CYCLING/Tour of Britain: Ireland's David McCann was listed as the best Irish finisher on yesterday's tough stage of the Tour of Britain, placing 19th on the mountainous leg to Sheffield.

First across the line was Roger Aiken, FBD Insurance Rás stage winner and national cyclo-cross champion, who finished 10th on the stage after being involved in a long-distance breakaway for over 150 kilometres. However, he and team manager Morgan Fox were disqualified from the race by the judges, who said the rider had held onto the team car while chasing back onto the front group.

Both protested their innocence, filing an ultimately unsuccessful appeal. "It is absolute nonsense," said a livid Fox afterwards. "Roger did a great ride today, really rode well for a young guy breaking through. They claimed that Roger hung onto a bottle for 15 seconds when he was chasing back on. He got a bottle from the team car, sure enough, but was holding it on a descent for about two seconds . . . He got no real help from it. The only reason they have taken an issue with it is because we are a small team." Aiken had been one of 13 riders who went clear inside the first 10 kilometres, building up an insurmountable lead over the main bunch.

The Belgian-based Banbridge rider rode courageously on the day's climbs but was tailed off on the first category ascents of Holme Moss and Snake Pass. On both instances he rode hard to regain contact, and did so again when he faded on the final climb of the day. He crossed the line 10th, 11 seconds after World Championship bronze medallist Luca Paolini (Team CSC) outsprinted Bram Schmitz (T-Mobile) for the win.

"When we went into the commissaire meeting, we appealed against the severity of the decision," Fox continued. "We were amazed that they didn't change it."

David McCann came home four minutes and 26 seconds down. The leading Irish rider overall, Ciarán Power, finished six minutes and three seconds behind Paolini and is now 27th overall. Nick Nuyens (QuickStep) holds onto the lead going into today's 184.2 kilometre stage to Nottingham.