Gilberto Simoni of the Lampre team shook off his Giro ghosts to win the 84th edition of the Tour of Italy in Milan yesterday. But Simoni's victory joy, after coming third in the two previous years, will be tempered by the sour taste left by the doping scandal which hovered over the race.

Yesterday, Simoni sailed over the line in 43rd place well behind Mario Cipollini, who held off German Danilo Hondo in a sprint finish to collect his fourth stage win of the three-week race. Overall, Spaniard Abraham Olano and compatriot Unai Osa finished second and third respectively.

Mark Scanlon and Tommy Evans fared best of the Irish octet in the Tour de Saint Quentin in northern France, placing 18th and 20th respectively behind winner Remco Van der Ven. The duo were the sole amateurs in the 21-rider split which went clear during the 188-mile world-ranked race, riding solidly in the break but ultimately losing contact on the final uphill drag to the line.

Back home, West Clare's Vincent Gleeson beat local rider Martin O'Loughlin and Cycleway's Adrian Hedderman in the Tommy Sheehan Memorial in Carrick-on-Suir, while Andrew Donnellan of Dublin Wheelers emerged best in the Traders Cup race in Dundalk. Elsewhere IMBRC rider Ger Miley showed his good postRas form when he won the Kevin McInerney Memorial in Dunlavin.