Mia Griffin sprints to second stage win in Rás na mBan as final battle looms

Team Ireland's Mia Griffin powered to her second stage win of this year’s Rás na mBan in Tramore, again demonstrating her sprinting prowess on the penultimate day of action.

The Kilkenny native led home Queen of the Mountains jersey wearer Manon de Boer of NWVG-Uplus, with the Dutch rider closely followed by DAS-handsling’s Monica Greenwood.

In the general classification, NWVG-Uplus’s Rixt Hoogland’s fourt- place finish today vaulted her back above overnight leader Tiffany Keep of Hutchinson-Brother UK to regain the magenta jersey, having taken the lead in similar fashion after Stage 2.

Rás na mBan’s first visit to County Waterford saw riders greeted by another scorching day.

The pair are two of six riders who remain level on time at the top of the standings going into tomorrow’s decisive time trial, including leading Irish rider Linda Kelly of Team Dan Morrissey Primor.

Caoimhe O'Brien is 13 seconds behind Hoogland with Griffin 25 seconds back in 19th.

Hoogland’s higher place finish on today’s stage also moves her into the lead of the Cycling Ireland Points Classification, one point clear of Keep in second.

Sport Ireland Best Young Rider Renée van Hout of Team Noord Holland has opened up a slender lead in the under-23 classification, with nearest challenger Ruby Oakes of Shibden Hope Tech Apex losing five seconds on today’s stage.

The stakes couldn’t be higher going into tomorrow morning’s 2.5 kilometre Stage 5 time trial around Kilkenny Castle, with six riders tied on the same time at the top of the overall classification, and several more just a matter of seconds behind.

A shakeup in the contest for the magenta jersey is highly expected in the time trial, with the afternoon criterium around Kilkenny City Centre likely to