The escape went clear early today and gained a massive advantage (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)
It may not have turned the top of the general classification on its head as some were predicting, but today’s queen stage of the An Post Rás na mBan has definitely ended the hopes of overall victory of a number of key riders.
At the finish in Sneem this afternoon after 95km in the Kerry hills in the rain, nine women arrived in a group to fight it out for the stage honours, with a whopping eight minutes elapsing before the next riders home crossed the line.
As was the case yesterday, English rider Karla Boddy (High Wycombe CC) took the stage win as she edged out Ireland’s Fiona Meade (Cycling Munster) into second place after more than 2hs 40mins of racing.
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The overall leader Sofie Kamilla Vallin (Reelight-Bike Toyz) made the select group today and her third place on the stage was enough to see her maintain her six second lead on GC over Lydia Boylan of the Irish National Team.
Boylan and Meade were two of only three Irish riders to make the escape today, with Siobhan McNamara (Look Mum No Hands) also among that strongwomen’s group. While she bagged 4th on the stage and just about kept her GC hopes alive with one stage remaining, she relinquished the lead in the climbers classification
Amalie Dideriksen of Reelight-Bike Toyz grabbed the IVCA Queen of the Mountains jersey after she took maximum points over the first two climbs of the day; the Ballaghasheen and Ballaghabeama ascents.
However, the third and final climb was to prove slightly more eventful. McNamara rallied well and took maximum points over the top but was later adjudged to have changed her line in the gallop at the crest of the climb and was relegated from the result and penalised 1 minute.
The upshot is that Dideriksen, a talented junior rider from Denmark, now has an unassailable 17-point lead in the climbers’ competition with just tomorrow’s stage to go.
In the battle for overall and stage honours today the key selection was made on that first climb, Ballaghabeama, with the nine riders who put time into everybody else simply detaching themselves from the rest and sailing off up the road.
While the fight for the QOM points up the first two climbs led to some aggressive riding from the main protagonists, it was not until the final climb of the day, Coomaciste on 68km, that the general classification fireworks let rip.
With Boylan so close to the leader’s pink jersey of Vallin, it was perhaps no surprise that she was in determined mood to try and dislodge the teenager.
Boylan won three national track titles earlier this month but on the slopes of the final climb today she showed she has many strings to her bow, putting in a number of hard digs that put all of her breakaway companions under pressure.
However, they were not strong enough to shed anyone from that lead group of nine, and the leading riders hurtled off the climb in one group to head towards the finish back in Sneem.
Boylan tried again on the run into Sneem and when she was reeled in it was the turn of race leader Vallin to have a go just 1km from home. However, some defensive riding meant the group arrived at the finish together where Boddy once again simply had too much speed for the others to deal with.
Perhaps the biggest loser of the day was Louise Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands). She started today wearing the Sneem Hotel County Rider jersey and was also 5th on GC, just 15 seconds down on Vallin.
Having won this race twice before, Moriarty is a very strong rider and was still fancied this morning as somebody who would take the battle to Vallin. However, she failed to make that lead group on the first climb and with nobody getting across once the gap was established, Moriarty was trapped back in the bunch for most of the stage.
She eventually came home 8:05 down, losing the county rider jersey to Meade.
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Tomorrow's Bracken Clinic final stage is a 58km circuit starting and finishing in Sneem including the second category climb of Molls Gap and the third category ascent of Carraig na Gaoithe.
Full results just below these photos.
