First WorldTour finish for Ireland's Mia Griffin ahead of Gent Wevelgem

*Mia Griffin has ticked off an important milestone in her development on the road this year in finishing a WorldTour race for the first time*

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Mia Griffin, who claimed a medal on the track at the Europeans last year, has achieved milestone in her development on the road this year, as she has now finished her first WorldTour race.

And that comes as a timely boost for her as the 22-year-old Kilkenny won is set to line out in Gent-Wevelgem, for 141.7km of tough racing, tomorrow.

Griffin had planned to throw herself in the pro scene in Europe last year only for the Covid-19 pandemic to intervene and ruin her plans. However, she still took 4th in both the TT and road race at the National Road Championships in Limerick last October.

And just after that she was selected onto the Irish time for the European Track Championships, claiming a bronze medal in the U23 individual pursuit and really underlining her potential for the future.

*Looking good in green: Mia Griffin on the Europeans podium last year - a performance that confirmed she's a rider with a very big engine*

This year she is riding for Irish-registered Continental squad Team Rupelcleaning and midday week she lined out in WorldTour race Oxyclean Classic Brugge-De Panne.

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While there was a significant attrition rate in the field, with a very large number of non-finishers, Griffin made it all the way to finish in 90th place, with team mate and compatriot Alice Share in 84th.

Both Irish women were in a group 6:19 down on solo winner Grace Brown Team BikeExchange, with Griffin and Sharpe now set to ride Gent Wevelgem tomorrow.

They have been named in a Team Rupelcleaning line-up that also includes Belgian riders Isabelle Beckers and Sara Van de Vel, German rider Svenja Betz and Finland's Antonia Gröndahl.

It will be Griffin's debut ride in the race and will be a big step up for her in a season and should prove a very steep learning curve, and jump in standard, from start to finish.

However, Griffin told stickybottle recently that she was determined to throw herself in the professional road racing scene in Europe and while she also remains committed to the team pursuit discipline for Ireland on the track.

Sharpe has already ridden Gent Wevelgem; making her debut in the rescheduled 2020 edition last October and finishing the race in 80th place.