Where to watch the 2025 Rás Tailteann in Kildare
The 70th edition of the annual international cycling stage race will begin on Wednesday, May 21, with the cyclists arriving in Kildare for the last day of racing on Sunday, May 25.
Stage one of the race will begin on Wednesday, May 21 in the cycling stronghold of Drogheda in Co Louth, heading westwards to finish in Boyle, Co Roscommon.
For stage two of the race, the cyclists will be transferred to Charlestown where the riders will take on the infamous Windy Gap and Maumtrasna climbs in the longest of the 2025 Rás Tailteann stages.
Stage three of the race will start in Co Mayo where Cong will welcome the Rás Tailteann cyclists. After setting off from Cong, the riders will take in breath-taking scenery along the Wild Atlantic Way before the stage ends in Miltown Malbay in Co Clare.
The penultimate stage will kick off from Ennis, Co Clare and take on two category three climbs before crossing the category one Wolftrap climb with less than 15kms remaining. Stage four will end in Mountrath in Co Laois.
Stage five of the 2025 Rás Tailteann: Kildare Town to Bective
The fifth and final stage on Sunday, May 25 is when the Rás will finally arrive in Co Kildare.
This stage will see competitors cycle a distance of 142.8km from Kildare Town to Bective in Co Meath.
Stage five will begin with the ceremonial start at 11.57am at the Kildare Heritage Centre in Kildare Town on the R415.
Once the race begins, competitors will travel through Kildare Town, arriving in Miltown at about 12.05pm. From there, the cyclists will ride over the hump back bridge at the Hanged Man's Pub before turning left at David's Shop.
It's expected the competitors will hit Kilmeague approximately between 12.12pm and 12.16pm. From there, they will turn left at Eleson Pub, head over the hump back bridge at Travellers Rest before eventually arriving in Allenwood between 12.18pm and 12.24pm.
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At Allenwood, they will turn left at Allenwood Stars, before hitting Derrinturn approximately between 12.29pm and 12.39pm.
In Derrinturn, the cyclists will take the second exit at the roundabout travelling in the direction of the Enfield R402.
Kilshanroe will be the last place in Co Kildare to catch a glimpse of the elite cyclists before they enter Co Meath and head towards the finish line.
The cyclists are expected to travel through Kilshanroe approximately between 12.39pm and 12.52pm.
From there, they will enter Co Meath, racing through Johnstown Bridge, Longwood and Dunsany.
There is just one category three climb during this final day of racing and that's at Quarry Hill as the race leaves Dunsany.
The riders will then enter the finishing circuit where it could well be a day for the sprinters.
With a slightly changed circuit for 2025, four laps of the 12km loop will bring the curtain down on Rás Tailteann 2025 with a new champion of the George Plant Trophy to be crowned.
The last hour of racing around the confines of Bective Stud promises to be a special spectacle for spectators and riders alike.
