7-11 September 2022. County Kilkenny, Ireland. 5 days, 6 stages, Over 400km of racing.
An international field of riders will compete for top honours in the premier women’s event on the Irish cycling calendar.
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IVCA Continue Long term association with Rás na mBan:
Rás na mBan begins on Wednesday and the climber’s classification will again be supported by the IVCA through their popular Wicklow 200 sportive in a continuation of a partnership stretching back to the beginning of the event in 2006.
The Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains Classification is among the hardest fought jerseys in the race and former winners include 2016 World Road Race Champion Amalie Dideriksen and other world tour professionals.
Last year’s Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains Champion was Anna Shackley of Team GB, a world tour rider with SD Worx.
Riders accumulate points by being among the leading riders on climbs of varying difficulty on four of the five days of racing.
Teams from all over Europe, Asia and the USA are getting set to battle for the Wicklow 200 QoM jersey from September 7th to 11th next from the event’s base in Kilkenny on Ireland’s Ancient East. The third stage is a challenging foray into the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
Rás na mBan features riders in all phases of their cycling careers and includes several riders well known to the IVCA. Current racing members Suzanne White of Sorrento Cycling Club and Yvonne Doran (Pinergy Orwell Wheelers) were first and third in the recent Cycling Ireland Masters National Championships.
Both have produced race winning performances in the weekly road racing and time trial leagues which run throughout the season for women over the age of 35 and men over 40.
Evergreen Eve McCrystal, a multi-world and Paralympic champion tandem pilot and former national road race champion who returns to Rás na mBan this year with the Irish national team is another who has raced with distinction in the IVCA in recent seasons.
Speaking on the announcement of the continuing Wicklow 200 partnership with the event, Race Director Valerie Considine said: “The continuing support for our event by the IVCA is a source of great pride and reflects a great integration between this wonderful association and our event among all of us involved in the race.
“Many of the event volunteers, including myself, are active racing members of the IVCA and have ridden or volunteered at Wicklow 200, one of Ireland’s longest running sportives.
“The battle for the climber’s classification is always particularly entertaining and, looking at the quality of the race entry, this year will be no exception.”
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Leading Irish Vehicle Leasing Specialist Joins the Cavalcade at Ireland’s Women’s International Cycle Race:
Johnson & Perrott Fleet has partnered with women’s international stage cycle race Rás na mBan to supply race support vehicles throughout the five-day event for a total of over 400km of international road racing.
The 16th edition of the race begins in Kilkenny tomorrow, Wednesday, 7th September with a 74km road race from Kilkenny city to Callan with Johnson & Perrott vehicles ahead of the race and embedded in the following cavalcade.
Rás na mBan 2022 will feature over 100 riders from 13 nations representing 22 teams in six separate stages spread over five days.
Johnson & Perrott Fleet will support the event with cars and vans in a first collaboration with one of Ireland’s top international sports events for women.
In announcing the partnership, Jonathan O’Brien, Managing Director of Johnson & Perrott Fleet said:
“We are delighted to announce that Johnson & Perrott Fleet will supply Rás na mBan with vehicles throughout the five days of this wonderful event.
“Rás na mBan is the epitome of commitment, focus, speed, quick decision making and flexibility – all qualities which are complementary to our brand values.
“Cycle racing in general, and Rás na mBan in particular, is a perfect forum to showcase Johnson & Perrott Fleet’s diverse range of vehicles and the solutions we can deliver for our clients.”
“We look forward to a fruitful association and wish all the riders, team staff and event organisers a successful week of racing in what is the most inspiring annual Irish sports event.”
For more details about Johnson & Perrott Fleet see www.jpfleet.ie/
About Johnson & Perrott
Founded in 1985, Johnson & Perrott Fleet has been providing contract hire, leasing and fleet management solutions to businesses throughout Ireland for over 30 years.
Operating from South City Business Park in Tallaght, Johnson & Perrott Fleet manages a fleet of almost 1,800 cars and commercial vehicles for both domestic and international customers, ranging from blue chip multinationals leasing over one hundred vehicles to home grown SME’s with less than five.
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Local Riders Race for Kilkenny Best Irish Rider Jersey:
Rás na mBan returns to Kilkenny in September and Ireland’s international bike race for women has a number of exciting new innovations for its 16th edition.
