The 71st edition of Rás Tailteann will return to the Wicklow Mountains for the first time in eight years as organisers unveil a five-stage, 785km route for 2026, a parcours that blends tradition, technical finishes and the kind of terrain that has shaped careers for more than seven decades.
When a sudden weight-loss and unquenchable thirst sent Alex Pritchard from the peloton to A&E, the 28-year-old Rás Tailteann stage-winner emerged with a life-altering diagnosis: Type One diabetes. The towering rouleur shares his story.
The final stage of the 2025 Rás Tailteann delivered a crescendo worthy of the week’s breathless racing, as Josh Charlton (Great Britain CT) thundered to victory in Bective and George Kimber (Cycling Club Isle of Man) wrapped up the overall title, defending the yellow jersey with the same poise and punch that defined his National Road Series-winning season in 2024.
George Kimber (Cycling Club Isle of Man) took victory on stage 4 of Rás Tailteann, sprinting clear of Team Ireland duo Jamie Meehan and Dean Harvey in Mountrath to claim both the stage and the race lead with just one stage remaining.