Fiona Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal) may have relinquished her two national titles on a trip home last week, but there is nothing wrong with her form, as she proved today when taking her first international pro victory.
The Limerick woman made the selection at the front of the Volta a Portugal Feminina (2.2) over the final climb of the day close to the finish. And once in that group she switched her focus to converting what was a great chance.
In the final push for the line, from a 33-rider group, Mangan was too strong and too fast for her rivals, claiming a brilliant victory. It was the second international UCI-ranked race win by an Irish woman this season, coming after Mia Griffin (Roland) won a stage at Tour El Salvador (2.1).
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At the end of 128.4km of racing from Aveiro to Pombal on stage 3, of five, today, Mangan held off American Alexis Magner (Cynisca Cycling) and Kiwi Michaela Drummond (Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women) to secure a brilliant victory.
Mangan's success comes after some setbacks this year, and it will taste all the sweeter for it. Though she told stickybottle earlier this season she was really looking forward to the spring classics, she suffered a couple of crashes.
In March she came down at Omloop Nieuwsblad (1.WWT), breaking both her collarbone and a bone in her hand, requiring surgery for both. However, she battled back in time for a debut ride at Paris-Roubaix just over a month later, finishing that race.
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Mangan looked like one of the strongest riders in the field today, and even before she made the large select group she was on the attack, but was heavily marked. Her victory also moves her up in the general classification, from 22nd this morning to 8th this evening with two stages remaining.
Mangan is now just 14 seconds down on race leader, American Heidi Franz (Cynisca Cycling), who took the yellow jersey when she won yesterday's stage 2 from a small group that gained 14 seconds on the front section of the peloton.
Caoimhe O'Brien (Cynisca Cycling), runner-up at last Saturday's elite-U23 road race at the Nationals in Co Meath, was 38th in Portugal today, in a group at 1:24. Gabrielle Fox (UPV Women's Cycling) was 86th at 5:57.