This year’s race is the sixth edition of the popular international stage race to be based in and around Kilkenny and features an exciting new bike festival to be run in conjunction with the final day of racing in Rás na mBan.
Kilkenny County Council has supported the event since 2016 and once again Ireland’s best riders will fight it out over for five days for the coveted Kilkenny County Council green jersey for best locally based rider.
Ireland’s premier stage race will play out over five days and six stages starting on Wednesday 7th September in Ireland’s Ancient East.
Riders from all over Europe, the USA, Oceania, Africa and Asia as well as the best of Ireland’s international- and locally-based racers will descend on Kilkenny for the event which showcases the beauty and variety of roads and landscape of the Leinster county.
Sunday 11th September, the final day of racing, will begin with the fifth stage 2.5km time trial set against the backdrop of one of Kilkenny’s most iconic landmarks.
The race will end with the popular hour-long Kilkenny City Circuit Race on the familiar 2.1km circuit starting on The Parade in front of Kilkenny Castle, a spectacular and high octane end to the five days of racing.
In between those two final stages, Rás na mBan will host Féile Rás na mBan for all ages with a range of activities including leisure bike rides, fitness challenges, skills training and tests, all topped off by a series of short bike races for younger riders racing towards the same finish line to be used by the Rás na mBan stars immediately afterwards.
The focus will be on participation and fun for all as Rás na mBan continues its stated goal of providing a platform event for the best of Irish bike racers and a showcase to inspire the next generation of Irish cyclists.
Féile Rás na mBan is a joint collaboration between Sport Ireland, Kilkenny County Council and Rás na mBan with the grateful assistance of Cycling Ireland and Kilkenny Local Sports Partnership. A full timetable of activities can be viewed at http://www.rasnamban.com/feile/.
While team rosters will also be revealed in due course, Rás na mBan has once again attracted Olympic, World and European Championship riders to face the best of the local talent.
Kilkenny’s Mia Griffin, a World and European Championship track rider, is due to take part again. Having finished second on the final stage last year, she’ll be keen to go one better in ’22.
The best locally based talent includes is vying for the highly coveted green jersey awarded to the Kilkenny County Council Best Irish Rider. The leading Irish rider will be presented on the podium after each stage and recognisable in the bunch each day by the distinctive green Kilkenny CoCo Best Irish Rider jersey.
Stage finishes in Callan, Inistioge (Woodstock), The Cut, Piltown and Kilkenny City feature in the 400km week of bike racing. For full route details see http://www.rasnamban.com/2022-route/.
In welcoming the Women’s Race back to Kilkenny Chairman Pat Fitzpatrick said:
“Kilkenny County Council is delighted to again support Ras na mBan here in Kilkenny for 2022. It has been fantastic to see the race develop as a spectacle since its arrival in Kilkenny in 2016 with continued engagement with the public and schools throughout the city and county.
Sunday 11th is the final day in Kilkenny City and looks particularly appealing with the time trial and criterium both taking place. Wishing all the best to the participants.”
Race Director Valerie Considine believes the 2022 Rás na mBan festival and route mark a new era for the event and an important step in encouraging a new generation of bike riders.
“The move to Kilkenny six years ago has been overwhelmingly positive for Rás na mBan. The beautiful countryside and wonderful support from Kilkenny makes planning the route an absolute pleasure and to be able to offer an event for all the family is a further step development for the race as a pillar event for Cycling Ireland,” says Considine.
“The route and festival we have assembled for 2022 will challenge the riders and offer an opportunity to further showcase the beauty of Kilkenny City and County.
“We look forward to seeing riders of all ages get on their bikes on Sunday 11th and stay to cheer on the stars of Rás na mBan. We hope our efforts will inspire more people to get on their bikes and maybe we’ll see a few future Rás riders among the girls and boys racing on The Parade that day.
“It’s particularly gratifying for us to be able to bring top class women’s bike racing to the people in such an iconic setting as Kilkenny Castle.
“We’ve had wonderful support from Kilkenny County Council and An Garda Síochana throughout the planning of this event and they have helped smooth the not inconsiderable process of bringing top class bike racing to the county.
“Our major backers continue to make this race possible and it’s gratifying that we have retained the support of so many partners for another year.
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