While Team Ireland got off to a great start at Rás na mBan yesterday with a stage win for Mia Griffin - aided and abetted by Aoife O'Brien and Caoimhe O'Brien - a serious crash along the way took has taken its toll on some of the other team members.
Indeed, a number of other riders did not make it to the finish yesterday due to the main crash with about 45km to go, and there were some non-starters today, including for the Team Ireland line-up.
Irish junior road race and TT champion, Lucy Benezet Mins, was one of the fallers yesterday, coming down hard. And while she limped to the finish, to complete the stage and stay in the race, she is now out of the event.
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The teenager, who was 4th in the junior TT at the World Road Championships in Scotland last month, underwent a head impact assessment and other medical checks and has withdrawn from the event on medical advice.
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Her young team mate, Erin Creighton, also came down yesterday, making for a forgettable senior debut on the road for Ireland for both riders. However, Creighton was also able to finish stage 1 and after being patched up, she remains in the race.
The main crash, a multi-rider pile-up, occurred immediately after the summit of the category three climb of Curragawnled. The pressure applied on the climb split the bunch, with a high pressure chase ensuing as riders tried to close gaps as a large front group pulled clear.
While many riders did get back to the front of the race, those who crashed at that point of the race faced a long chase, of some 45km, all the way to the finish line in Callan. However, four riders were non-finishers due to the crash; Evie White (Alba Development Road Team), Leigh Dukeman (Cardinal Classic Cycling), Mara Roldan (Cynisca Cycling) and Charlotte Wild (TC Racing).
