Rás na mBan 2024
Mia Griffin takes a historic win in Kilkenny
Credit: Rás na mBan
The team delivered an exceptional performance at the Rás na mBan, Ireland’s premier women’s stage race, culminating in Mia Griffin’s historic overall victory. In her hometown, Kilkenny, Mia became the first Irish rider in 11 years to win this prestigious race.
From stage one, the team dominated the race, demonstrating remarkable strength and cohesion. The stage ended in an anticipated bunch sprint, executed perfectly by the team, resulting in a win for Mia. Robyn finished second and Caoimhe completed the podium in third. Frankie also played a key role, having spent much of the stage in the breakaway. With this strong start, the team swept all the jerseys going into day two.
Stage 2 was equally successful, with another anticipated sprint finish on the cards. Caoimhe powered to a great victory, backed by Mia in second and Robyn in fifth. This set the tone for Stage 3, where Mia once again took a sprint win, extending her GC lead with more bonus seconds at the finish line.
The race intensified on Stage 4 with a brutal uphill finish. Despite the demanding conditions, the team’s tireless efforts to protect Mia and mark all attacks ensured she held onto her overall lead. Lucy and Robyn also delivered strong performances, finishing fifth and sixth on the stage, respectively.
Heading into the final two stages, Mia held an 11-second advantage in the general classification. She solidified her lead with a brilliant time trial in Stage 5, finishing third and maintaining her advantage over second place.
On the final stage, the team had a plan and it was executed to perfection. Everyone worked tirelessly to protect Mia’s GC lead, notably Frankie who spent much of the stage driving the pace. We were also targeting the stage win, and in the closing laps a perfect opportunity presented itself for Lucy to follow a strong move, with the team able to control the peloton behind. Lucy timed her sprint to perfection, securing the team’s fourth stage victory of the race. The bunch finished 11 seconds behind, allowing Mia to cross the line in the peloton and celebrate her overall victory.
In addition to Mia’s overall win, the team took home a number of other awards:
4th (Lucy), 5th (Caoimhe) and 9th (Robyn) in the General Classification
Overall Team Classification
1st (Mia), 2nd (Robyn) and 3rd (Caoimhe) in the Points Classification
2nd (Lucy) in the Queen of the Hills Classification
1st (Caoimhe) and 3rd (Robyn) in the Young Riders Classification
1st (Mia) and 2nd (Caoimhe) in the Best Irish Rider Classification
It’s been an incredible return to road racing for Mia, having made her Olympic debut on the track last month. We couldn’t be prouder of how everyone raced, and we are hugely grateful to everyone who helped make this such a successful week.
We’ll be heading into our final race weekend of the season with a lot of motivation. We’ll be sending a team to the Curlew Cup, the final round of the National Road Series, whilst also racing in Valencia, Spain, for the inaugral edition of the Pionera Race (UCI 1.2).
