THERE WERE changes of leadership in all three weekend races following yesterday's time trial stages. Olympic hope Philip Collins produced a surge of power in the five miles test at Blarney to take over there and although Ross Blayney was quickest over the four mile race at Corey, his Ards clubmate Kirk Sloan was a second slower and he went into the lead by a second from Saturday's first stage winner Declan McMacken of Bangor. However, Sloan was displaced in the afternoon's 62 miles by Barry Donnelly.

In the stage three time trial in the Tour of the North over a circuit of 11 miles near Coleraine, Englishman Wayne Randle was fastest by 12 seconds from the prologue time trial winner, Tommy Evans of the UCF team.

With Saturday's stage winner Rob Holden only 10th Randle took over the leader's jersey from him with Evans back up to second place at 16 seconds and Holden slipped to third at 55 seconds.

Collins was in the leading group at the end of Saturday's opening stage of 63 miles at Blarney, but was not involved in the sprint for the top placings behind Paul Griffin. However, the situation was reversed in the time trial with Collins clearly best.

Collins was timed at 10 minutes and 28 seconds with John Herety his closest challenger 29 seconds behind and David Peelo was at a further three seconds.

Keith Bannon beat Griffin and Colm Bracken at the finish of last evening's criterium but there were no overall changes and Collins leads going into today's final stage.

There was a big change around at the top in Gorey, following the afternoon stage there over four laps of 15 miles. Sloan lost out with Donnelly of the Eastern Region the new leader. Sloan was draught back in the main group as a breakaway group forged ahead, with Donnelly included, and at the finish the gap was 52 seconds - Sloan was involved in a crash near the finish but he was given the bunch time and drops to sixth.

At the finish Frank Dunne from Anthony Rock with Rua Mitchell third and setting today (12.30) on the from Corey to Brittas, has an advantage of just one second over Brian Lennon, with Rock third at eight seconds and Dunne another seven seconds down, followed by Mitchell and Sloan.