Boddy (in blue) just about beats Meade (in red) at the finish in Sneem (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)
It was very close, Meade left it just a tiny bit too late (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)
L to R: Aileen Mooney from An Post, Fiona Meade, Karla Boddy & Sofie Kamilla Vallin (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)
Stage 5: Sneem-Sneem, 95.50km
1 Boddy,Karla ENG High Wycombe CC 2h40'28"
2 Meade,Fiona MUN Cycling Munster 2h40'28"
3 Vallin,Kamilla Sofie DEN Reelight/Bike Toyz-Kv 2h40'28"
4 McNamara,Siobhan ENG Look Mum No Hands 2h40'28"
5 Bunn,Lowri WAL Abergavenny RC 2h40'28"
6 Ewing,Anne GAL Black Rose Cycling Te 2h40'28"
7 Boylan,Lydia IRS Irish National Team 2h40'28"
8 Dideriksen,Amalie DEN Reelight/Bike Toyz-Kv 2h40'28"
9 Murray,Laura WAL Abergavenny RC 2h40'33" @05"
10 Sewell,Iona ENG Geoffrey Butler Cycle 2h48'33" @08'05"
11 Moriarty,Louise ENG Look Mum No Hands 2h48'33" @ s/t
12 Markus,Riejanne NET District Team NH/WTC 2h49'16" @08'48"
13 Hill,Amy WAL Abergavenny RC 2h49'16" @ s/t
14 Olsen,AmalieWinther DEN Reelight/Bike Toyz-Kv 2h49'16" @ s/t
15 Taylor,Gillian WAL Abergavenny RC 2h49'16" @ s/t
16 Lenting,Charlotte NET NWVG Bike 4 Air-Dames 2h49'16" @ s/t
17 Copie,Clemence ENG High Wycombe CC 2h49'16" @ s/t
18 Evans,Mary Hannah ENG High Wycombe CC 2h49'16" @ s/t
19 Moran,Tonya GAL Black Rose Cycling Te 2h49'16" @ s/t
20 Oudman,Hilde NET NWVG Bike 4 Air-Dames 2h49'16" @ s/t
21 Postma,Mary Rose NET NWVG Bike 4 Air-Dames 2h49'16" @ s/t
22 Hori,Yukiyo NET NWVG Bike 4 Air-Dames 2h49'16" @ s/t
23 Ortiz,Sara GAL Black Rose Cycling Te 2h49'16" @ s/t
24 Sherwell,Elsie ENG Look Mum No Hands 2h49'16" @ s/t
25 Visser,Silja NET District Team NH/WTC 2h49'16" @ s/t
26 Nordin,Gabriella SWC Sandy Wallace Cycles 2h49'16" @ s/t
27 Dalton,Anne IRS Irish National Team 2h49'58" @09'30"
28 Stephens,Niamh LEN Cycling Leinster 2h50'00" @09'32"
29 Marconi,Monica JDC Orwell Joe Daly Cycle 2h50'28" @10'00"
30 Brice,Amy IRS Irish National Team 2h53'07" @12'39"
31 Buckley,Patricia DTC DTC Orwell Wheelers 2h53'36" @13'08"
32 Erskine,Julie SCO Aberdeen Wheelers 2h53'37" @13'09"
33 Kennedy,Roisin BRR Black Rose Racing 2h56'23" @15'55"
34 McDonald,Charlotte LEN Cycling Leinster 3h00'01" @19'33"
35 McKay,Helen ENG Look Mum No Hands 3h00'01" @ s/t
36 McEvoy,Orla LEN Cycling Leinster 3h00'01" @ s/t
37 Feton,Vanessa 3D 3D TC 3h00'03" @19'35"
38 Fox,Marie 3D 3D TC 3h01'08" @20'40"
39 Keohane,Anne MUN Cycling Munster 3h01'08" @ s/t
40 Finn,Tania 3D 3D TC 3h04'53" @24'25"
41 Cooke,Fiona LEN Cycling Leinster 3h08'48" @28'20"
42 Maidment,Sarah ENG Geoffrey Butler Cycle 3h10'33" @30'05"
43 Soden,Lucy DTC DTC Orwell Wheelers 3h10'33" @ s/t
44 Cogan,Isabel JDC Orwell Joe Daly Cycle 3h10'33" @ s/t
45 Robinson,Karen 3D 3D TC 3h12'26" @31'58"
46 Doherty,Nicola MUN Cycling Munster 3h12'26" @ s/t
47 Hendron,Orla DTC DTC Orwell Wheelers 3h12'29" @32'01"
48 Downes,Catherine JDC Orwell Joe Daly Cycle 3h27'42" @47'14"
49 Taromsari,Ishbel PPR Pedal Power Race Team 3h27'44" @47'16"
50 Mulvany,Maria 3D 3D TC 3h31'51" @51'23"
51 Perry,Jo-Ann ENG Deal Tri Club 3h43'31" @1h03'0
52 Donnelly,Margaret DTC DTC Orwell Wheelers 3h43'31" @ s/t
53 Gourlay,Lauren JDC Orwell Joe Daly Cycle 3h43'31" @ s/t
General Classification
1 Vallin,Kamilla Sofie L Reelight/Bike To 9h26'58"
