2024 Rás na mBan Preview
The 2024 edition of Rás na mBan gets underway tomorrow, Wednesday 4th of September in Kilkenny.
The annual stage race has become the premier event of its
kind in Ireland, attracting teams from across the globe. This year’s edition
will see teams from Ireland, Great Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, the
United States and Canada compete for the coveted magenta jersey.
As in previous years, an Irish National Team will take the
start, this year featuring Lucy Benezet-Minns in what has become a break out
year for the young rider. Cycling Ulster will feature, while UCD, TC Racing, Torelli,
Greenmount Cycling Academy and Dan Morrisey Primor by Pissei will also be
competing in their home race.
Three teams from the United States make the trip across the
Atlantic. California based Monarch Racing and the ever popular LA Sweat will compete
in this year’s Rás, as will New England’s CCB p/b Levine Law Group Women’s
Cycling, featuring USA ITT National Champion Betty Hasse.
UCI Continental team Primeau Vélo-Groupe Abadie will make
the trip from Canada, as Denmark’s sole representatives Team Aalborg Sparekassen
Danmark will make their first appearance at the race.
Four teams make the journey from the Netherlands. Groningen based
team NWVG-Uplus, who’s Manon de Boer took last year’s overall GC win, along
with WV De Jonge Renner/Team DJR – MINIGIGS, JEGG DJR Academy and regional Team
Noord Holland will be hoping to make a splash on the Irish roads.
British UCI Continental team Das Hutchinson Brother UK, boasting
Irish Olympians Alice Sharpe and Mia Griffin on their books, will look to hold
onto the overall Team Classification they won in the 2023 Rás na mBan.
Doltcini Racing Division, development team for UK based UCI
Continental team Doltcini O’Shea, will also make the journey across the Irish Sea,
as will one of Britain’s top amateur teams in Brother UK/OnForm.
Tofauti Everyone Active, a development team linked to top
level Team dsm firminech-PostNL, and boasting several Irish riders in their
program, will be hoping their young squad can mix it up with the more
experienced teams.
Yorkshire’s Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon and Shibden Apex RT round
out the British contingent for this year’s race.
Stages
Stage 1 for this year’s Rás na mBan will set off from Kilkenny’s
Hoban Hotel on Wednesday 4th of September, and take in 74km and 535m
of climbing before finishing in Callan. Rollout for the stage is at 16.41, with
an expected finish time of 18.35.
Stage 2 on Thursday will be a tough 104km with over 830m of
climbing, beginning at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise at 11.05 and finishing in
Mountrath. Riders are expected to reach the finish at 14.15.
Stage 3 will be another 104km race, this time with a tough
1206m of ascending. Riders will again set off from the Hoban Hotel in Kilkenny
at 12.00 and finish in Gorey, Co. Wexford at 14.45.
Stage 4 on Saturday once again sets off from the Hoban Hotel
in Kilkenny, and after 101km will finish at The Rower, Co. Kilkenny. Setting
off at 9.55 and climbing over 1000m again, riders are expected to finish at
12.40.
Sunday will see the riders take on two stages. Stage 5 will
be a 2.5km Individual Time Trial around Kilkenny Castle, with the first rider
setting off at 9.00. Stage 6 will take place on a criterium style course in
Kilkenny City on Sunday afternoon. Racing on the 2km course starts at 13.30 and
will be 1 hour + 5 laps, projected to finish at 14.45.
For the first time in its history, Rás na mBan will this year be awarding time bonuses on all stages except for Stage 5, the Individual Time Trial. Time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three riders respectively at the stage finish, with intermediate sprint bonuses also on offer throughout the race. Intermediate Sprint bonuses of 3, 2 and 1 seconds will be awarded to the first three riders at the following points:
• Stage 1: first passage of the finish line in Callan
• Stage 2: first passage of the finish line in Mountrath
• Stage 3: Kiltealy NS, Kiltealy
• Stage 4: Ballyvally, Co Kilkenny
• Stage 6: at finish line, after c.30 minutes of racing
You can find the full Road Book for the 2024 Rás na mBan
here.
Cycling Ireland is also proud to announce a new initiative in which we endeavour to become a period positive organisation, ensuring free sanitary products are available to all female participants at Cycling Ireland sanctioned events.