On your marks … world’s fastest female cyclists tackle Kilkenny’s roads

By COLIN BARTLEY

IRELAND’S premier women’s cycling event, which attracts the cream of world cycling, kicks off in Kilkenny this afternoon.

Rás na mBan is a five-day event held over six stages in which competitors race over 400km.

The race sets off from the Springhill Court Hotel at 4.30pm and will finish in Gowran this evening at 6.30pm

Tomorrow and Friday the racing starts at 11am. Tomorrow’s stage takes the riders from Kilkenny to Piltown and will see them cross the finish line just after 2pm.

Friday’s stage starts in Kilkenny again at 11am and finishes at The Cut in county Laois at just after 2.30pm.

Saturday morning sees an individual time-trial take place around Tullaroan, while Saturday afternoon the city will be closed off for a criterium starting at 6.15pm.

Sunday’s final stage will start and finish in Kilkenny city, with the riders setting off at 11.30am and finishing outside the Castle just after 1.30pm.

Teams from the UK, France, Belgium, Holland and more will be vying for the title won last year by Coralie Demay of Team Bretagne. Last year highlights of the event were shown on Eurosport.

Motorists are asked to drive carefully around the county and follow the instructions of the race stewards.

For more information, log on to: http://www.rasnamban.ie