Dekker Triumphs in Stage 2 of Rás na mBan Amid Heavy Rain

Dutch cyclist Noor Dekker emerged victorious in Stage 2 of the Rás na mBan held in Gorey, overcoming challenging weather conditions that included torrential rain and multiple crashes. Dekker, who was the overall runner-up in the previous year’s edition, finished ahead of Noemie Abgrall from France and Denmark’s Olympia Norrid-Mortenson. The stage was marked by significant splits within the peloton, which affected the standings substantially.

Océane Goergen, who led the general classification after the opening day, found herself caught in a key split during the race. This left her in a secondary group that finished over two minutes behind Dekker, allowing Alice McWilliam from Team Phoenix to take over the general classification lead as she donned the magenta jersey going into Stage 3.

Strong winds and dry conditions greeted the riders as they set off from Kilkenny, but these quickly deteriorated into heavy rain. The adverse weather contributed to accidents that disrupted the race. The action intensified following the first ascent of the IVCA Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains at Sliabh Buí. A breakaway group comprising Grace Reynolds (Smurfit Westrock CT), Sarah Pope (Ladynamips RVC), and Gertrud Riis Madsen (Team Aalborg Sparekassen) initially led the race over the summit, but were eventually caught by the chasing peloton.

The challenging gradient of the Sliabh Buí climb and the high pace set by the leading group caused significant gaps, resulting in Goergen being left behind. Despite her attempts to rejoin, she struggled with only one teammate to assist, making it increasingly clear that a new leader was emerging.

Abgrall, the leader in the Queen of the Mountains standings, continued to assert her dominance, securing maximum points on the second categorized climb and extending her lead in that classification. Linda Kelly, representing Cycling Ireland Women’s Commission, performed well, claiming the remaining points in her pursuit of the climb.

As the race approached the final 13 kilometers, Dekker’s teammates facilitated her positioning for the sprint finish. Demonstrating her formidable strength, Dekker surged ahead, creating a gap that she maintained until the end. Her victory places her level on general classification time with McWilliam, but she ranks second based on countback. McWilliam’s performance also elevates her to the top of the Cycling Ireland Points standings.

In other classifications, former British Junior Road Race Champion Amelia Cebak (Smurfit Westrock CT) claimed the lead in the Sport Ireland Best Young Rider category, while Linda Kelly retained her title as the Kilkenny County Council Best Irish Rider.

The Rás na mBan will continue tomorrow with a challenging 104-kilometer stage from Portlaoise to Mountrath, featuring the formidable ascent of The Cut in the Slieve Bloom mountains. This stage promises to further shake up the standings as competitors face new challenges.

In a related event, Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates-XRG secured his second stage win at the Vuelta a Espana, besting compatriot Javier Romo in a thrilling finish. Despite the excitement in the Vuelta, overall leader Jonas Vingegaard maintained his position with a 50-second lead over Joao Almeida of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Tom Pidcock of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, who remains in third place.