likely as Denis O'Shea of Kerry was leader on the road from Finn O'Sullivan (Dublin Fingal), but at the end a chasing group of 48, with all the other top men included, had reduced their deficit from over three minutes to just 21 seconds and there was no alteration to the leading placings overall.

So, setting out on today's crucial mountain stage of 89 miles to Buncrana, Marcus Lemm of Germany still has the leader's yellow Jersey with an advantage of 59 seconds over David McCann and Tommy Evans.

David Peelo (Dublin Fingal) was forced to abandon after only 12 miles yesterday and Daly took over the red jersey as leader of the king of the mountains competition, while there was also a change in the points classification, with Jacques Fullard of South Africa the new leader from Hennes and Daly.

Peelo was very ill on Tuesday and struggled to the finish 27 minutes down. He said before the start yesterday that he felt considerably better, but when he got going he was so weak after only five miles that he had great difficulty in holding a place at the rear of the fast moving pack. After losing contact and receiving medical attention he reluctantly retired.

Mike Taylor of Britain and Padraig Marrey (Mayo) were with O'Shea, O'Sullivan, Giles, Hennes, Daly and Fullard in the early breakaway move. They built up a lead only gradually. At Sligo, 21 miles, they were a minute and 20 seconds up and at Bundoran, where Daly took the prime award, the gap was 3:20. Marrey led through Ballyshannon, 48 miles, with the lead at 3:25 and the advantage reached its maximum of 3:35 at 70 miles.

Then on Barnesmore Gap first Merrey and then Taylor lost contact with the leaders and at the top Hennes beat Daly for the five points with Fullard and O'Sullivan third and fourth.

Giles, with team mates McCann and Evans second and third overall, was instructed by his team manager, Scot Sandy Gilchrist, not to work at the front but then with 10 miles to go and the chasing group coming up fast, the tactics changed. Hennes surged ahead and first only Daily could go within, but Giles responded and also linked up as Fullard, O'Shea and O'Sullivan dropped back and looked in danger of being reeled in by those behind.

However, on the fast run in to Letterkenny, Fullard, O'Shea and O'Sullivan got back up to Hennes, Giles and Daly, who were watching each other closely as they prepared for the final sprint. Then, on the drag up Main Street, Hennes went on with Giles in behind, followed by Daly, and in the last few yards Giles swept past the German to add to the earnings of the Derry team.

Before the start, the four commissaries and chief judge interviewed Englishman Ben Luckwell, who was accused of collusion with the Derry team. It was decided that he had infringed the UCI disciplinary regulations and was penalised 10 seconds in the overall classification and fined £200 that was in addition to a fine of £100 on Tuesday evening. He risks disqualification if there is another similar offence.

Today's stage goes right up to Malin Head and includes Ballagh Mountain at 46 miles and the Gap of Mamore, 81 miles. After the Glengesh Pass tomorrow there should be a clearer picture of where the Ras honours are going.