Alice McWilliam (Team Phoenix) sealed overall victory at the 2025 Rás na mBan with a commanding double-day performance in Kilkenny, winning the morning time trial before securing the magenta jersey in the afternoon criterium. France’s Océane Goergen (Ladynamips RVC) claimed her third stage win of the week in the city-centre finale, while Denmark’s Olympia Norrid-Mortensen (Torelli) took third on the stage and with it the Best Young Rider classification.

Featured image: Lorraine O’Sullivan

Report

The final day began with a short, sharp 2.5-kilometre time trial around the grounds of Kilkenny Castle. Starting the morning third overall, four seconds down on race leader Noémie Abgrall (Ladynamips RVC), McWilliam thrived in the rain-slicked conditions. She set the fastest time of 3m32s, three seconds quicker than Lotty Dawson (Brother UK/OnForm) and five ahead of Smurfit Westrock CT’s Grace Reynolds.

Dutch rider Noor Dekker (WV Breda), last year’s TT winner and sitting second overall, could only manage fifth, five seconds down. Abgrall, meanwhile, stopped the clock eight seconds slower than McWilliam, slipping out of magenta for the first time since Stage 4. The result vaulted McWilliam into the race lead by four seconds over both Abgrall and Dekker, setting up a finely poised afternoon showdown.

The stage 6 criterium around a technical 2.1-kilometre city circuit brought frantic racing, with bonus seconds on offer at the intermediate sprint and finish line. McWilliam tightened her grip early, snatching three seconds at the intermediate sprint. Despite repeated efforts, neither Abgrall nor Dekker could escape the relentless tempo set at the front, leaving the contest to the sprinters.

In the dash to the line in front of Kilkenny Castle, Goergen confirmed her status as the race’s standout finisher with a third stage win. McWilliam crossed the line a bike length behind in second, bagging six more bonus seconds, enough to extend her overall lead to 12 seconds. Norrid-Mortensen’s third place not only sealed the podium on the day but also secured her the Sport Ireland Best Young Rider jersey.

Abgrall’s climbing exploits earlier in the week left her with the IVCA Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains jersey, while Linda Kelly (Cycling Ireland Women’s Commission) held firm to win the Best Irish Rider classification. McWilliam’s consistency, with podiums across the week, also delivered her the Cycling Ireland Points jersey. Smurfit Westrock CT’s strength in depth carried them to victory in the Team Classification, with Cycling Ireland Women’s Commission topping the Paddy Doran Best Irish Team standings.

For McWilliam, the victory capped a remarkable turnaround. Left without a squad after the collapse of Hess Cycling just a week before the race, she lined up in Kilkenny as part of the Team Phoenix composite outfit. Seven stages later, she stood atop the podium with the magenta jersey, the points classification, and the biggest victory of her career.

Reflecting afterwards, McWilliam said: “I’m absolutely delighted, it was a big goal coming into this race. I didn’t quite get what I wanted in terms of a stage win early on, but the fact that I retained the magenta jersey after winning the TT this morning — I’m absolutely buzzing.”

The Breton rider Abgrall and Dutchwoman Dekker joined her on the final GC podium, but the week belonged to the 25-year-old from Cambridge, who proved both resilient and ruthless when it mattered most.

Behind McWilliam’s overall triumph, there were further standout British performances in the top ten of the general classification. Amelia Cebak (Smurfit Westrock CT) capped a breakthrough week with fifth overall, having worn the magenta jersey earlier in the race and consistently featured among the front runners. Just two seconds further back, Lotty Dawson (Brother UK – OnForm) secured sixth place, her strong time trial on the final day confirming her status as one of the most reliable young talents in the field.

Results

Stage 5 Results (Kilkenny Castle Time Trial, 2.5km)

Rank	Rider	Team	Nat	Time	Gap
1	Alice McWilliam	Team Phoenix	GBR	03’32’’15	–
2	Lotty Dawson	Brother UK/OnForm	GBR	03’35’’63	+3’’
3	Grace Reynolds	Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team	IRL	03’37’’05	+5’’
4	Amelia Cebak	Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team	GBR	03’37’’10	+5’’
5	Noor Dekker	WV Breda Women CT	NED	03’37’’90	+6’’
6	Noémie Abgrall	Ladynamips RVC	FRA	03’40’’48	+8’’
7	Aliyah Rafferty	Ireland	IRL	03’41’’82	+10’’
8	Louise Norman Hansen	Team Aalborg Sparekassen Danmark	DEN	03’42’’27	+10’’
9	Bronwyn MacGregor	Greenmount Cycling Academy	NZL	03’42’’33	+10’’
10	Annabel Ramsay	Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team	GBR	03’42’’74	+11’’

Stage 6 Results (Kilkenny Castle Criterium, 1h17’00’’)

Rank	Rider	Team	Nat	Time
1	Océane Goergen	Ladynamips RVC	FRA	1h17’00’’
2	Alice McWilliam	Team Phoenix	GBR	s.t.
3	Olympia Norrid-Mortensen	Torelli	DEN	s.t.
4	Varvara Fasoi	Greece	GRE	s.t.
5	Noémie Abgrall	Ladynamips RVC	FRA	s.t.
6	Noor Dekker	WV Breda Women CT	NED	s.t.
7	Phoebe Roche	CJ O’Shea Development Team	GBR	s.t.
8	Larissa Hartog	Minigigs/Wielervereniging Breda	NED	s.t.
9	Gertrud Riis Madsen	Team Aalborg Sparekassen Danmark	DEN	s.t.
10	Lotty Dawson	Brother UK/OnForm	GBR	s.t.

---

Final General Classification (after Stage 6)

Rank	Rider	Team	Nat	Time/Gap
1	Alice McWilliam	Team Phoenix	GBR	11h38’17’’
2	Noémie Abgrall	Ladynamips RVC	FRA	+12’’
3	Noor Dekker	WV Breda Women CT	NED	+13’’
4	Olympia Norrid-Mortensen	Torelli	DEN	+19’’
5	Amelia Cebak	Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team	GBR	+22’’
6	Lotty Dawson	Brother UK/OnForm	GBR	+24’’
7	Aliyah Rafferty	Ireland	IRL	+30’’
8	Bronwyn MacGregor	Greenmount Cycling Academy	NZL	+31’’
9	Varvara Fasoi	Greece	GRE	+32’’
10	Esther Wong	Ireland	IRL	+35’’