Mia Griffin in recent days went close to making what would have been a significant piece of Irish cycling history; a World Tour win by an Irish woman. She was 2nd and 3rd on two stages at the Tour of Chongming Island, and lost 3rd overall after a crash on the final stage.
Putting together that last piece - up to the top step on the podium in the biggest races - has now come a lot closer after she signed a new three-year deal with World Tour team Picnic PostNL. Though securing a berth with one of the very top teams in the sport is proof her star is rising, the length of the deal is also significant.
This is a team with very valuable resources to offer, including lead-out power. It has already won two bunch sprint stages at the Tour de France, with Charlotte Kool. That it has selected Griffin to back as a sprinter - and for three years - is a big deal for the Kilkenny woman.
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“From the outside, Picnic PostNL has always looked like one of the most well-organised and professional setups in the peloton, and that’s exactly the kind of environment I want to be part of as a rider," she said.
"The structure, the attention to detail, and the sense of purpose really appealed to me. What I’m most looking forward to is meeting everyone - the riders, the staff - and getting to work together as a team.
"I come from a track background, so I’d describe myself as a punchy sprinter type. And I’m excited to contribute to sprint-style races while learning from my teammates who bring so much experience."
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Griffin (26) is a really interesting rider in that she came to cycling relatively late having previously played camogie. As an 18-year-old, it was all very different for her as she was captain of the Kilkenny intermediate camogie team and living in the family home in Glenmore, south Kilkenny.
Then one day her mother saw an advertisement on a notice board in Waterford Institute of Technology, where she worked at the time, seeking candidates for Cycling Ireland’s talent transfer programme. She tried out and made the grade, culminating in making the Olympics last year on the team pursuit line-up.
She has aleady competed for five UCI-ranked road teams, starting with UCI Conti team Rupelcleaning in 2021, up to her current squad, World Tour outfit Roland Le Dévoluy. The current Irish road race champion, she also won a bronze in the individual pursuit at the U23 Europeans in 2020.
On the road, she became the first Irish woman to claim a World Tour podium; 3rd at the one-day Tour of Guangxi in China two years ago. She collected two more World Tour podiums this week. And earlier this year she won her first UCI-ranked road race, claiming a stage at Tour El Salvador (2.1). It is now looking very good for her.
"For me, this next step is about feeding off the knowledge within the team, growing as a rider, and finding my rhythm within the group," Griffin said of starting a journey with a new team that can very much take her to the next level.
"Off the bike, I’m quite a relaxed and easy-going person; I like to bring positive energy and a calm, upbeat vibe to the people around me.”
