Massive crowds expected to turn out as final stage of An Post Rás begins in Kildare this morning

The An Post Rás is coming to Kildare today as the final stage gets underway, and there will be no shortage of towns and villages to observe the competitors from.

It is the eighth and final stage of the famous Irish cycle race, and the 140km trek begins in Kildare Town before eventually finishing in Skerries, north Dublin later this afternoon.

The main towns that the cyclists will pass through after leaving Kildare Town are Milltown, Prosperous and Kilcock, while a number of smaller villages will also see the swathe of competitors racing through at some stage.

Irish riders Edward Dunbar and Damien Shaw are not far off the lead going into the final stage, trailing by just 19 and 58 seconds respectively to overnight leader Clemens Fankhauser. A total of 152 riders started the seventh stage in Dungarvan yesterday morning, which means it will be quite a spectacle if that amount of cyclists pedal through the Kildare countryside today.