Mia Griffin does it again for Team Ireland on Rás na mBan

*Mia Griffin, on the right in the green of Team Ireland, wins into Tramore today to claim her second stage win of Rás na mBan 2023 (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)*

Mia Griffin has again underlined how far she has come since switching from camogie to cycling as an 18-year-old back in 2017 by winning her second stage of Rás na mBan 2023 into Tramore today. She charged up the promenade at the head of an international pack to take the victory from a reduced peloton; a far cry from her first appearance in this race seven years ago.

Back then - riding for Garda Cycling Club - she was swinging off - and out - the back every day and very much knew the full meaning of the 'baptism of fire' cliché by the time she completed the final stage. Since then, she had represented Ireland on track and road, won two Europeans medals on the track - in the senior team pursuit and U23 individual pursuit - taken World Cup gold in the team pursuit, won the National Criterium Championships and secured a place with a World Tour team, Israel Premier Tech Roland.

She is also part of the Irish team pursuit line-up closing in on a berth at the Olympic Games next year and her second win on Rás na mBan today - after winning stage 1 - confirms she is well and truly back after a long lay-off due a concussion-inducing crash at Paris-Roubaix back in March.

Today, Griffin was best in the final dash to the line from Dutch rider Manon De Boer (NWVG-Uplus) and Monica Greenwood (DAS-handsling). Rixt Hoogland from the Netherlands, and riding for NWVG-Uplus, was 4th. Hoogland claims the race lead, at the expense of Tiffany Keep (Hutchinson-Brother UK); the two riders switching places 1st and 2nd, but only by virtue of stage placings, as the top six on general classification are all on the same time.

As well as Griffin winning the stage, Team Ireland also placed two other riders in the top 10, in what was a 28-rider sprint for victory; Caoimhe O'Brien 5th and Aoife O'Brien 9th. Maeve Gallagher, the former international cyclist turned top triathlete and riding this race for UCD CC was also in the front group, placing 19th.

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Irish GC hope, Linda Kelly (Dan Morrissey Primor by Pissei) was in the group too and so she is still one of the six riders all equal at the top of the standings. The final Irish rider to make the lead group was top pursuit and TT rider Kelly Murphy (AWOL O'Shea), though she just lost five seconds in the sprint. The next group on the road was nearly eight minutes down after several climbs - and an early crash - on the 102.7km stage into Tramore causing plenty of damage.

The lead group formed very early, after just 11km, when a large crash result in the group splitting and 25 riders pulling clear. A large chase group form and closed the gap to the leaders to about 30 seconds. At that point, three riders jumped across; Kelly Murphy, Sian March (Team Boompods), Beth Harley Jepson (Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon).

Once that trio made it across, the gap back to the rest of the riders opened again, with the lead group simply pulling away for the day and Griffin proving best in the final sprint to the line.

The only real change towards the top of the general classification was British rider Ruby Oakes (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) being on the wrong side of a five-second gap at the back of the front group today. She had started today's stage 4 among the group of seven all equal on time at the top of the general classification but is now five seconds adrift from the other six.

The race will be decided but tomorrow morning's 2.5km TT in Kilkenny City and the afternoon criterium. Whether Irish rider Kelly can reach out and grab the leader's jersey will soon become clear. Either way, the two stage wins by Griffin represent a solid showing for the Irish, coming 12 months after Lara Gillespie broke a very long Irish drought on the race, claiming two stage victories.