By Paul Nugent
This year's Tour of Ulster will take place on bank holiday weekend Saturday April 30 - Monday May 2 and has assembled one of the best fields in recent years.
Leading the way is Banbridge's Tommy Evans (Planet X), a previous double winner (1998 & 2004), defending champion, and a former FBD Milk Ras winner and national road race champion. Other previous winners include: Philip Cassidy (Cycleways, winner in 2000), also a former double FBD Milk Ras winner, and Stephen O Sullivan (Cycleways, winner in 1997). Top riders also include recent Ras Mumham winner John Dempsey (Carrick/Dan Morrissey), runner-up in the Ras Mumham, Emyvale's Conor Murphy (Crannog Ireland), former FBD Milk Ras winner, Andrew Roche (Isle of Man), former Tour of the North winner Ryan Connor (Ballymena/Scotts), recent Tour of the North stage winners Mark Greer (Maryland) and Brendan O'Brien (Roe Valley) and Team Giant Asia professional Paul Griffin (West Clare Composite).
