Irish cyclist Sean McKenna takes his stage win in the 2018 edition. The new route, which is flatter than most years, should bring more Irish cyclists into the mix for stage and overall honours (Photo: Bryan Keane - Inpho)

Organisers of Rás Tailteann 2020 have come up with a
five-day route that features no major climbs and which should see more domestic
riders in the mix for stage and overall honours.

The race, which takes place in June instead of the usual
May date, will not have UCI status this year and is returning after an absence
due to a lack of sponsorship in 2019.

While there will be foreign teams in the race, the field
will not be dominated by Continental level teams.

Two A3 riders are permitted per Irish club team taking
part as the race seeks to focus back on the domestic scene again.

Eugene Moriarty, a top international rider in his day and Rás legend after riding the event more than 20 times, is the new race director.

“The route expertly designed by Ger Campbell will allow the riders to race every day on undulating roads," Moriarty said.

Rás Tailteann 2020 (758.1km)

Stage 1: Wednesday June 10: Dublin to Horse and Jockey (140.1km)
Stage 2: Thursday June 11: Horse and Jockey - Castleisland (154.8km)
Stage 3: Friday June 12: Castleisland to Lisdoonvarna (173.8km)
Stage 4: Saturday June 13: Lisdoonvarna to Kilbeggan (154.1km)
Stage 5: Sunday June 14: Kinnegad to Blackrock (135.3km)

Each Rás Tailteann stage in detail...

Stage 1: Dublin to Horse and Jockey (140.1km)

After a ceremonial start in Dublin, the start proper will be in Jobstown Tallaght on the N81 and will ramp up straight away over the embankment and make its way through Blessington, Dunlavin and Athy. The first climb of the race comes at 75.5km, the Glosna Cat 3 KOM before dropping into Castlecomer. The riders will then attack the 4km Cat 2 climb out of Castlecomer at 93.3km which will be another sting in the tail. The race then continues through Ballyragget, Freshford and Urlingford, with a fast and flat run in to the finish in the well known village of Horse and Jockey. There will be Hot Spot sprints en-route in Blessington, Athy and Urlingford for vital bonus seconds.

Stage 2: Horse and Jockey to Castleisland (154.8km)

After a neutralised section which will take the race through Thurles it’s on to Dundrum, Tipperary Town, Kilmallock, Charleville and on to the Cat 3 climb at Freemount at 99km. Continuing through Newmarket and Ballydesmond, the race will then enter Castleisland where the riders will start a 10km finishing loop which will take in the Cat 2 climb of Crags Cave. This will offer a springboard for stage victory into Castleisland and where the overall contenders will show their form in the yellow jersey competition.

Stage 3: Castleisland to Lisdoonvarna (173.8km)

The longest stage of the race at over 170km. The early part of the stage will be on mostly fast flat roads through Abbeyfeale and Templeglantine, up along the Shannon through Limerick city and onto to Ennis. The riders will then head out into the rugged Clare countryside through Corofin and at 140km take on the hard wide open roads of the beautiful karst landscape of the Burren. Similar to the previous day, the riders will tackle the Cat 2 ascent of the Corkscrew KOH, just 10km from the finish. With over 150km of racing in their legs at that stage, the climb could again play a big part in the race for the coveted yellow jersey.

Stage 4: Castleisland to Kilbeggan (154.1km)

A mostly flat stage which will take the riders from Clare all the way to the midlands town of Kilbeggan in Westmeath. This is the first time in the long history of the Rás that Kilbeggan will host a stage end. The first 40km will take the riders across narrow roads through the Burren and on to Gort, Loughrea and Athlone. On paper a day for the sprinters but the Rás has a habit of throwing up the unexpected on stages like this.

Stage 5: Kinnegad to Blackrock Co Louth (135.3km)

For the final stage the race transfers to Kinnegad for the
start heading east to “the Wee County” of County Louth and to the seaside village
of Blackrock. The race travels through Trim and Navan and onto Slane where they
will face the Cat 3 climb in Slane at 54km and into Co Louth for another Cat 3 climb
in Collon at 63km. From there the iders will travel on to the beautiful seaside
village of Blackrock where the riders will arrive after 95km of racing. They will
then go on to take in 4 laps of a technical finishing circuit of 10km. This will
be a stage for spectators, where they will get to witness multiple times, the exciting
final hours racing of the 2020 edition of the Rás. Back in 2018 Luc Bugter seized
the opportunity in dramatic fashion on the final lap in Skerries to take the final
yellow jersey in the last moments of the race. The 2020 event could go down to the
wire in a similar fashion.