Mayo’s Niall McLoughlin was victorious on stage 3 of the Rás Mumhan on Sunday.

The Westport Covey Wheelers cyclist also finished 2nd on stage two of the race in Co Kerry.

While Conor Murnane has emerged as one of the best sprinters on the domestic scene in recent years, the 17-year-old got the better of him on this occasion.

McLoughlin was part of the Irish junior team– under the management of Martin O’Loughlin – alongside Quillan Donnelly, Sam Bolger, Ruairí Byrne, Patrick O’Loughlin and Liam O’Brien.

They are the first national junior selection to ride Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, as juniors have never been allowed into the four-stage race before now.

McLoughlin rides E3 Saxo Bank in Belgium in two weeks and after that, his attention will switch to the Junior National Track Championships.