CYCLING RÁS:AFTER SEVEN tough categorised climbs and a plucky performance by Irishman David O'Loughlin, Germany's John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie) triumphed at the end of the sixth stage of the FBD Insurance Rás in Gorey.

The 21-year-old outsprinted former race leader Dan Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) at the end of the 127km leg, the duo having broken away in the closing kilometres and opened a strong lead.

“It was a very good stage for me and my team,” he said. “We did some very good work today and in the end we got the win. The hills today were very hard . . . the first category climb was a four kilometre mountain.

“I had good legs today, my team too. They made the pace and then I attacked, going away with Dan Craven and winning the sprint.”

A big group containing yellow jersey Alex Wetterhall (Sweden – Team Sprocket) and all of the other contenders came in 50 seconds later.

Stephen O’Sullivan (Meath Engraveit.ie/Jade.ie) was best Irishman in 11th, while Connor McConvey (An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly) also finished in the same time and is top home rider in seventh.

His team-mate O’Loughlin had a very strong performance on the stage, going clear early on with last year’s winner, Simon Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialized), and Wetterhall’s team-mate Fredrik Johansson after approximately 30km.

The Mayo rider took top points on four of the day’s seven climbs, underlining his strength when he rode away from the other two on the first category Corabutt, and bolstered his lead in the king of the mountains classification.

He has a 15-point advantage over Richardson and will aim to win that competition over the weekend.

The trio stayed clear until 30km from the end, being caught just before Carnew, and from there Craven and Degenkolb ramped up the pace and went on to fight it out for the stage win.

Wetterhall was composed at the end of the stage, knowing that neither rider was close enough to take yellow. However, he admitted to being under pressure with 30km to go.

“A big group went away and as I was on the front myself at the time, I couldn’t close it down.

“My team had done a lot of work before that and they were pretty cooked. I was up there for a few minutes, just chasing, chasing, chasing.”

However, a team-mate returned and helped him get back in touch.

“There are more mountains tomorrow, and so I hope it goes well,” he said.

He has two stages to go, but if he holds on during today’s tough, 151km race from Gory to Kilcullen, he has a strong chance. It crests several climbs, including that of Drumgoff and Wicklow Gap.

Wetterhall is eight seconds clear of the Austria’s Josef Kugler.

STAGE SIX: Carrick on Suir- Gorey: 1, John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie) 127 kilometres in 2 hours 59 mins 58 secs; 2, D. Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) same time; 3, S. Archbold (New Zealand) at 50 secs; 4, L. Schadlich (Germany Thuringer Energie); 5, M. Wiesiak (Japan – Nippo); 6, J. Lewis (Australia Drapac Porsche); 7, J. Anderson (Sweden – Team Sprocket Pro); 8, A. Signego (Japan – Nippo); 9, P. Williams (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta); 10, J. McEvoy (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta); 11, S. O’Sullivan (Meath Engraveit.ie/Jade.ie); 12, W. Sybrandy (Britain Sigmasport Specialized); 13, M. Cronshaw (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp); 14, K. Gilham (Britain Sigmasport Specialized); 15, A. Roche (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta) all same time

General classification (after 6 stages): 1, Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden – Team Sprocket Pro) 17 hours 46 mins 18 secs; 2, J. Kugler (Austria Arbö KTM-Gebrüder Weis) at 8 secs; 3, P. Williams (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta) at 59 secs; 4, J. Anderson (Sweden – Team Sprocket Pro) at 1 min 28 secs; 5, D. Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) at 1 min 32 secs; 6, D. Pell (Australia Drapac Porsche) at 1 min 34 secs; 7, C. McConvey (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 1 min 45 secs; 8, J. Tiernan-Locke (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) same time; 9, J. Lewis (Australia Drapac Porsche) at 1 min 46 secs; 10, R. Partridge (Wales) at 1 min 49 secs; 11, P. Ghyllebert (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) at 2 mins 4 secs; 12, J. Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie) at 2 mins 19 secs; 13, S. Shaw (Australia Drapac Porsche) at 2 mins 35 secs; 14, A. Roche (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta) at 2 min 57 secs; 15, I. Bibby (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta) at 3 mins 29 secs.

Points: 1, John Degenkolb (Germany Thuringer Energie) 42; 2, P. Williams (Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta) 40; 3, D. Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 37; 4, J. Lewis (Australia Drapac Porsche) 30; 5, P. Ghyllebert (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M.Donnelly Sean Kelly) 29

King of the mountains: 1, David O’Loughlin (Belgium An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) 57; 2, S. Richardson (Britain Sigmasport Specialized) 42; 3, F. Johansson (Sweden – Team Sprocket Pro) 34; 4, D. Craven (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 29; 5, J. Tiernan-Locke (Britain Rapha Condor Sharp) 25.