Local riders Ruby Oakes and Abi Clayton put in a slew of eye-catching performances at the prestigious multi-stage ‘Ras na mBan’, which saw the peloton cover 400km over the course of six brutal days.
Running from Wednesday to Sunday last week (September 2-4), the Manx riders more than held their own in a field saturated with international pedigree.
Oakes scored an impressive top-10 overall, coming home as the second placed British rider, with Clayton battling through injury to deliver a top-20 finish on the final stage.
Eighteen nations, including the likes of France and Denmark, were present to contest Ireland’s premier women’s race, which boasts an honour roll littered with Olympic and World Champions. Having run since 1986, the fixture has Manx history, with Olympian and Women’s Tour de France stage winner Marie Morgan (nee Purvis) scoring overall victory in 1994.
Ups and Downs
It was far from plain sailing for the two ladies, riding for FTP Racing, and the first stage brought with it immediate trouble. Both were brought down in a heavy fall as the race moved from Kilkenny to Freshford, and while Oakes managed to escape relatively unscathed, Clayton suffered torn shoulder ligaments in the crash. Despite her obvious discomfort, the Manxwoman was intent on starting stage two.
Both riders made it through the second day unscathed, in what was an attritional 97km of racing. Oakes finished safely in the main bunch, on the same time as winner Aoife O’Brien. Clayton battled home several minutes behind.
Stage three saw the race start and finish in Carrick-On-Suir, just metres from the event’s very first start line 40 years ago. This third test was set to be characterised by the fearsome category one ascent of Tickincor, which made up the lion’s share of the 1,127m of vertical ascent that the peloton would have to negotiate.
A stunning ride from Oakes saw her climb with the best in the race, finishing ninth on the stage to propel herself into 12th overall and leave her within striking distance of the magenta leaders jersey. Her counterpart Clayton enjoyed a much improved day in the saddle, finishing 35th.
The “queen stage” of this contest came on the fourth day, featuring a summit finish with gradients reaching 13.4%. It was long speculated that this would be where the overall standings would be decided, and it delivered just that. Oaks backed up her efforts on stage three with another scintillating performance, soaring to 10th position on the stage, moving up to ninth overall. Clayton finished 41st.
Stages five and six saw the race return to Kilkenny, with an individual time trial and criterium in the offing. Oakes continued her ever-impressive form, placing 13th in the timed event to jump up to eighth overall. Clayton was just 10 seconds further back, finishing 35th. The afternoon’s criterium marked the finale of a fantastic week of racing, and Clayton came into her own.
The shoulder injury which had plagued her week was less evident as she sprinted to 19th, ending her Ras on a deserved high note. Oakes preserved her eighth place in the final standings, finishing safely in the bunch.
The race marks the close of an impressive season for Peel-born Oakes, having finished an outstanding third overall in the senior British Cycling National Series and attained her Elite Category British Cycling Licence. Clayton, meanwhile, will finish her 2026 campaign at the TLI National Championships due to be held on the island this weekend (September 12-13).