2 Boylan,Lydia L Irish National T 9h27'04" @06"
3 Bunn,Lowri L Abergavenny RC 9h27'11" @13"
4 Dideriksen,Amalie L Reelight/Bike To 9h27'23" @25"
5 Boddy,Karla L High Wycombe CC 9h27'28" @30"
6 Meade,Fiona L Cycling Munster 9h27'43" @45"
7 McNamara,Siobhan L Look Mum No Hand 9h28'27" @01'29"
8 Ewing,Anne L Black Rose Cycli 9h31'19" @04'21"
9 Murray,Laura L Abergavenny RC 9h31'49" @04'51"
10 Moriarty,Louise L Look Mum No Hand 9h35'18" @08'20"
11 Dalton,Anne 4 Irish National T 9h36'54" @09'56"
12 Sewell,Iona L Geoffrey Butler 9h39'32" @12'34"
13 Lenting,Charlotte L NWVG Bike 4 Air- 9h40'02" @13'04"
14 Evans,Mary Hannah L High Wycombe CC 9h40'19" @13'21"
15 Postma,Mary Rose L NWVG Bike 4 Air- 9h40'20" @13'22"
16 Markus,Riejanne L District Team NH 9h40'21" @13'23"
17 Olsen,AmalieWinther L Reelight/Bike To 9h40'30" @13'32"
18 Moran,Tonya L Black Rose Cycli 9h40'49" @13'51"
19 Nordin,Gabriella L Sandy Wallace Cy 9h41'00" @14'02"
20 Oudman,Hilde L NWVG Bike 4 Air- 9h45'55" @18'57"
21 Hori,Yukiyo L NWVG Bike 4 Air- 9h46'20" @19'22"
22 Sherwell,Elsie L Look Mum No Hand 9h46'50" @19'52"
23 Visser,Silja L District Team NH 9h46'53" @19'55"
24 Buckley,Patricia L DTC Orwell Wheel 9h51'47" @24'49"
25 Hill,Amy L Abergavenny RC 9h52'58" @26'00"
26 Stephens,Niamh L Cycling Leinster 9h53'07" @26'09"
27 Taylor,Gillian L Abergavenny RC 9h53'14" @26'16"
28 Brice,Amy L Irish National T 9h59'03" @32'05"
29 Copie,Clemence L High Wycombe CC 10h02'57" @35'59"
30 Marconi,Monica L Orwell Joe Daly 10h04'37" @37'39"
31 McDonald,Charlotte L Cycling Leinster 10h06'29" @39'31"
32 McKay,Helen L Look Mum No Hand 10h07'54" @40'56"
33 Ortiz,Sara L Black Rose Cycli 10h09'44" @42'46"
34 Feton,Vanessa L 3D TC 10h12'05" @45'07"
35 Maidment,Sarah L Geoffrey Butler 10h13'29" @46'31"
36 Cooke,Fiona L Cycling Leinster 10h15'38" @48'40"
37 McEvoy,Orla L Cycling Leinster 10h18'25" @51'27"
38 Kennedy,Roisin L Black Rose Racin 10h24'59" @58'01"
39 Keohane,Anne L Cycling Munster 10h27'59" @1h01'01"
40 Robinson,Karen L 3D TC 10h29'21" @1h02'23"
41 Fox,Marie L 3D TC 10h31'33" @1h04'35"
42 Erskine,Julie L Aberdeen Wheeler 10h32'03" @1h05'05"
43 Hendron,Orla L DTC Orwell Wheel 10h44'49" @1h17'51"
44 Cogan,Isabel L Orwell Joe Daly 10h58'08" @1h31'10"
45 Taromsari,Ishbel L Pedal Power Race 10h58'53" @1h31'55"
46 Soden,Lucy L DTC Orwell Wheel 11h02'50" @1h35'52"
47 Gourlay,Lauren L Orwell Joe Daly 11h30'11" @2h03'13"
48 Donnelly,Margaret L DTC Orwell Wheel 11h30'24" @2h03'26"
49 Doherty,Nicola L Cycling Munster 11h36'09" @2h09'11"
50 Perry,Jo-Ann L Deal Tri Club 11h47'29" @2h20'31"
51 Finn,Tania L 3D TC 11h54'18" @2h27'20"
52 Mulvany,Maria L 3D TC 12h21'39" @2h54'41"
53 Downes,Catherine L Orwell Joe Daly 12h46'14" @3h19'16"
Mountains Competition
1 Dideriksen,A DEN 63
2 McNamara,S ENG 46
3 Bunn,L WAL 45
4 Murray,L WAL 23
5 Moriarty,L ENG 20
6 Vallin,K DEN 16
7 Boylan,L IRS 15
8 Ewing,A GAL 4
9 McKay,H ENG 4
County Rider Overall
1 Meade,F MUN = 9h27'43"
2 McNamara,S ENG @ 44"
3 Moriarty,L ENG @ 07'35"
4 Moran,T GAL @ 13'06"
5 Buckley,P DTC @ 24'04"
Team General Classification
1 Reelight/ 28h34'51"
2 Abergaven @ 14"
3 Irish Nat @ 08'59"
4 Look Mum @ 14'34"
5 Black Ros @ 16'55"
6 NWVG Bike @ 21'27"
7 High Wyco @ 35'53"
8 Cycling L @ 1h16'05"
9 Cycling M @ 1h30'04"
10 3D TC @ 2h30'35"
11 DTC Orwel @ 2h59'02"
12 Orwell Jo @ 3h42'16"
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