A domestic and international field of 110 riders (below) is making its way to Kilkenny for Rás na mBan, the biggest race for women in Ireland. The event - six stages over five days - will unfold from tomorrow until Sunday, when there is a split stage.
The domestic challenge is led by an Irish national team comprised of Lara Gillespie, Linda Kelly, Eve McCrystal, Kelly Murphy and Emily Kay. It is a mix of international track riders and paracycling tandem riders - who are all preparing for their respective World Championships. However, there are also some very strong provincial teams assembled for this year's edition.
Of the national team, Gillespie and Kelly will perhaps be looked to most to perform on the climbs, which will be vital to mount a general classification challenge. However, any one of these riders can excel and take their chances for a stage win or a strong overall performance.
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The Cycling Leinster selection is comprised of Danielle Forshaw, Cleo Harvey, Elizabeth Kent, Jennifer Neenan and Caoimhe O'Brien. While all five can put up a challenge, O'Brien in particular will be looking to make her mark after very strong performances of late in Belgium. Harvey has emerged a rate of knots in recent seasons and can infiltrate the breakaways.
The Cycling Munster team is made up of Jane Cullen, Theresa Finn, Deirdre Hynes, Breda Murphy and new national Masters road race champion Suzanne White. While the international teams will be difficult to compete with this year - 74 of the 110-strong field are foreign riders - the Munster team will get a good measure of their abilities in this race.
Young up and coming riders Erin Creighton and Darcey Harkness are part of the Cycling Ulster team along with Catherine Sands, Jemma Speers and Amelia Tyler. Creighton has just compete in the junior World Track Championships, where she was 4th in the elimination race, while Harkness has represented Ireland off-road and is a very strong campaigner. Jemma Speers is among the Irish riders in this field who can impress given the consistent standard of her performances across this season.
Cycling Ireland Women's Commission team is also comprised of young emerging riders mixed with those, like Carthach McCarthy, who have performed very well on the elite domestic scene this year. Also on the team are Shauna Finn, Aoife O Brien, Emma Smith and Orla Walsh. O'Brien, like Ulster's Creighton, is just back from the junior track Worlds and has ridden well on the road against the elites over the last two years. And while she is still a junior, she will fancy her chances of getting up amongst the action at the front in the coming days.
Rás na mBan 2022 | Start list
- Eve Mc Crystal IRL Ireland
- Lara Gillespie IRL Ireland
- Emily Kay IRL Ireland
- Linda Kelly IRL Ireland
- Kelly Murphy IRL Ireland
- Georgia Whitehouse AUS IBCT-RDL Team
- Lena Charlotte Reissner GER IBCT-RDL Team
- Haylee Fuller AUS IBCT-RDL Team
- Svenja Betz GER IBCT-RDL Team
- Fiona Mangan IRL IBCT-RDL Team
- Danielle Forshaw IRL Cycling Leinster
- Cleo Harvey IRL Cycling Leinster
- Elizabeth Kent IRL Cycling Leinster
- Jennifer Neenan IRL Cycling Leinster
- Caoimhe O'Brien IRL Cycling Leinster
- Jane Cullen IRL Cycling Munster
- Theresa Finn IRL Cycling Munster
- Deirdre Hynes IRL Cycling Munster
- Breda Murphy IRL Cycling Munster
- Suzanne White IRL Cycling Munster
- Erin Creighton IRL Cycling Ulster
- Darcey Harkness IRL Cycling Ulster
- Catherine Sands IRL Cycling Ulster
- Jemma Speers IRL Cycling Ulster
- Amelia Tyler GBR Cycling Ulster
