New stages announced for 2022 Rás na mBan

The 2022 Rás na mBan will have two new stages with the popular Kilkenny City centre race acting as the finale.

The 2022 running of the event begins on Wednesday, 7 September with six stages taking place over five days in and around the race base in County Kilkenny. New additions are a Kilkenny time-trial and a new stage finish in Inistioge.

Ireland's international stage race for women returns for a 16th edition with a familiar format featuring four road race stages of varying length and difficulty, a time-trial and a circuit race which for a sixth time centres on the city of Kilkenny.

The 2022 running of the event begins on Wednesday, 7 September with six stages taking place over five days in and around the race base in County Kilkenny.

Once again, the route offers a variety of challenges, from testing hilly stages including the stage three summit finish to the 'The Cut’ in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in County Laois, to the stage five time-trial on Sunday where riders will ride solo against the watch on the new Kilkenny Castle course.

For a second year, the race begins in the west of Kilkenny County with a stage finish in Callan and two laps of a 13km finish circuit which will offer spectators at the finish line three chances to see the riders during the day.

The other stages cover roads which will be familiar to fans of Rás na mBan from previous years while also introducing new challenges for the riders.

The day two race to Inistioge includes a grippy and spectacular conclusion at Woodstock.

The day three 'Queen Stage' in the Slieve Bloom mountains once again features a finish in the spectacular surroundings of The Cut following a start in Portlaoise.

Saturday’s race to Piltown mirrors the second stage of the previous two