Comprising five rather than seven stages and taking place in June rather than May, the route of the new-look Rás Tailteann was announced by the organisers on Wednesday. The race will start in Dublin on Wednesday June 10th and conclude in Blackrock, Co Louth on Sunday June 14th, having covered 758 kilometres.
This year’s event will deliberately avoid major climbs in order to change the pattern of racing. It will feature just seven categorised ascents, down from 34 in the last edition. Furthermore, there are no first category climbs, with the route featuring only three second category ascents. The remaining four are category three.
Multiple Rás participant Eugene Moriarty is the new race director and explained the thinking behind the change. “The route, expertly designed by Ger Campbell, will allow the riders to race every day, with undulating roads. [It] deliberately stays away from multiple big first category mountains of recent editions. This will open up the race for aggressive racing.”
The new-look format comes after the first-ever cancellation of the race. The Rás Tailteann was first run in 1953 and continued uninterrupted until 2018. However the decision of An Post to step back after the 2017 event meant that it ran on a reserve fund the following season. A new title sponsor was not found in time for the 2019 edition, leading to the-then organisers reluctantly abandoning plans to hold the race.
Last November it was announced that a new group, Cáirde Rás Tailteann, would take over the running of the event. It comprised a number of people who had been long involved with the race and together they decided to step back from the UCI’s international calendar, at least for the short term.
The move will reduce the budget needed and also limit the number of UCI Continental teams which could take part. While this will also reduce the level of the international competitors, it will mean that Irish riders and teams have a greater chance of shining. In recent years the number of home successes had dropped, with the last Irish winner being Stephen Gallagher back in 2008.
The organisers have also relaxed the entry rules somewhat, permitting each five-man team to include two A3 category riders.
This year’s race will begin in Dublin with a 140.1 kilometre leg. After a ceremonial start in the city, the race proper will get underway in Jobstown, Tallaght, head through Blessington, Dunlavin and Athy en route to the category three climb of Glosna and a category two ascent at Castlecomer. It will then continue on through Urlingford to the finish in the village of Horse and Jockey.
Day two begins in Horse and Jockey and covers 154.8 kilometres in a south-westward direction via Thurles, Dundrum, Tipperary Town and Charleville. It crosses the category three climb at Freemount and on to Castleisland, where a ten kilometre finishing loop will include the category two climb of Crags Cave.
The following day is the longest of the race at 173.8 kilometres, and goes from Castleisland to Lisdoonvarna. Fast roads early on take the riders through Abbeyfeale, along the Shannon to Limerick and on to Ennis, then out onto the harder roads of the Clare countryside in the Burren. It passes through Corofin, goes up the category two climb of the Corkscrew and finishes in Lisdoonvarna.
The penultimate stage begins in the famous festival town and traces a mainly flat 154.1 kilometre through the Burren, on to Gort, Loughrea and Athlone before a first-ever Rás stage finish in Kilbeggan. The final yellow jersey will then be decided on Sunday June 14th with a stage beginning in Kinnegad.
That 135.3 kilometre leg travels through Trim and Navan, over a category three climb at Slane and then onto a similarly-ranked ascent at Collon. The peloton will race on to Blackrock, where it will take in four laps of a 10 kilometre finishing circuit and duke it out for the final stage win and overall honours.
Rás Tailteann 2020
Stage 1, Wednesday June 10: Dublin to Horse and Jockey (140.1 kilometres)
Stage 2, Thursday June 11: Horse and Jockey - Castleisland (154.8 kilometres)
Stage 3, Friday June 12: Castleisland to Lisdoonvarna (173.8 kilometres)
Stage 4, Saturday June 13: Lisdoonvarna to Kilbeggan (154.1 kilometres)
Stage 5, Sunday June 14: Kinnegad to Blackrock (135.3 kilometres)