- Shauna Finn IRL Cycling Ireland Women's Commission
- Carthach Mc Carthy IRL Cycling Ireland Women's Commission
- Aoife O Brien IRL Cycling Ireland Women's Commission
- Emma Smith IRL Cycling Ireland Women's Commission
- Orla Walsh IRL Cycling Ireland Women's Commission
- Yvonne Doran IRL Cardinal - Classic Cycling
- Florence Howden USA Cardinal - Classic Cycling
- Allison Mrugal USA Cardinal - Classic Cycling
- Sara Rains USA Cardinal - Classic Cycling
- Katy Sorrell USA Cardinal - Classic Cycling
- Bexy Dew GBR Pro-Noctis - Rotor - Redchilli Bikes pb Heidi Kjeldsen
- Lucy Ellmore GBR Pro-Noctis - Rotor - Redchilli Bikes pb Heidi Kjeldsen
- Zoe Langham GBR Pro-Noctis - Rotor - Redchilli Bikes pb Heidi Kjeldsen
- Poppy Thompson GBR Pro-Noctis - Rotor - Redchilli Bikes pb Heidi Kjeldsen
- Jo Tindley GBR Pro-Noctis - Rotor - Redchilli Bikes pb Heidi Kjeldsen
- Madaeline Leech GBR Cams-Basso
- Beth Morrow GBR Cams-Basso
- Danni Shrosbree GBR Cams-Basso
- Beckie Storrie IOM Cams-Basso
- Jessica Finney GBR Cams-Basso
- Sophie Enever GBR Alba Development Road Team
- Arianne Holland GBR Alba Development Road Team
- Beth Maciver GBR Alba Development Road Team
- Erin Murphy GBR Alba Development Road Team
- Kate Richardson GBR Alba Development Road Team
- May Alfadhalah KWT Strada Academy
- Dalal Alkhaldi KWT Strada Academy
- Jenna Almutawa KWT Strada Academy
- Alison Higgins IRL Strada Academy
- Moudhi Altaweel KWT Strada Academy
- Libby Bell GBR Tofauti Everyone Active
- Grace Castle GBR Tofauti Everyone Active
- Ella Maclean-Howell GBR Tofauti Everyone Active
- Lowri Richards GBR Tofauti Everyone Active
- Morven Yeoman GBR Tofauti Everyone Active
- Sian Botteley GBR Team LDN - Brother UK
- Tiffany Keep ZAF Team LDN - Brother UK
- Lucy Lee GBR Team LDN - Brother UK
- Heather Mayer USA Team LDN - Brother UK
- Alex Morrice GBR Team LDN - Brother UK
- Ella Doherty IRL UCD
- Hannah Gibney IRL UCD
- Gabriele Glodenyte LTU UCD
- Emma Porter IRL UCD
- Elia Tutty IRL UCD
- Inez Beijer NED Team Noord Holland
- Charlotte Oostland NED Team Noord Holland
- Pernilla Van Rozelaar NED Team Noord Holland
- Sterre Witteveen NED Team Noord Holland
- Nora Entius NED Team Noord Holland
- Lieske Coumans NED The Amstel
- Francien Looije NED The Amstel
- Meis Poland NED The Amstel
- Tessa Sandberg NED The Amstel
- Marike Veldhuis NED The Amstel
- Beth Harley Jepson GBR Jadan Vive le Velo
- Bekah Nash GBR Jadan Vive le Velo
- Grace Norman GBR Jadan Vive le Velo
- Lola Ellis GBR Jadan Vive le Velo
- Laura Davies GBR Jadan Vive le Velo
- Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne GBR Team BoomPods
- Monica Greenwood GBR Team BoomPods
- Ellen Mc Dermott IRL Team BoomPods
- Mary Wilkinson GBR Team BoomPods
- TBC Team BoomPods
- Daisy Barnes GBR Brother U.K Orientation Marketing
- Ailbhe Carroll IRL Brother U.K Orientation Marketing
- Maddie Gammons GBR Brother U.K Orientation Marketing
- Sophie Lewis GBR Brother U.K Orientation Marketing
- Sannah Zaman GBR Brother U.K Orientation Marketing
- Lisa Bouwers NED NWVG-Uplus
- Manon De Boer NED NWVG-Uplus
- Rixt Hoogland NED NWVG-Uplus
- Wendy Oosterwoud NED NWVG-Uplus
- Nienke Smit NED NWVG-Uplus
- Violinde Den Breeijen NED Greenmount Cycling Academy
- Shona Keane IRL Greenmount Cycling Academy
- Shannon Kelly IRL Greenmount Cycling Academy
- Margie O Connor IRL Greenmount Cycling Academy
- Lieke Van Zeelst NED Greenmount Cycling Academy
- Maris Boaz USA LUX-CTS p/b Specialized
- Caitlin Conyers BMU LUX-CTS p/b Specialized
- Aubrey Drummond USA LUX-CTS p/b Specialized
- Claire Windsor USA LUX-CTS p/b Specialized
- TBC LUX-CTS p/b Specialized
