Rás na mBan begins on Wednesday and the climber's classification will again be supported by the IVCA through their popular Wicklow 200 sportive in a continuation of a partnership stretching back to the beginning of the event in 2006.
The Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains Classification is among the hardest fought jerseys in the race and former winners include 2016 World Road Race Champion Amalie Dideriksen and other world tour professionals.
Last year's Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountains Champion was Anna Shackley of Team GB, a world tour rider with SD Worx.
Riders accumulate points by being among the leading riders on climbs of varying difficulty on four of the five days of racing.
Irish National Team Announced for Rás na mBan 2022
The international stage race features four road race stages of varying length and difficulty, a time trial and a circuit race around Kilkenny City from 7th - 11th September ☘️
Read more 👇https://t.co/Gf0iukCLsN pic.twitter.com/xWKOVHQ1xx— Cycling Ireland (@CyclingIreland) September 2, 2022
Teams from all over Europe, Asia and the USA are getting set to battle for the Wicklow 200 Queen of the Mountain jersey from September 7th to 11th next from the event's base in Kilkenny on Ireland's Ancient East. The third stage is a challenging foray into the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
Rás na mBan features riders in all phases of their cycling careers and includes several riders well known to the IVCA. Current racing members Suzanne White of Sorrento Cycling Club and Yvonne Doran (Pinergy Orwell Wheelers) were first and third in the recent Cycling Ireland Masters National Championships.
Both have produced race winning performances in the weekly road racing and time trial leagues which run throughout the season for women over the age of 35 and men over 40.
Evergreen Eve McCrystal, a multi-world and Paralympic champion tandem pilot and former national road race champion who returns to Rás na mBan this year with the Irish national team is another who has raced with distinction in the IVCA in recent seasons.
Always an honour to wear the Irish Jersey this time on my own with a very strong Irish team in Killkenny. The best race on the Irish Calendar for Women @RasnamBan @CyclingIreland https://t.co/gHc1MKoU1E
— evemccrystal (@evemccrystal) September 2, 2022
Speaking on the announcement of the continuing Wicklow 200 partnership with the event, Race Director Valerie Considine said: "The continuing support for our event by the IVCA is a source of great pride and reflects a great integration between this wonderful association and our event among all of us involved in the race.
"Many of the event volunteers, including myself, are active racing members of the IVCA and have ridden or volunteered at Wicklow 200, one of Ireland's longest running sportives.
"The battle for the climber's classification is always particularly entertaining and, looking at the quality of the race entry, this year will be no exception."
