Hidden break rules Moriarty out of Rás

CYCLING/Rás news: Irish national criterium champion Eugene Moriarty has withdrawn from this month's FBD Insurance Rás following the diagnosis of a broken collarbone. Moriarty crashed on the opening stage of the Rás Mumhan in mid-April, but despite X-rays then, the initial medical assessment was that the problem was a soft-tissue injury rather than a fracture.

He underwent intense physiotherapy in an effort to recover in time for this year's Rás, but a lack of progress prompted a new assessment by a specialist last week, when the true extent of the injury was determined.

"I went to a specialist in Limerick last Thursday to get it checked out again," he said yesterday. "The specialist sent me for X-rays just in case; these were done at a higher resolution than before and from a different angle, enabling them to discover the fracture.

"I am very disappointed to miss the Rás this year, especially as there are two stages in Kerry and one of them finishes in my home town of Killorglin. Aidan Crowley will take my place on the team."

The reigning national criterium champion was Ireland's number one ranked rider in 2005 and has been one of the best Irish domestic competitors in the Rás. He wore the King of the Mountains jersey for four stages in 2005, and had several top-10 stage placings in recent years.