First professional win for Damien Shaw

Mullingar cyclist Damien Shaw has secured his first race win as a professional cyclist.

The 32-year-old, who after years as a running enthusiast only took up cycling in 2011, took stage one of the prestigious Tour du Loir et Cher race in France yesterday.

Recently returned from a rib and wrist injury picked up in a training accident in February, Shaw powered home with all the vigour of someone who had been preparing for the 2.2-ranked race for months.

"This is a big surprise for me," the An Post-Chainreaction said after the race. "Apart from the fact that this is my first race of the year, I was surprised first that the breakaway stayed away and then that I was able to animate it a little bit and go for the win."

Shaw had four seconds to spare between him and second-placed Frenchman Thomas Rostollan (Equipe Cicliste Armée de Terre).

You can watch the moment Damien took the yellow jersey in the video below: