While Mark Scanlon of the Ireland team finished the Junior Tour of Ireland in great style by winning the last two stages, he had to settle for second place overall behind Alain van Katwijk of Holland.

Seventeen-year-old van Katwijk from Eindhoven, whose father, Jan, and two uncles were professional riders, was clearly best overall.

He always seemed cool and had everything under control. After 450 miles in eight days at an average of over 25 miles an hour, van Katwijk won by 58 seconds from Scanlon with Derek Finnegan (Telecom) third at a minute and two seconds.

Scanlon (16) from Sligo registered the first Irish success on Saturday when he led the charge on the uphill finish in Navan after 56 miles from Mullingar.

Final overall - 1, A van Katwijk (Holland) 17 hrs 30 mins 12 secs; 2, M Scanlon (Ireland) at 58 secs; 3, D Finnegan (Telecom ) 1:02; 4, D McQuaid (Ireland) 1:14; 5, D Nally (Emerald) 1:16; 6, B Twohig (Ireland) 1:21; 7, S Prendergast (Amev) 1:34; 8, N Swittenbank (Britain) 1:41; 9, R Verspaandouk (Holland) 1:43; 10, B Marien (Belgium) same time. Points - 1, Marien 52; 2, Scanlon 48; 3, van Katwijk 46. King of the mountains - 1, Twohig 16 pts; 2, Prendergast 10; 3, A Jackson (Cleveland Wh) 9. Teams - 1, Ireland 52:33:27; 2, Britain at 9:01; 3, Telecom 10:49.

Stage seven (on Saturday, 56 miles from Mullingar to Navan): 1, Scanlon 1:56:18; 2, Marien at 1 sec; 3, D Carew (South East region); 4, Verspaandouk; 5, van Katwijk; 6, M Heaven (Wales); 7, McQuaid; 8, N Vaz (English East Midlands); 9, Twohig; 10, Y Barker (Wales). Stage eight (yesterday, 54 miles on Drogheda circuit): 1, Scanlon 2:09:00; 2, Carew; 3, van Katwijk; 4, J Scheirlinckx (Belgium); 5, Marien; 6, T de Munck (Belgium) 7, Verspaandouk; 8, M Lonie (Scotland); 9, J McCallum (Scotland); 10, M Flavin (South East Region).