De Boer shows class to win Rás na mBan stage in Kilkenn

Last year's Rás na mBan winner Manon de Boer put in a dominant performance to secure her first stage win of this year's race in Co Kilkenny on Saturday afternoon.

The Dutch rider powered up the final metres of the finishing climb to 'The Rower' to cross the line ahead of American Heidi Franz in second, with Marine Lenehan the best of the Irish in third.

Overall leader Mia Griffin finished in 17th place, in a group four seconds down on De Boer, which was enough to keep hold of the magenta jersey with only tomorrow’s two stages remaining.

An overcast day greeted the riders as they assembled at the Hoban Hotel in Kilkenny City for the start of the final road stage of this year’s race, with the peloton taking on a 101km test featuring three categorised climbs, including two ascents of the final rise to The Rower.

The early part of the stage saw little in the way of action at the front of the race, as riders largely saved their resources for the efforts to come.

That initial lull was to be short-lived, however, with a long uncategorised drag out of Inistioge providing opportunities for a series of attacks and counter-attacks, most notably from Monarch Racing’s Chloe Mauvais.

Her solo attack was ended with the first ascent Queen of the Mountains climb of The Rower resulting in an upping of the pace from the main bunch, with the charge led by QOM leader Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) and Manon de Boer (NWVG-Uplus) in a resumption of their race-long duel for the QOM jersey.

De Boer crested the summit ahead of Lee on this occasion, leaving the two tied on points with two climbs remaining.

The intermediate sprint followed soon after, with Grace Reynolds (Brother UK-OnForm) taking the three bonus seconds, ahead of Frederikke Aafeldt