The event will start in the cycling stronghold of Drogheda, Co Louth on Wednesday, May 21st heading westwards to finish in Boyle, Co Roscommon. A transfer to Charlestown for the start of stage two where the riders will take on the infamous Windy Gap and Maumtrasna climbs in the longest of the 2025 Rás Tailteann stages. Another transfer to Co Mayo for the start of stage three, where Cong will welcome the Rás Tailteann. After setting off from Cong, the riders will take in breathtaking scenery along the Wild Atlantic Way before they face the fast finish towards Miltown Malbay in County Clare.
The penultimate stage will kick off from Ennis, Co Clare and take on 2 x category three climbs before crossing the category one Wolftrap climb with less than 15KM remaining – will there be enough time to regroup before the finish in Mountrath, Co Laois? The final stage of Rás Tailteann 2025 will kick off in Kildare Town heading across the plains of ‘The Lilywhite County’ before entering Co Meath where again, the winner of Rás Tailteann will be crowned in Bective. The 2025 edition of the race is again five stages and will take on over 760KM along the roads of The Emerald Isle, including 13 categorised climbs.
Sponsor 4 – City Break Apartments – Points Jersey
Cairde Rás Tailteann is delighted to announce that City Break Apartments will again sponsor the Points Winner Jersey in this year’s Rás Tailteann. This marks City Break Apartments’ fourth consecutive year sponsoring this prestigious classification.
Johnny Drake (Managing Director) of City Break Apartments presents Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase – Cabtech – Castelli) with the points jersey in Bective during Rás Tailteann 2024. (Photographer: Lorraine O’Sullivan)
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Launched in 2007, City Break Apartments is one of Ireland’s leading short- and medium-term letting providers. To simplify the process of finding accommodation, they offer a comprehensive database of 250 apartments in Dublin city centre, 395 hotel bedrooms, and 100 listings across the country. From compact, stylish apartments for short stays to spacious multi-bedroom apartments for families or colleagues on extended visits, City Break Apartments is committed to delivering high-quality accommodation for both leisure and corporate clients.
All their city-centre apartments are fully equipped with kitchens featuring a washer/dryer, microwave, dishwasher, and ironing facilities. Free Wi-Fi and TV are provided, and parking is available on request. City Break Apartments is proud to have well-known clients, including Google, Facebook, and HSBC, among its customer base.
This year’s Rás Tailteann will mark the 70th edition of the iconic race, and Race Director Ger Campbell expressed his gratitude for City Break Apartments’ continued support: “Having City Break Apartments return for their fourth consecutive year is a real testament to their dedication to Rás Tailteann. Their unwavering support has played a significant role in the event’s growth, and we’re thrilled to have them as a continued partner, especially as we celebrate this historic 70th edition in 2025.”
Philip Cassidy from City Break Apartments shared his excitement for the continued partnership: “As someone who has a personal connection to Rás Tailteann, having competed and won, it’s fantastic for us to continue supporting this iconic race. City Break Apartments is proud to be part of such an incredible event, and we wish all the riders an enjoyable and safe week on the road as we celebrate the 70th edition of Rás Tailteann.”
The official points jersey for Rás Tailteann 2025
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Visiting Team 5 – Team Skyline – USA
Cairde Rás Tailteann is delighted to announce our fifth visiting team for the 2025 event – Team Skyline from the USA, who will return to Ireland for their second participation in the historic race.
Having first competed in Rás Tailteann in 2024, Team Skyline made an immediate impact, taking second place on Stage 1 and winning Stage 2, alongside securing the prestigious Team Classification. Their return in 2025 is highly anticipated after a season of impressive results at home and abroad. Over the past two seasons, Team Skyline has continued to build momentum, claiming two UCI race wins in 2024, several podium finishes in Irish races in 2025, and dominating the Rás Mhaigheo, where they secured the overall general classification along with victories on stages 1, 2, and 3.
For Rás Tailteann 2025, Team Skyline brings a strong and balanced squad, made up of four Irish riders and one foreign rider. The lineup will feature a mix of experience and youthful talent, with Conn McDunphy, Cian Keogh, Paul Kennedy, and Ronan O’Connor – the team’s U23 rider – already confirmed to race.
Their preparations for Rás Tailteann have included a busy and competitive schedule, with races completed in Greece, Italy, the United States, and across Ireland to fine-tune the team’s form ahead of the challenge. Looking ahead to May, Team Skyline has set their ambitions high, aiming to go one place better than last year by challenging for both stage wins and the overall General Classification victory. Speaking ahead of the event, Conn McDunphy who was second in the 2024 Rás Tailteann said: “We are looking forward to returning to Rás Tailteann once again. We have a great team of staff and riders prepared for the race and ready to put up a big fight for the win. We think if all goes to plan we can achieve an overall win.”
Race Director Ger Campbell also welcomed the team back to Ireland: “It’s fantastic to see Team Skyline returning for their second Rás Tailteann. They were hugely impressive last year and bring a great energy and professionalism to the race. We are excited to see what they can deliver this time around and we wish them the very best of luck.”
Cairde Rás Tailteann welcomes Team Skyline back and looks forward to seeing them light up the roads of Ireland once again this May.
Team Skyline celebrate their victory as International Team Champions in Rás Tailteann 2024. (Photographer: Lorraine O’Sullivan)
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Visiting Team 6 – Storck-Metropol Cycling – Germany
Cairde Rás Tailteann is delighted to announce our sixth visiting team for the 2025 event: Storck-Metropol Cycling from Germany. This marks the team’s first-ever participation at Rás Tailteann, and they come with a strong track record, having already secured impressive UCI victories on the international stage.
Storck-Metropol enjoyed a standout 2024 season, with UCI victories at the Tour of Mersin and the Flanders Tomorrow Tour, where they were led by the current U23 World Champion and Visma rider, Niklas Behrens. Behrens’ remarkable form in 2023, including his UCI victory, has made him one of the most exciting riders on the international scene.
The 2025 team lineup includes: Toni Franz, Dominik Merseburg, Moritz Czasa, Campo Schmitz and Robin Fischer. The team will be managed by Tufan Sagnak, with additional staff support from Mario Ermert and Sandro Kühmel. Storck-Metropol’s ambitious race program includes high-profile UCI events like the Belgrade Banjaluka UCI 2.2 (April 23-26), Eschborn UCI 1.2U (May 1), Rund um Köln 1.1 (May 18), and more. This extensive international schedule puts them in a strong position to tackle the challenges of Rás Tailteann.
Team Manager Tufan Sagnak shared his thoughts on the team’s upcoming debut at Rás: “We are happy that we can take part in this nice event. We’ve heard very good things about the race in the past, and we’re really excited to experience it ourselves. We hope we can win a stage, and for the general classification, we will see what’s possible.”
With a combination of experienced riders and promising talent, Storck-Metropol is expected to be a team to watch closely in the 2025 edition.
Race Director Ger Campbell welcomed Storck-Metropol Cycling to the event: "We are excited to have Storck-Metropol Cycling make their debut at Rás Tailteann. Their success on the UCI circuit speaks volumes, and we look forward to seeing how they race on the challenging Irish terrain."
Storck-Metropol Cycling on a pre-season training camp. (Photographer: Strock-Metropol Cycling)
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