With Ireland’s premier race for women, Rás na mBan, just five days away, Cycling Ireland has named a strong five-rider national team to take on top domestic competition and foreign teams on the roads of Co Kilkenny.
The squad is made up of five riders who are no stranger to the green jersey of Ireland, with all five having recently been on international duty on the track at the European Championships and in the Paracycling World Road Championships.
Lara Gillespie, Emily Kay and Kelly Murphy are the track internationals in the line-up while Eve McCrystal and Linda Kelly were recently medal-winning tandem pilots for Katie George Dunlevy and Josephine Healion on the international paracycling scene.
While the team will obviously aim to try and win the race overall, and take stage wins, the five-day event should prove excellent preparation for Gillespie, Kay and Murphy as they work their way towards the World Track Championships in Paris next month.
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McCrystal and Kelly are best known for their exploits on the front of a tandem but both are very strong road riders in their own right. McCrystal is a former national road race and TT champion while Kelly broke through on the road last year when she won bronze in both the road race and TT at the National Road Championships.
The team will have an experienced director at the helm in Barry Monaghan; a former international road rider turned coach who knows his way around tough stage racing.
Cycling Ireland’s new head coach Neill Delahaye said the national governing body was “excited” to name a “strong and experienced team” for Rás na mBan.
“The parcours and race format this year should lend itself to very exciting and close racing. The combination of tandem pilots and track squad riders is a composition of complimentary skills and ability which we believe has the potential to make a big impact on the race,” he said.
“The team is under expert guidance with Barry Monaghan as DS and I know Barry intends to deliver a strategy to be competitive for both stages and general classification. The riders are really looking forward to taking on the challenge from more established road teams and delivering their best on home roads."
Rás na mBan 2022 | The details
- Stage 1: Kilkenny (SHC) – Danesfort – Stonyford – Knocktopher – Kilmaganny – Windgap – Callan (75.3km) Route here
- Stage 2: Kilkenny (SHC) – Kells – Dunamaggin – Thomastown – Inistioge – The Rower – Graignamanagh – Thomastown – Inistioge (89km) Route here
- Stage 3: Portlaoise – Abbeyleix – Mountrath -Mountmellick – Clonaslee – Kinnitty – Wolftrap -The Cut (96km) Route here
- Stage 4: Kilkenny (SHC) – Stoneyford – Knocktopher – Ballyhale – Mullinavat – Piltown – 2 laps of circuit via Templeorum – The Sweep – Piltown (92km) Route here
- Stage 5: Individual Time Trial – Kilkenny Castle (2.5km) Route here
- Stage 6: Criterium The Parade – Nuncio Road – Waterford Road – Upper Patrick Street (1hr + 5 laps) Route here
