Eve McCrystal powered in to win the national elite road race crown this year. She'll look to carry that level of performance into Rás na mBan which she rides with the Irish team (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Having enjoyed another fantastic year, and been crowned elite road race champion, Eve McCrystal spearheads the Irish team in Rás na mBan.
The race, which gets underway in Kilkenny on Wednesday, sees the best of Irish go into battle with a host of top international teams and riders.
And though McCrystal has been outstanding at times this year on the road when not winning all around her with Katie George Dunlevy on the international paracycling team, she is not the only big engine in the national team for the coming days.
Indeed, following the absence of Team Ireland from the race of late, the line-up selected to right that wrong is very strong across the board.
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And it’s a very interesting mix of riders with years of experience on the international pro scene and our best home riders competing alongside those newer to the spot but who have really shone of late.
Eve McCrystal won the ‘best Irish rider’ classification last year. Before the nationals this year she had won lots of medals but never the gold.
And now that she has captured that coveted title, she will be highly fancied to take a stage in Kilkenny.
With her in the Irish team is Lydia Boylan; a three-time national road champion and multiple Irish track champion who plies her trade with WNT based in the UK.
Boylan has finished 2nd overall in this race twice. And she has won a European Track Championships silver medal in the Madison.
The woman she partnered with to win that medal last year on the boards was Lydia Gurley. And she is also selected onto the Irish team for Rás na mBan.
On the home scene this year, and indeed for many seasons now, Katharine Smyth has been at the pointy end of the biggest races.
She has fought McCrystal for victories in the national road series and was 2nd to McCrystal in the Irish rider classification last year at Rás na mBan.
The Team Madigan rider will be looking to make an impact in Kilkenny in the green of Ireland, as will Aine Donegan.
The latter completes the Irish team after something of a breakthrough season this year on the home scene. On a number of occasions she has been beaten only by McCrystal for major wins.
And while she suffered a nasty crash at the end of the Laragh Classic last weekend, she thankfully makes it to the start line today.
Cycling Ireland performance coach Neil Delahaye believes the Irish team can excel in Kilkenny.
“It’s a powerful combination of established Internationals and riders that have earned selection via the domestic pathway with consistently strong performances in the National League," he said.
"It has been a positive development this year working with the road and women's commissions to incentivise the National League and provide opportunity for selection to the strongest domestic riders while also ensuring some of our most successful International riders are getting the racing they need as they prepare for an intensive Olympic qualification period.
“There is strength in depth and we will be aiming to be competitive every day of this Rás. As always, the race is providing a fantastic racing format over a challenging parcours. We are looking forward to getting going.”
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Aside from the national team, another very interesting Irish selection is that of VC Éirú.
It is the outfit that has effectively become the national team pursuit line-up. And having trained abroad for a long period this year inside the Cycling Ireland set-up and competed at the European Track Championships, it will be interested to see how they ride at Rás na mBan.
Orla Walsh, Mia Griffin and Hilary Hughes all rode the race last year for the first time. Griffin will be riding on home roads in Kilkenny; an added incentive for her.
Alice Sharpe finished and performed well in the recent European Road Championship; a ride that indicates she should be one of the strongest at Rás na mBan.
Completing the team, Kelly Murphy is the national TT champion and rode strongly in the individual pursuit at the recent European Championships; marking her out as another to keep an eye on.
Team Leinster has also assembled a strong line-up for the women’s stage race.
Meath’s Fiona Guihen is no newcomer to Rás na mBan and having ridden with the Irish team in the past she will look to ride well.
Jennifer Bates is newer to the sport, but having ridden the event 12 months ago she has progressed significantly since then.
And they are joined by Máire Claffey, Aisling Flanagan and Sophie Loscher on the Leinster team; strong track riders now looking to make an impact on the roads around Kilkenny.
Scott-Orwell’s Orla Hendron has committed years to developing women’s racing in Ireland. Along with Rás na mBan race director Valerie Considine, their service to the women’s scene has been immense.
And Hendron has brought together a strong Scott-Orwell line-up for this year’s edition of what is Ireland’s premier stage race for women.
Among that line-up is experienced international campaigned Lauren Creamer.
Breda Horan and Ciara Ní Fhlathartaigh are strong local riders making their Rás na mBan debut. Sinéad Molloy is also in the team and will be riding her second Rás na mBan.
Unfortunately Monica Freiband was due to be on the team but a crash last week has ended her participation before it began.
Team Verge have some very interesting riders to watch out for; Lyndsey Brice, for example, having finished 3rd at the national criterium championships race.
Maeve Gallagher from Swinford in Co Mayo is one of Ireland’s young and up and coming riders. She will gain invaluable experience in coming days.
But she is already capable of surprising a few of the older and more established names in Kilkenny.
Leah Desmond, Marcia Salvador from Portugal, and Poland’s former junior national squad member Agnieszka Wozniak are all strong performers on the local racing scene representing Cork clubs.
Tom Clogher’s TC Racing squad has Emma Desmond, Niamh O’Donovan and Niamh O’Dwyer in its team.
Also in its selection is Team GB rider and former British National Series winner Nikki Juniper.
Other Irish riders to watch include Imogen Cotter, riding for Team Regio Noord Holland, and Ellen McDermott with the same team.
Shutt Ridley RT from Britain have added Ballymena RC’s Laura Campbell and AAA Cycling’s Clodagh Gallagher to their team. Both can press during the six stages over the next five days.
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