Festina sponsor Daily County Rider Award for Rás Tailteann 2026!

Race Official Ciarán McKenna presents John Buller (Banbridge CC Specsavers) with the Festina Daily County Rider Award during Rás Tailteann 2025 - Photographer: Lorraine O’Sullivan

Cairde Rás Tailteann is delighted to announce that Festina will once again sponsor the Daily County Rider Award for Rás Tailteann 2026. This marks Festina’s fifth consecutive year supporting the daily prize for this classification.

With more than a century of experience, Festina has become an internationally recognised brand known for combining elegance and functionality with a strong sporting identity. Their collections reflect precision and performance, aligning closely with the demands and values of elite cycling.

Thanking Festina for their continued support of Rás Tailteann, Race Director Ger Campbell said: “We are very grateful and proud to have a major international brand like Festina continuing its involvement with the race. Being the first Irish county rider across the line on any stage of Rás Tailteann is a very special achievement and having a Festina watch to mark that occasion makes it even more memorable for the riders.”

Representatives from Festina added:

West Frisia (Netherlands) announced for Rás Tailteann 2026!

West Frisia in action earlier in the 2026 season - Photographer: Team West Frisia

Cairde Rás Tailteann is delighted to announce West Frisia as one of our visiting teams for the 2026 event as they return to the race for the first time since 2022.

The Dutch development team is no stranger to Irish racing, having competed in Rás Mumhan on a number of occasions and they arrive in Ireland with a strong block of racing behind them. In preparation for this year’s event, West Frisia has raced in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands with their final outings including two Dutch classics, one of which takes place in the hills of Limburg, the region that hosts the Amstel Gold Race.

West Frisia has built a strong reputation as a development pathway with a number of riders progressing through the team to the professional ranks. Former riders include Bart Lemmen, now riding with Team Visma | Lease a Bike as well as Alexander Konijn, Stijn Appel, Adne van Engelen and Jesper Rasch, all of whom are currently competing at a high level internationally.

The team comes into Rás Tailteann in good form following a strong performance at Rás Mumhan earlier this season. Niek Hoornsman took victory on stage two, claimed the mountains classification and finished third overall. He will be joined by Tijs Dekker, who brings previous experience of Rás Tailteann, having competed in the 2022 edition.

Team Manager Tino Haakman said: “After participating in 2022, we are very much looking forward to returning to Rás Tailteann. We have always enjoyed racing in Ireland and have taken part in Rás Mumhan on a number of occasions. Our preparation this year has included racing in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands and we feel well prepared for the race ahead.”

Race Director Ger Campbell added: “We are very pleased to welcome West Frisia back to Rás Tailteann. They are a team with a strong development ethos and they have already shown this year, particularly at Rás Mumhan, that they are capable of delivering results. With riders in form and good preparation behind them, they should be very competitive across the week.”