2025 Rás na mBan stage 3: Cebak takes magenta as Goergen doubles up in Mountrath

France’s Océane Goergen (Ladynamips RVC) sprinted to her second stage win of the week in Mountrath, but the day belonged to Britain’s Amelia Cebak (Smurfit Westrock CT). The teenager’s second place finish earned her six bonus seconds, enough to move her into the overall race lead by a single second over compatriot and overnight leader Alice McWilliam (Team Phoenix).

Report

Stage 3 was built around one feature: the first-category ascent of The Cut in the Slieve Bloom mountains. After a ceremonial start in Portlaoise, the peloton faced 40 kilometres of attacking before the slopes of the climb loomed.

A break of 13 riders eventually forged clear, their gap stretching to over a minute before the road tilted upwards. With Danish rider Gertrud Riis Madsen (Team Aalborg Sparekassen) starting just 10 seconds off the race lead, she briefly rode as the virtual magenta jersey.

The climb itself was brutal. Local favourite Linda Kelly (Cycling Ireland Women’s Commission) set a fierce tempo in the chase, with McWilliam also contributing. By the summit, the gap was reduced to 36 seconds and the lead group had thinned to eight. At the top it was Greece’s Eleftheria Giachou who crested first, collecting maximum points.

The mountain standings remain finely balanced: Noémie Abgrall (Ladynamips RVC) retained her IVCA Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains jersey with 15 points, but Riis Madsen has drawn level on the same tally, sitting second on countback.

The long descent and flat run to the finish kept the race alive. Riis Madsen grabbed a bonus second at the intermediate sprint behind Goergen, temporarily re-taking the virtual race lead. For much of the afternoon, the Dane was in pole position for magenta.

But behind, alliances were forming. WV Breda, riding for Stage 2 winner Noor Dekker, joined forces with Ladynamips RVC to drive the chase. Despite having two riders in the break, Ladynamips opted to close it down, knowing Abgrall was still in with a GC shot. The junction was made with seven kilometres remaining, swelling the lead group to 35.

A late solo attack by Denmark’s Louise Norman Hansen briefly threatened, but she was reeled in inside the final three kilometres. That set up the drag to the line.

Goergen showed her class, powering clear for the win. Cebak’s second place secured six bonus seconds, vaulting her into the magenta jersey, while Gabrielle Fox (Greenmount Cycling Academy) finished third to take over the Best Irish Rider classification. Goergen’s victory also moved her into the lead of the Cycling Ireland Points classification, while Noémie Abgrall retained the Queen of the Mountains jersey, tied on points with Riis Madsen.

Stage 4 returns to County Kilkenny with a 101-kilometre route from Kilkenny City to The Rower, featuring three categorised climbs and another uphill finish. With Cebak leading McWilliam by just one second and Dekker and Goergen in close pursuit, the battle for magenta is finely balanced heading into the second half of the race.

Results

Stage 3 Results (Kilkenny → Mountrath, 104.4km)

Rank	Rider	Team	Nat	Time
1	Océane Goergen	Ladynamips RVC	FRA	2h49’08’’
2	Amelia Cebak	Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team	GBR	s.t.
3	Gabrielle Fox	Greenmount Cycling Academy	IRL	s.t.
4	Bronwyn MacGregor	Greenmount Cycling Academy	NZL	s.t.
5	Olympia Norrid-Mortensen	Torelli	DEN	s.t.
6	Alice McWilliam	Team Phoenix	GBR	s.t.
7	Noor Dekker	WV Breda Women CT	NED	s.t.
8	Esther Wong	Ireland	IRL	s.t.
9	Mia Williams	WV Breda Women CT	AUS	s.t.
10	Linda Kelly	Cycling Ireland Women’s Commission	IRL	s.t.

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General Classification after Stage 3

Rank	Rider	Team	Nat	Time/Gap
1	Amelia Cebak	Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team	GBR	7h30’20’’
2	Alice McWilliam	Team Phoenix	GBR	+1’’
3	Noor Dekker	WV Breda Women CT	NED	s.t.
4	Noémie Abgrall	Ladynamips RVC	FRA	+5’’
5	Olympia Norrid-Mortensen	Torelli	DEN	+7’’
6	Gabrielle Fox	Greenmount Cycling Academy	IRL	s.t.
7	Aliyah Rafferty	Ireland	IRL	+9’’
8	Varvara Fasoi	Greece	GRE	+10’’
9	Gertrud Riis Madsen	Team Aalborg Sparekassen Danmark	DEN	s.t.
10	Mia Williams	WV Breda Women CT	AUS	+11’’