For the first time in its 18 year history, Rás na mBan ventures into Wexford. The 104.2km stage of the race will leave from the Hoban Hotel in Kilkenny and travel through Kiltealy and Bunclody, taking on two Queen of the Mountain challenges at Sliabh Buí and Ballymore, before heading for the finish line in Gorey.
Stage 3 looks to be one of the more challenging routes of the race, with riders faced with 1,206 metres of climbing over 104.2km. With rarely a flat moment in sight, the race profile undulates throughout, before the first QOM opportunity of the day.
The General Classification is led by Mia Griffin, with teammate Caoimhe O’Brien tied on the same time. Griffin will wear the magenta jersey on stage three having achieved the best combined finishing position over the first two stages.
The pair hold a 10 second advantage over their DAS Hutchinson Brother UK teammate Robyn Clay. Abigail Miller has climbed to 4th on the General Classification at 12 seconds, with 2023 Rás na mBan Champion Manon de Boer in 5th at 13 seconds. However, the top contenders won’t be able to let up at any point during the stage with 23 riders all within 16 seconds.
O’Brien leads the Sport Ireland Best Young Rider jersey after two days having edged her teammate Robyn Clay out of the jersey. Clay will wear the Cycling Ireland Points Classification jersey for stage 3 on behalf of points and overall race leader Mia Griffin.
The race for the Kilkenny County Council Best Irish Rider is also led by Griffin and O’Brien, with third placed Marine Lenehan set to wear the jersey on stage 3.
DAS Hutchinson Brother UK’s Lucy Lee has furthered her lead in the IVCA Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains race with Manon de Boer trailing her by 4 points. Stage 3 features two categorised climbs. Sliabh Buí will have 9 points on offer for the first rider across the line as a category 2 climb, with 7 points for the 2nd rider, 5 for 3rd and 3 for the 4th.
Ballymore village features a category 3 climb with 5 points for the first rider, and 3 for the 2nd, across the line. Both offer de Boer the chance to reverse the positions with a potential total of 14 QOM points on offer.
The intermediate sprint at 38.8km in Kiltealy will offer riders the chance to gain valuable time bonuses which may make all the difference in the general classification battle. O’Brien’s 2nd in the intermediate sprint on stage 2 is what brought her level with overall race leader Griffin.
The weather forecast is for warm and dry conditions and riders will face moderate headwinds throughout the course. The first riders are expected to arrive in Gorey between 13:59 and 14:28.
For the full race preview, including teams and riders to watch, go to: https://rasnamban.com/ras-na-mban-2024-race-preview/
You can view the full route, stage by stage, here: https://rasnamban.com/2024-route/
Results can be found here: https://rasnamban.com/2024-results-live-feed/
Where to Watch:
The race departs from the Hoban Hotel in Kilkenny, with a short neutralised start before racing gets underway as the riders arrive at the Dublin Road. The riders will race through Borris and Ballymurphy in County Carlow on their way to Bunclody in County Wexford, before taking on the first QOH challenge of the day.
Stage 3 features over 1,200m of climbing for the riders to tackle. Both Sliabh Buí, at 70km, and Ballymore, at 90km, will feature QOH segments where riders will be delighted to see and hear the extra support as they close in on the finish line in Gorey.
