American junior champion takes Kilkenny stage victory at Rás na mBan

Makayla MacPherson of the Lux Cycling Team wins Saturday evening's criterium stage in Kilkenny (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)

American junior road race champion, Makayla MacPherson, won Saturday night's criterium stage at Rás na mBan in Kilkenny after an hour of all-out racing.

The 18-year-old triumphed much in the same way her Lux Cycling team mate Kaia Schmid did on the opening stage; getting the jump on the bunch by going long in the sprint and having the legs to hold it all the way.

She sailed over the line, two hands in the air, outside Kilkenny Castle to lead the way after the last lap was the fastest of the night. Paulien Koster (Jan Van Arckel) from the Netherlands was 2nd while Léna Mettraux (Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch) was 3rd.

The top three riders finished three seconds ahead of the remains of the peloton on the slightly uphill finish. The bunch was just 45-strong on the finish line after fast racing around the 2km circuit.

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Race leader Anna Shackley of Team GB during Saturday evening's stage, when she marked her main rival very closely (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)

As the main general classification riders were in the bunch at stage end there was no change at the top of the general classification. Saturday morning’s uphill TT stage winner Ann Shackley (Great Britain) still leads by five seconds from her team mate Abi Smith.

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Loes Adegeest, the
Jan van Arckel rider who won stage 2,
is 3rd overall at 44 seconds. Then comes Team Ireland’s Alice Sharpe and Kelly
Murphy, in 4th and 5th at 57 seconds and 1:15 respectively.

During Saturday night’s stage, Adegeest did her best to split the field and break clear to gain some of the time she needed to take the race lead. However, she was marked tightly by Great Britain’s Shackley and Smith.

Once it became clear the stage would come down to a bunch sprint, Sharpe wound it up on the front on the last lap in a bid to set up team mate Mia Griffin for the gallop.

Alice Sharpe wound it up for team mate Mia Griffin but they had to be content with 6th and 7th on the stage (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)

However, MacPherson went for broke to win and the top three on the stage edged ahead of everyone else. Just behind them it was stage 1 winner, and junior world track champion, Kaia Schmid who took 4th. And that was enough for her to take the points classification jersey.

Sharpe and Griffin were 6th and 7th, after Griffin appeared to be caught up in traffic a little as the sprint began. Munster Cycling’s Linda Kelly, who was 5th in the morning TT, finished in the bunch and she remains the leader of the best Irish rider classification.

On Sunday the riders face an 88km final stage starting in Springhill Court Hotel and winding its way back to Kilkenny Castle with the challenging climb of Woodstock near Inistioge along the way.

Stage 5: Kilkenny Criterium

  1. MACPHERSON Makayla LUX Cycling J 55:34
  2. KOSTER Paulien Jan van Arckel
  3. METTRAUX Léna Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
  4. SCHMID Kaia LUX Cycling J
  5. IMMERZEEL Lisanne Team Noord Holland 0:03
  6. SHARPE Alice Ireland National Team
  7. GRIFFIN Mia Ireland National Team
  8. SHACKLEY Anna GB National Team
  9. JEFFERS Emma Torelli Ireland J
  10. BARNWELL Ella GB National Team
  11. HOMER Gaby Greenmount Cycling Academy
  12. GRINCZER Natalie CAMS-Basso
  13. TINDLEY Jo Pro-Noctis-Redchilli Bikes-Heidi Kjel M
  14. SIDE Corinne Pro-Noctis-Redchilli Bikes-Heidi Kjeldsen
  15. ANDRES Michelle Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
  16. HICKEY Cassidy LUX Cycling J
  17. HOOG ANTINK Dorien JvR de Batauwers
  18. SMITH Abi GB National Team
  19. SANDBERG Tessa Team Noord Holland
  20. BAYES Hannah AWOL Worx
  21. MANGAN Fiona Ireland National Team
  22. SHROSBREE Danni Team LDN - Brother UK
  23. ALBERTS Nikky Team Noord Holland
  24. EHRLER Désirée Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch
  25. SERNÉ Elisa JvR de Batauwers

General Classification

  1. SHACKLEY Anna GB National Team 7:59:37
  2. SMITH Abi GB National Team 0:05
  3. ADEGEEST Loes Jan van Arckel 0:44
  4. SHARPE Alice Ireland National Team 0:57
  5. MURPHY Kelly Ireland National Team 1:15
  6. GRINCZER Natalie CAMS-Basso 1:49
  7. COTTER Imogen Ireland National Team 1:55
  8. SCHMID Kaia LUX Cycling J 2:07
  9. YAPURA PLAZA Fernanda Team Macadam's Cowboys 2:30
  10. SHROSBREE Danni Team LDN - Brother UK 4:19
  11. TINDLEY Jo Pro-Noctis-Redchilli Bikes-Heidi Kj M 4:40
  12. LEHNERT Gabrielle LUX Cycling 5:14
  13. COATES Nicole Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar 5:35
  14. SIDE Corinne Pro-Noctis-Redchilli Bikes-Heidi Kjeldsen 6:12
  15. MACPHERSON Makayla LUX Cycling J 7:25
  16. KELLY Linda Cycling Munster 7:27
  17. MANGAN Fiona Ireland National Team 8:24
  18. BREEIJEN Violinde den Greenmount Cycling Academy 8:32
  19. METTRAUX Léna Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch 8:46
  20. SERNÉ Elisa JvR de Batauwers 8:51
  21. CAMERON Claire Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Sci M
  22. HARLEY JEPSON Beth Jadan Vive le Velo 10:27
  23. DODD Harriet Team LDN - Brother UK 10:58
  24. GAMMONS Madeleine Jadan Vive le Velo 11:44
  25. GRIFFIN Mia Ireland National Team 12:03

Best Irish Rider Classification

  1. KELLY Linda Cycling Munster 8:07:04
  2. WOODS Becky Cycling Munster 5:23
  3. WALSH Orla UCD 10:55
  4. MC CARTHY Carthach Women's Cycling Ireland A 12:14
  5. TUTTY Elia Women's Cycling Ireland A 15:07
  6. HARVEY Cleo UCD 22:46
  7. DOHERTY Ella Greenmount Cycling Academy 24:38
  8. NÍ REACHTAGAIN Claire Women's Cycling Ireland A 26:21
  9. BRENNAN Eva UCD 27:26
  10. GLONDENYTE Gabby Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands-Scimitar 27:51
  11. KENT Elizabeth Women's Cycling Ireland B 34:00
  12. SMITH Emma Women's Cycling Ireland A 35:54
  13. MAHONEY Catherine UCD 36:18
  14. GARVEY Lauren Women's Cycling Ireland B 40:16
  15. ALLEN Clodagh Women's Cycling Ireland B 41:43
  16. DORAN Yvonne Women's Cycling Ireland A M 42:59
  17. O SULLIVAN Claire Cycling Munster 55:34
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