Results courtesy of the Ras na mBan time team, photos of John Hammer and Caroline Kerley, report CI with thanks and appreciation
Rás na mBan final stage report courtesy of Cycling Ireland >>> Kaia Schmid took her second, and her team’s third win of Rás na mBan 2021 as she sprinted home on The Parade in front of Kilkenny Castle to win the sixth and final stage in Kilkenny today. Schmid overhauled Team Ireland’s Mia Griffin, a native of Kilkenny, who was first into the final corner in her bid for a first stage success for Ireland in six years. Stage five winner Makayla MacPherson made it two US Team Lux riders on the final stage podium in third place to cap a remarkable first visit to Rás na mBan for the Colorado-based team, a major development squad in US cycling. Anna Shackley was safely in the main peloton to take the overall victory, the Team GB rider finishing the week just five seconds clear of her Great Britain national squad team-mate Abi Smith with Loec Adegeest of the Netherlands (Jan van Arkel) third overall at 44 seconds. Best of the Irish overall was Alice Sharpe of Team Ireland, fourth at 57s from Shackley, with her teammate Kelly Murphy fifth at 1m31s and Natalie Grinczer (CAMS Basso) sixth, 1m49s behind the winner while the Irish National team scooped the overall team prize.
