THE Isle of Man team claimed a fine 3rd place overall in the Suir Valley 3-day road race in Ireland.

Andy Roche held the yellow jersey going into the final day, but was narrowly beaten for the title and finished 4th.

Team Isle of Man Microgaming manager Gary Hinds says he is delighted with the performance of the Manx team. Hinds said, "It was a brilliant team performance and a good test for the junior riders."

Roche added, "I was in a great position going into the final stage, but we had a few problems.

"It was a good team performance but I'm disappointed not to win the yellow jersey."

The Isle of Man team uses the four-stage Irish event to give junior riders a chance to gain vital race experience, alongside their senior team.

Hinds added, "We've got some very promising juniors coming through the ranks and they performed superbly. Seventeen-year-old Joe Kelly had two top six finishes to win the Senior 2 class and claim the blue jersey.”