Exactly 12 months after Lara Gillespie put the Irish riders back on the map at Rás na mBan, with two stage wins, Mia Griffin has gotten the Irish challenge off to a flying start in the race's 2023 edition by winning the opening stage.
Though Griffin (Team Ireland) only returned to racing in recent weeks, after a crash in Paris-Roubaix back in April, she signalled her form with victory in the National Criterium Championships in Co Kildare two weeks ago.
And she has used that form this evening to win the short and fast opening stage of Ireland's premier stage race for women, proving fastest in the final sprint to the line after 74.2km of racing from Kilkenny to Callan.
“Rás na mBan has always been my favourite race, but in my career I haven’t got a stage win here," Griffin said after her win. "I was close in 2021, so to get the stage win means a lot, and to do it in Kilkenny makes it even sweeter."
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Griffin, an Irish road and track international competing with the Israel Premier Tech Roland World Tour team this season, took the stage ahead of Paulien Koster of Team Noord Holland and Emma Jeffers of DAS Handsling.
The best Irish rider classification, which is open to club teams, is led by Marine Lenehan of Dan Morrissey Primor by Pissei after today's opening stage. Jeffers leads the best young rider classification while Manon de Boer of (NWV Guplus) has the climbers' jersey after winning the prime atop the only classified climb on the course today.
Tomorrow sees riders set off for a challenging 101 kilometre route from Kilkenny City to The Rower, with three categorised climbs along the way.
Sept 6th-10th: Rás na mBan
Stage 1: Kilkenny City-Callan (74.2km)
1 GRIFFIN Mia Ireland 01:51:11
2 KOSTER Paulien Team Noord Holland + 00
3 JEFFERS Emma DAS-Handsling Bikes + 00
4 HOOGLAND Rixt NWVG-uplus + 00
5 LENEHAN Marine Dan Morrissey Primor by Pissei + 00
6 MCDERMOTT Ellen Team Boompods + 00
7 O’BRIEN Caoimhe Ireland + 00
8 KEEP Tiffany Hutchinson – Brother UK + 00
9 MRUGAL Allison TC Racing + 00
10 JANSEN Noa Jegg-DJR Academy + 00
11 GREENWOOD Monica DAS-Handsling Bikes + 00
12 OOSTERWOUD Wendy NWVG-uplus + 00
13 GALLAGHER Maeve UCD Cycling Club + 00
14 HOLL Jenny Alba Development Road Team + 00
15 VAN HOUT Renee Team Noord Holland + 00
16 DE BOER Manon NWVG-uplus + 00
17 HARKNESS Darcey Cycling Ulster + 00
18 O’BRIEN Aoife Ireland + 00
19 WILKINSON Mary Team Boompods + 00
20 KELLY Linda Dan Morrissey Primor by Pissei + 00
