Cycling Ireland Points Jersey Unveiled
Rás na mBan is delighted to present the final jersey for the 19th edition of Ireland’s international stage race for women. The Cycling Ireland Points jersey is awarded to the rider who shows the most consistency in stage finishes by accumulating the most points on offer for each stage.
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The Points jersey is often the preserve of the sprinters, or the strong all rounder with a strong finishing kick, The jersey was won by Ireland’s Mia Griffin in 2024 who won two of the six stages on her way to securing the overall Magenta jersey in the process.
Other past winners include Olympic silver medal winner Josie Knight, British road race and time trial national champion Alice Barnes, her sister Hannah Barnes and Ireland’s world championship rider, Cork’s Fiona Meade.
Rás na mBan Race Director Valerie Considine welcomed the continued Cycling Ireland support as the race organisers and volunteer crew progress with the final preparations ahead of September 3rd.
“The support from Cycling Ireland throughout the years has assisted Rás na mBan in becoming the showcase event it is today - offering Irish riders the chance to race on home roads against world-class international competition.
“We’re proud to work with Cycling Ireland to elevate women’s cycling and grateful for their enduring support in helping us bring this race to life year after year.
“On behalf of the race organising committee I would like to thank Cycling Ireland for their continued support of Rás na mBan.”
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About Cycling Ireland
Cycling Ireland (CI) is the National Governing Body for cycling on the island of Ireland, recognised internationally by the UCI and UEC. The organisation was founded in 1987 following the amalgamation of a number of cycling bodies. Cycling Ireland operates across all cycling disciplines and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organising cycling activities. Cycling Ireland receives support from both governments on the island and is considered one of the three priority sports within the Irish Government’s National Sports Policy 2018-2027.
With a membership of over 26,000 people and nearly 500 clubs, Cycling Ireland sanctions approximately 1,000 events and manages more than 200,000 event entries annually. The organisations strategic vision is to develop an island enriched by cycling.
Cycling Ireland Announce Irish Team for Rás na mBan
Rás na mBan returns this September, as Ireland’s premier women’s stage race takes place from Wednesday the 3rd to Sunday the 7th of September.
The race, based in and around Kilkenny, will again see an Irish national team entered.
This year’s Rás na mBan will see a debut in green for Abi Conway. The Westport-Covey Wheelers rider has made a splash on the domestic front, taking podiums in the 2024 and 2025 U23 road race national championship, as well as taking the overall win in her first stage race at the Newry 3 Day in 2024.
The youngest member of the five-strong team will be Aliyah Rafferty. The 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival athlete took both the Junior Time Trial and Road Race national championships already this summer, and already has a Rás na mBan under her belt, having ridden for Ireland in last year’s edition.
2025 national criterium champion Aine Doherty is back in green following a block of racing in the United States. The Dan Morrissey rider is also a returning member of last year’s team, and has become well used to riding for Ireland, having ridden in green at both road and cyclo-cross world championships, as well as riding at the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2022.
2024 Olympic track team member Erin Creighton is back in an Ireland kit for this year’s Rás na mBan. Although Creighton’s focus has been on the track in recent years, she is no stranger to representing Ireland on the road, having ridden for Ireland at World Championships in 2021, and at Rás na mBan in 2023.
Esther Wong rounds out the Irish team for this year’s edition. This will be Wong’s first Rás na mBan, but far from her first appearance in green – having represented Ireland now in cyclo-cross, on the road and on the track.