Silje Weitze Antvorskov of Team Friis claimed victory on yesterday’s third stage of Rás na mBan, crossing the line ahead of Noémie Garnier (Vendée Féminine RVC) and Olympia Norrid-Mortensen (Torelli) with Cycling Ulster’s Aliyah Rafferty just missing a podium spot at the back of four-rider lead group.
The result moves Danish U23 Road Race Champion Antvorskov into the overall race lead, taking over the magenta jersey from stage two winner Aoife O’Brien of Team Ireland, who finished 1m40s behind the leaders on today’s stage.
The third stage of this year’s race presented a new route for the riders, with a 103-kilometre journey starting and finishing in Carrick-on-Suir, including two categorised climbs which would prove decisive.
With the first of those climbs not arriving until 70 kilometres into the stage, the opening hour of racing saw several unsuccessful attacks before Kathrine Madsen (Team Friis) and Lucy Glover (Smurfit Westrock) finally snapped the elastic. With neither an overall threat to Magenta Jersey O’Brien, the pair were allowed to open up a gap that reached a maximum of 1m13s.
That advantage was wiped out on the slopes of the category one ascent of Tickincor however, with its maximum gradients of over 16 per cent decimating the peloton.
Only five riders remained at the front of the race by the summit, with IVCA Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains leader Garnier taking maximum points to extend her advantage in the classification. The French rider was joined in the lead group by Antvoskov, Norrid-Mortensen, Rafferty and Elena Day (Smurfit Westrock).
Magenta jersey O’Brien was one of the many riders distanced on the Tickincor ascent. The Mullingar rider was unable to regain contact with the front of the race, despite being assisted by teammates Emma Jeffers and Emer Heverin in a strong defence of the jersey.
Up front, Day was dropped from the lead group on the final categorised climb of the day at Seskin to leave just four riders in contention for the stage. Norrid Mortensen took the maximum mountain points at the top, followed by Garnier in second to ensure the Vendée Féminine RVC rider holds a commanding lead in the QOM classification.
With the category two ascent summiting just over five kilometres from the finish in Carrick-on-Suir, there was little opportunity for the chasing riders to close the gap to the leading quartet, with Weitze Antvorskov proving the strongest in the sprint to claim the stage victory.
Speaking after the stage, the Team Friis rider explained how her teammates helped set up the victory.
“We just tried to go from the bottom of the hill,” said the Dane. “My teammates [moved] me to the front and I just pushed as hard as I could all the way to the top, and when we got to the top there were only four [others] left.
“In the end we were all working, but I was trying to drive for the GC and not so much for the stage win.”
Despite admitting she was prioritising improving her overall position, Antvorskov reacted with surprise when told she was now in the magenta jersey, “Oh that’s crazy, I hadn’t thought about that, but I guess then I have a little bit more pressure on me in the next days, so we’ll see.”
She also expressed confidence that her team could help with defending the overall lead, “Yeah I think so, my teammates they are really good, they can do everything.”
Antvorskov heads into stage four with a slender four second lead over Garnier in the general classification, with the 21-year-old Dane also topping the Sport Ireland Best Young Rider standings.
Despite a difficult day for O’Brien, the Team Ireland sprinter still holds a commanding lead in the Cycling Ireland Points Classification, while Aliyah Rafferty’s strong fourth place finish elevates her into the lead of the Kilkenny County Council Best Irish Rider Classification.
The race heads to Carlow for today’s 89-kilometre fourth stage which includes the double ascent and summit finish of the category one Corrabut Gap climb.
Steven McGowan made an impressive World Championship debut in Huntsville on Friday, finishing seventh in the Men’s H3 individual time trial as Ireland’s campaign got under way at the 2026 UCI Para Cycling Road World Championships.
McGowan completed the 29.2 km course in 43:16.52. He reached the halfway point in eighth place with a time of 21:06.01 before gaining a position on the second lap to finish seventh in a field of 20 riders.
McGowan said: “I’m absolutely delighted. I said from the start that if I could get into the top 12 or top 10 I’d be happy, so to finish seventh, my best result of the year so far, is brilliant. The heat made a huge difference. By the second lap my body was overheating, so they were very difficult racing conditions.”
Belgium’s Marvin Odent claimed the world title in 40:54.12, with Micha Wäfler of Switzerland second and Germany’s Daniel Ulmann third. This was McGowan’s first World Championships, following his World Cup and European Championship debuts earlier this season. He was also crowned Irish national time trial champion in June.
Allister MacSorley also recorded a top ten finish for Ireland, placing ninth in the Men’s H4 individual time trial. His time of 42:51.31 over the same 29.2 km course moved him from 10th place at halfway into ninth on the final standings.
MacSorley said: “I’m happy with that result. The aim was to get into the top 10, so to finish ninth is pretty cool. The conditions were brutal, with the heat and humidity and two laps of a long, rolling course. I tried to pace myself as much as possible on the first lap, but the second lap was just pain. In the final three kilometres, I could taste blood at the back of my throat.”
Austria’s Thomas Frühwirth won the Men’s H4 title in 39:11.50. MacSorley was competing at the World Championships for the first time since 2023 and arrived in Alabama following mixed handcycle team relay silver at the UCI World Cup in Gistel, fifth place in the European time trial and an Irish national road race title this season.
Day Two will see six Irish entries take to the time trial course. Richael Timothy and Heather Jameson open Saturday’s programme in the Women’s C3 and C2 events, followed by Ireland’s two men’s and two women’s tandem pairings.
