By Dan Walsh at The Avenue, Gorey
Team Ireland dominated the second stage of Rás na mBan into Gorey this afternoon, with Aoife O’Brien crossing the line first with teammates Emma Jeffers and Emer Heverin following close behind in second and third.
22-year-old O’Brien’s victory also moves her to the top of the overall standings, having finished second on yesterday’s opening stage behind Team Denmark’s Alma Rasmussen, who lost several minutes after an eventful day in the magenta jersey.
Riders rolled out from Gorey this morning for an undulating 97-kilometre route featuring two categorised climbs before returning to The Avenue in Gorey town centre for the finish.
The Sliabh Buí climb provided a challenge along the way while magenta jersey Alma Rasmussen (Denmark) was one of several riders caught up in a crash.
Speaking after the stage, the Mullingar rider O’Brien praised the efforts of her teammates as they worked to set up the sprint finish on the return to Gorey.
“It was such a hard race,” she said. “All the girls worked so hard during the stage, so to pull off a win and also get the magenta jersey is really nice. We got one, two, three in the end, so it was a really nice day.
Aoife O’Brien now leads the overall standings ahead of Emma Jeffers at 10 seconds and Emer Heverin at 12 seconds, with French rider Océane Goergen (Vendée Féminine RVC) the nearest challenger to the Irish trio in fourth at 16 seconds.
There was one local rider in the race, Joanne Ní Mhathuna, a member of Gorey Cycling Club but riding for Tan Racing in this year’s event.
Cathaoirleach of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council Cllr Mary Farrell told WexfordLocal.com: “It is a great honour for Gorey to play host to this prestigious international women’s cycling event. Having both the start and finish stage in Gorey gives us a wonderful opportunity to showcase our town and the very best of Wexford hospitality. I commend the Rás na mBan organisers and Wexford County Council for working together to bring world-class women’s sport to our roads, inspiring the next generation of female athletes.”
Cllr Farrell was involved in the prize-giving afterwards as was Cllr Lisa McDonald, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council and Cllr Darragh McDonald, Gorey Kilmuckridge District Council.
Perfect weather helped create a lively sporting atmosphere at the finish on The Avenue, where pupils from Bunscoil Loreto in Gorey cheered enthusiastically as the riders crossed the line.
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