Irish riders press hard in Rás mBan TT as Knight loses lead to Steels

The top placings in this morning's TT at Rás na mBan may have been filled by the foreign visitors, but a group of Irish riders pressed hard in the race of truth.

The impressive Maeve Gallagher, the 17-year-old riding for the elite national team, was best of the Irish; in 7th place and 59 seconds down on stage winner and new race leader Claire Steels (Brother UK Fusion RT).

Steels, who was 2nd to Josie Knight (Great Britain) on the opening stage after they pulled clear in a two-up move, takes the race lead from Knight as a result of her victory in the 6.4km test from Tullaroan to Ballybeigh.

Steels beat Anna Shackley (Great Britain) into 2nd place in the TT; her winning margin just five seconds.

Next was Molly Patch (Brother UK Fusion) in 3rd, at 11 seconds, and then former race leader and the winner of the first three stages, Knight; some 13 seconds off Steels.

In 5th place came the talented Elynor Backstedt; the Storey Racing junior rider looking like a star in the making over the past couple of seasons.

She took bronze in the junior TT at the World Road Championships last year and has also taken a number of big wins on the road in Europe this season; Gent Wevelgem among them.

Backstedt, whose father Magnus is a former Paris-Roubaix winner, was 16 seconds down on TT winner Steels today.

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In 6th came Natalie Grinczer (Brother UK Fusion), 38 seconds off the winner. Ireland's young star Gallagher was next, in 7th at 59 seconds, and she was followed by three of her compatriots.

National road race champion, and Gallagher's Team Ireland team mate, Alice Sharpe, was 8th at 1:01.

Maire Claffey, the UCD Cycling Club woman who has arguably been the breakthrough rider of the year in Ireland, was 9th at 1:07.

That was a terrific performance by the Irish club cyclist in an international field and is likely a sign of much bigger things to come from Claffey in the seasons ahead.

Lara Gillespie, the Irish teenager who has medaled at the track Worlds and Europeans this year, rounded out the top 10 at 1:17.

Katharine Smyth, the Irish Masters champion and bronze medal winner in the Irish elite championships this year, also made the top 15; placing 13th in the green of Ireland at 1:25.

The TT results sees Steels take the race lead by six seconds
from Knight, with Shackley in 3^rd at 16 seconds.

Best of the Irish overall is Maeve Gallagher; in 6^th at 1:52. Irish champ Sharpe is 8^th at 2:23.

Then comes the emerging Claffey, in 12^th overall
at 7:21 followed by young Gillespie in 13^th at 7:24.

Stage 4 TT: Tullaroan-Ballybeigh (6.4km)

1. STEELS Claire Brother UK Fusion RT 13:49.67
2. SHACKLEY Anna Great Britain 0:05
3. PATCH Molly Brother UK Fusion RT 0:11
4. KNIGHT Josie Great Britain 0:13
5. BACKSTEDT Elynor Storey Racing 0:16
6. GRINCZER Natalie Brother UK Fusion RT 0:38
7. GALLAGHER Maeve Team Ireland 0:59
8. SHARPE Alice Team Ireland 1:01
9. CLAFFEY Maire UCD Cycling Club 1:07
10. GILLESPIE Lara Team Ireland 1:17
11. THOMPSON Poppy VLV 1:17
12. TACEY April Brother UK Fusion RT 1:22
13. SMYTH Katharine Team Ireland 1:25
14. GJØS Martine VIC 1:29
15. HARLEY-JEPSON Beth VLV 1:30

General Classification

1. STEELS Claire Brother UK Fusion RT 7:41:59
2. KNIGHT Josie National Team Great Britain 0:06
3. SHACKLEY Anna National Team Great Britain 0:16
4. GRINCZER Natalie Brother UK Fusion RT 0:51
5. BACKSTEDT Elynor Storey Racing 1:20
6. GALLAGHER Maeve National Team Ireland 1:52
7. PATCH Molly Brother UK Fusion RT 2:03
8. SHARPE Alice National Team Ireland 2:23
9. TACEY April Brother UK Fusion RT 5:37
10. OLSEN Elise Marie Team Region TeVeBU 6:18
11. TINDLEY Jo Velo Performance 7:06
12. CLAFFEY Maire UCD Cycling 7:21
13. GILLESPIE Lara National Team Ireland 7:24
14. BENTLEY Olivia TW1 Racing 7:43
15. MATHISEN Silje Team Region TeVeBU 8:18