Claire Represents Cycling Ulster

Monday, September 9, 2013
Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – member Claire Gillespie, from Braidwater Gardens in Broughshane, is off to County Clare this week to represent Cycling Ulster in the "Ras na mBan” women’s stage race.
After five years in Kerry, the race will be based in Ennis this year, from where it will take in six stages in five days from September 11th to 15th.
This year’s event celebrates 27 years of International women’s stage racing in Ireland and is contested by teams and riders from all over Europe, the USA and Australia as well as the top local riders and is the longest and toughest stage race for women in these islands.
The event patron is Sonia O’Sullivan and since retiring from full time running, former 5000m world champion and Olympic silver medallist O’Sullivan has included cycling in her fitness regime and has recently been drawn to long distance bike events.
Now the Cobh star, who divides her time between Ireland and Australia, is training hard on the bike and has hinted she joins the line-up for this year’s Rás na mBan on the Munster team.
Event headquarters will be in the main county town of Ennis. As in past years, the race will have a central location with stages in various parts of the scenic Clare countryside.
The organisers have mapped out a challenging and varied route with over 400 kilometres of racing, including two significant new developments for 2013.
As well as four tough road stages, the riders will face a team time trial, on the morning of the third day, followed by a short circuit ‘criterium’ stage in Ennis town centre in the afternoon. The status of this event is huge and top sports broadcaster British Eurosport has confirmed that it will present a half-hour highlights programme of this year's edition. The programme is set to be aired for the first time on October 8th.
Claire, who is joined by Janine McNally, Tonya Moran and Ciara McManus on the CU line up, explains; "I set off on Tuesday down to Co Clare to get ready for first race on Wednesday evening which starts in Ennis.
There will be six stages in 5 days, a total 410 kilometres of racing including 16 categorised climbs. There is also a team time trial and a criterium race.”
"It’s going to be a tough six days, I've been training hard for the past 6 weeks to prepare for what’s ahead and I’ve dropped weight to try an compete over the tough climbs.
I just hope I've done enough to be able to finish the race and get round as I will be riding with some of the top female riders from all over the world.
This is my first year racing for Ballymena Road Club and it will be an incredible experience to ride the Ras na mBan and I’m honoured to be asked to be part of the cycling Ulster team.” added Claire.