Cycling Rás: It ain't over till it's over. Northern rider Tommy Evans lost out by the smallest of margins on yesterday's opening stage of the FBD Insurance Rás to Enniscorthy, throwing up his arms in a premature victory celebration and thus enabling Chris Newton to lunge by at the line.

Evans, riding the race with the Dublin Usher Insulations team, went within a tyre-width of taking the sixth Rás stage win of his career, but his error let the defending champion to take the opening stage and the first yellow jersey of the eight-day race.

"I made a mess of it," the disappointed 1996 Rás champion admitted after the prize presentation. "Newton's team-mate Rob Sharman went with about 1,600 metres to go. I set off in pursuit with about a kilometre remaining and passed him 600 metres from the line. I could see Newton closing, but it looked like he was going to try to get by on the right. I moved over slightly, closing the door on him, and thought that was enough. But I put my arms up too early. I'm really annoyed with myself."

Britain Recycling.co.uk rider Newton won the race in 2003 and again last year, but didn't expect to be back in yellow quite so soon. "I thought my team-mate would get it, but when Tommy got up to him he was looking good for the win. I started my sprint from 300 metres out and just got by him at the line."

The 121km stage from Tallaght to Enniscorthy was run off in brutal conditions, 144 riders braving the elements for nearly three hours while sporting fixtures were being cancelled all around the country.

After a number of early moves failed to stay clear, Evans, Martin Prazdnovsky (Norway Sparebanken Vest) and Bartlomiej Matysiak (Poland Legia Bazylisek) surged with 30km remaining and opened up a decisive lead. They were caught 11km from the line by seven others, Newton and Sharman included, and rode flat out from there until the finish in order to fend off a frantic chase behind.

The Ireland Grant Thornton team of David O'Loughlin and double Rás champion Ciarán Power's Éireann Dan Morrissey squad joined forces and brought the lead down to 150 metres with two kilometres remaining.

However, a slight stall was all Sharman, Evans and Newton needed to fight it out for the stage win, the latter making the most of his world track champion speed and experience to take both the victory and race lead.

Evans is second overall heading into today's 180km leg to Cobh, four seconds back, while Power and Paídí O'Brien (Ireland Grant Thornton) are third and ninth due to time bonuses gained during the stage.

Power is leading the king of the mountains classification.