The Irish national team has been named for Rás na mBan, with five very strong riders selected who should make a formidable team unit when they combine.
The team includes three of the women who were part of the
Irish team pursuit line-up that won gold at the UCI World Cup in St Petersburg
last month; Mia Griffin, Alice Sharpe and Kelly Murphy.
That experienced trio is joined by Belgian-based Imogen
Cotter and national team debutant Fiona Mangan.
It is a very strong line-up ready to do battle in the green of Ireland against domestic and international competition in Co Kilkenny from September 8th to 12th. This year’s Rás na mBan features six stages over five days; four road races, a circuit race and a TT.
Murphy (Team Rupelcleaning) has underlined her form of late
with victory in the individual pursuit in the National Track Championships at
the weekend; lowering the outdoor 3km record twice in the process.
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Sharpe and Griffin, Team Rupelcleaning team mates of
Murphy, have already ridden well in Belgium and France so far this season.
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Griffin, a bronze medalist in the U23 individual pursuit at the Europeans last year, got up in the final stage sprint at Kreiz Breizh Elites Dames in France last month, taking 9th.
Sharpe had a very good run of racing in Belgium earlier in the year, before turning her attentions to the track. And if she can repeat that form from the spring she will prove a handful for the opposition next week.
Cotter has been making great progress in Belgium in
recent years riding for Keukens Redant and has also secured a place on Movistar’s
eracing team.
Last month she took 2nd, racing against pro teams, in a
circuit race in Scheldewindeke, East Flanders, suggesting she is in very good
form.
Mangan, a relatively new name in Irish cycling, has
enjoyed a fantastic period of racing of late, winning three stages and the
overall at the Newcastle West Stage Race in Limerick, which formed part of the
Cycling Ireland National Road Series.
The Greenmount Cycling Academy rider also went on to place 2nd – behind Caoimhe O’Brien – in the John Beggs Memorial in the next round of the series and it will be interesting to see what she can do against international competition in Kilkenny.
Lots more to come on Rás na mBan before it gets underway.
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