Great start to Rás na mBan in Kilkenny as Goergen claims opening stage

France's Oceane Goergen (Ladynamips RVC) won stage one of the Rás na mBan Picture: Lorraine O’Sullivan

placeholder image — France's Oceane Goergen (Ladynamips RVC) won stage one of the Rás na mBan Picture: Lorraine O’Sullivan

French rider sprints to Stage One victory in Freshford

Rás na mBan 2025 got underway in County Kilkenny on Wednesday, with Ladynamips RVC rider Océane Goergen leading home a reduced bunch sprint to secure the victory. British rider Alice McWilliam of Team Phoenix took second place on the stage with Team Ireland’s Erin Creighton mounting the final step on the podium.

Goergen’s stage win also places her at the head of the General Classification standings, and she’ll wear the leader’s magenta jersey on today's second stage from Kilkenny City to Gorey.

The peloton on the road to Freshford PICTURE: Lorraine O’Sullivan

The new 76-kilometre opening stage offered a different test for the riders, with a strong headwind keeping the peloton intact for the first half of the day. The first of two Queen of the Mountain ascents caused several splits in the bunch, with French national amateur champion Noémie Abgrall of Ladynamips RVC leading Team Ireland’s Esther Wong over the top of the Kearney’s Hill climb.

The long but undulating run to the second classified climb of the day saw several groups of dropped riders regain contact, only for the pattern of the previous climb to be repeated, with the peloton splitting into multiple groups and Abgrall once again leading Wong over the top for maximum points. The Ladynamips RVC rider will wear the IVCA Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains jersey on the second stage to Gorey.

With just six kilometres from the Rathealy summit to the finish, the teams with sprinters still in contention set to work to ensure the reduced bunch stayed clear, setting a rapid pace on the downhill run to the line where Goergen narrowly headed the sprint to victory in front of a charging peloton of 45 riders.

Linda Kelly in the the Kilkenny County Council Best Irish Rider leader after Stage One PICTURE: Lorraine O’Sullivan

The French rider’s stage win added to an already successful day for the Ladynamips RVC team, placing her at the top of the Rás na mBan General Classification and the Cycling Ireland Points standings, to go with teammate Abgrall’s lead at the top of the Queen of the Mountains classification.

Team Ireland’s Erin Creighton’s podium finish also lands her the Sport Ireland Best Young Rider jersey, whilst recently crowned double Para-Cycling World Champion tandem pilot Linda Kelly leads the Kilkenny County Council Best Irish Rider standings after the opening stage.

Stage two sees the riders take on a testing 104-kilometre route from Kilkenny City to Gorey in County Wexford.