Griffin ready to wear green again at the Rás

Mia Griffin will be hoping to lead from the front when the Rás na mBan returns to Kilkenny next week.

Griffin, who rides for Israel Premier Tech Roland, will be back in the green of Ireland to lead the five-strong national team in this year’s Rás, which once again will have Kilkenny as its base.

This year’s Rás, which will run from September 6 to 10, features a first-ever Waterford stage, starting and finishing in Tramore, as well as an exciting final day that includes a time trial before a criterium finale in the heart of Kilkenny City.

And Griffin, who has just been crowned Irish champion in the Criterium National Championships, will always be one to look for on home roads. In her last appearance in the Rás she featured heavily at the front of the race and was narrowly pipped for a stage win in the Marble City.

The Irish team also features Caoimhe and Aoife O’Brien who will seek to continue their fine form that has seen them enjoy success on both the road and track this season.

Erin Creighton will also feature in the team after previously representing Ireland at senior level at the Track European Championships in February. Riding in her first year at senior level, Creighton is seeking to build on the international race exposure she has gained on the track this year and also develop as an international road rider.

Completing the line-up, Lucy Benezet Minns is one to watch for Ireland. The first year junior was crowned time trial and road race national champion earlier this summer and represented Ireland at the 2023 Road World Championships.

“Rás na mBan has always provided high quality and exciting international standard racing on domestic roads,” said Neill Delahaye, Cycling Ireland Head Coach. “It is an ideal opportunity for us as a Federation to provide a professional, supported environment to riders at development stages of their career and we are delighted to have a senior rider of the calibre of Mia also featuring in the team.

“We believe the current crop of young Irish women have significant potential and stand to gain a lot of positive learning under the stewardship of Barry Monaghan and his experienced team,” he added. “We have used a comparable team composition in the men’s Rás in recent years to good effect and it is a team format that should work equally well for the women.”

The 2023 Rás na mBan begins on Wednesday, September 6, with the first stage finishing in Callan. Stage two runs from Kilkenny to the Rower, with other stages finishing in Mountrath and Tramore before two stages on the final day - an individual time trial that flows around Kilkenny Castle and a city centre criterium.