York Cycleworks rider Alastair Kay has produced a rash of top placings in the last two weeks after a gruelling Irish challenge.

Kay has impressed in the saddle riding high in the slipstream of his solid ride at The FBD Milk Ras, which is

by far the toughest bike race in the British Isles.

The 700-mile, eight-day, lap of Ireland was contested by some of Europe's top teams, among them the German Telekom team, Britain's Olympic medal-winning pursuit squad, and the South African HSBC-backed outfit.

With the eight stages averaging 26.5 miles per hour the race was by far the fastest in Ras history.

Kay rode consistently throughout, being well placed at only 1min.27sec down on the leader as he sped into the final road stage.

However, an unfortunate puncture on the final road stage limited his challenge and he lost a further three minutes to finish 34th overall out of the field of 190 riders.

Not stopping for rest Kay went straight to the Featherstone RC 90-mile road race the next day and, despite tiredness, was able to get in to the break which dominated the race until a late challenge by British national champion John Tanner.

He caught and passed the leaders with impressive power in the final mile to take the race.

Kay and team-mate Jonathan Muir took fourth and fifth, behind soon to be crowned Yorkshire champion Glyn Shirley, who had escaped the main bunch earlier in the event.

Kay and Muir were again left in the wake of the National Champion at the Sowerby Brothers road race where Kay took second.

He broke clear of the chasers with form improving as he recovered and subsequently felt the benefit of the effrort put into the Milk Ras.

The Cycleworks' riders are now bidding to produce yet better results in the proceeding weeks as they build up to the 130-mile National Championship road race in July.

There the favourites will be defending champion Tanner and last summer's Tour de France prologue winner David Millar.

Updated: 12:19 Friday, June 15, 2001