Featuring two tough climbing days plus a course which should encourage fast racing, the route of the 2013 An Post Rás was announced in Dublin yesterday.
Starting on May 19th, the UCI-ranked race will begin for the fourth year in a row in Dunboyne and will feature stage finishes in Longford, Nenagh, Listowel, Glengarriff, Michelstown, Carlow, Naas and Skerries. It will be just under 1,200 kilometres in length and includes 33 categorised climbs.
The new Rás race director Tony Campbell said the intention was to cater for the international professionals who will travel for the eight-day event, and also for the Irish county riders. “The stages are tough but also short enough that the county riders should be able to race aggressively,” said Campbell.
The most difficult days are likely to be stages four and seven, to Glengariff and Naas respectively, as they both include eight categorised climbs.
The former includes the first-category Healy Pass, while the latter will see the rides scale Drumgoff and Wicklow Gap ascents prior to plunging towards the finish.
At least 14 international teams are expected to take part.
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