The organisers of the Rás Tailteann have announced the details of this year’s race which will see riders tackle a number of mountainous stages in Kerry and Wicklow.
The race starts in Drogheda rather than Dublin and has stage finishes in Athlone, Tipperary, Listowel, Glengarriff, Mitchellstown, Carlow, Naas and Skerries.
The opening 136-kilometre stage takes the riders from Drogheda to Athlone with two Cat. 3 climbs en route. The following day will see the race travel south to Tipperary with three climbs along the way including the Cat. 3 Silvermines.
Stage 3 takes the riders to the Kingdom with the stage finish in Listowel and the following day will be one of the most challenging of the race as the riders will have to take on six categorised climbs including Moll’s Gap and Healy Pass before finishing in Glengarriff.
The fifth stage is 150 kilometres from Glengarriff to Mitchelstown with two Cat. 2 climbs early on before a flatter run in to the finish. On the following day to Carlow, the riders will face a tough finale with five categorised climbs in the final fifty kilometres.
The penultimate stage through the Wicklow Mountains is another day to suit the climbers where they will take on Drumgoff and Wicklow Gap before finishing in Naas. The final stage will have the traditional finish in Skerries.
The eight-day race takes place from 20th to 27th of May.
