The international visitors may have had the upper hand on Rás na mBan in the last couple of days but the Irish came back strong today with a 1-2 on stage 4 into Piltown. Lara Gillespie, the Team Ireland rider who won the opening stage, took her second win of the race today while Ellen McDermott, the Team Boompods rider and former Irish elite criterium champion, claimed 2nd place.
Maddie Leech (CAMS Basso Bikes) rounded out the stage podium today while Irish club team Greenmount Cycling Academy retained the overall lead, with Dutch guest rider Lieke van Zeelst, who has held the leader's jersey since her brilliant victory on stage 2.
Today on the road to Piltown, while the Irish riders were 1st and 2nd on the stage, others from the host nation also lit it up off the front. Caoimhe O'Brien of Cycling Leinster has looked very strong on this race and was the first to get the attacking underway after the start, with a sustained solo effort.
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Later in the stage it was the veteran, and decorated paracycling pilot, Eve McCrystal who was to the fore; the Team Ireland rider getting clear in a breakaway that stretched out a dangerous lead before being caught.
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However, the racing came back together again and Gillespie, with the help of her national team team mates once again got herself to the front and pulled the trigger, just taking the victory from McDermott ahead of tomorrow's TT and criterium split stage.
More to come.