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Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Drogheda's warmest of welcomes to iconic Rás Tailteann cycle race
The event's base on the morning of the race was St Nicholas GAA Club on Rathmullen Road and members of the public met some of the riders and teams and soaked up the pre-race buzz. The peloton then left the GAA grounds and travelled to the official ceremonial start on West Street, and from there, the riders headed out the Donore Road, turned right at Frank's Country Cottage and then left along the canal and over the Obelisk Bridge, before racing proper got under way on the main Slane road. It was an explosive start to this historic 70th edition of the event, with attacking racing from the flag. An early eight-man breakaway animated much of the day and featured Peter Cocker (DAS Richardsons), Aaron King (Wheelbase / Cabtech / Castelli), Odhran Doogan (Team Ulster), Owen Wright (Canel's Java), Robin Fischer (Team Storck-Metropol Cycling), Danylo Riwnyi (Foran CT) and the Team Skyline due of Conn McDunphy and Ronan O'Connor. However, with 20km to go the breakaway's advantage began to crumble as teams such as Great Britain CT, Connacht, and Wheelbase / Cabtech / Castelli ramped up the pace and in the closing metres it was Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli) who showed his power and positioning to perfection, storming to victory ahead of Irish sensation Niall McLoughlin (Connacht Cycling) and Will Tidball (Great Britain CT) in a dramatic bunch sprint. As part of the 70th edition celebrations, Stage 1 was proudly dedicated to the thousands of volunteers - from marshals to mechanics and community hosts to convoy drivers - who have supported the Rás Tailteann over the decades and without whom the Rás simply wouldn't exist. This year's race was also particularly special for Drogheda, with four of the six members of the Rás promotions group hailing from the town, making it a true homecoming for one of Ireland's most iconic races. Drogheda's sole competitor, Kevin Leech, a proud member of Drogheda Wheelers but representing the Connacht Cycling team in the race, managed to finish the race in a respectable 127th place. Leech also finished the Rás in 2022 but had to withdraw in 2023 after he was injured in a crash. In all, 145 riders from 29 teams took part in the race over five days, and there was a thrilling climax on Sunday as the final stage took the competitors 142.8km from Kildare Town to the finish in Bective, Co Meath. George Kimber of Cycling Club Isle of Man emerged victorious in the general classification, claiming the Bective Stud Yellow Jersey and the title of Rás Tailteann champion by a margin of just five seconds, with Ireland's Jamie Meehan and Odhrán Doogan in second and third places overall.
Irish Examiner
25-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Kimber claims Rás Tailteann title by narrowest of margins from Jamie Meehan
Stage 5 of Rás Tailteann 2025 brought the curtain down on a dramatic and high-speed week of racing, with the final 142.8km from Kildare Town to Bective offering a fitting finale. The day belonged to Josh Charlton (Great Britain CT), who stormed clear to take the stage win, but it was George Kimber (Cycling Club Isle of Man) who emerged victorious in the general classification, claiming the Bective Stud Yellow Jersey and the title of Rás Tailteann champion. Ireland's Jamie Meehan and Odhrán Doogan took second and third place overall. The stage began at a furious pace with a group of four riders quickly going clear. The quartet of Cameron McLaren, Dean Harvey, Daire Feeley and Patrick O'Loughlin opened up a gap of over a minute in the early kilometres despite wet and greasy road conditions. Behind them, the bunch remained cautious, with the yellow jersey George Kimber sitting deep in the peloton. As the race passed through Longwood, Feeley began to assert himself, clearly aiming to claw back his deficit on the general classification. By the time the riders reached Trim, he had gone clear with Harvey, and soon after, the break swelled to 14 riders including key names such as Mark Downey, Tom Martin, Ronan O'Connor, and Josh Charlton sitting 32 seconds off yellow at the start of the day, spent significant time on the front and was the virtual leader on the road with three laps of the Bective circuit to go. The final Category 3 KOM at Quarry Hill saw Gilsenan take max points ahead of Feeley, O'Connor and Pritchard. The peloton, led by UCD and Ride Revolution, began to close the gap, and attacks began to fly as riders sensed the final opportunity to alter the general classification. With just over 10km to go, Odhrán Doogan (77 – Cycling Ulster) launched a late solo move in a final bid to take yellow. However, Kimber remained calm, backed by his remaining teammates, and managed to control the margin to secure overall victory by five seconds. At the front, Josh Charlton had timed his move to perfection, sprinting clear of the reduced front group to take a fine stage win in Bective.
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Irish Times
George Kimber takes 2025 Rás Tailteann title after nail-biting final day
George Kimber endured a nerve-racking final day of racing to win the Rás Tailteann on Sunday, finishing safely in the main bunch in Bective after a day of dangerous attacks. Compatriot Josh Charlton took the 142.8km final stage, going solo from a big breakaway and holding off a hard-chasing peloton. Isle of Man Cycling Club rider Kimber came under pressure just 10km into the 142.8km stage from Kildare Town, with the 2022 Rás winner Daire Feeley (Clare: Burren CC) going clear with Dean Harvey (Team Ireland) and becoming virtual race leader. Holding a gap of over a minute for much of the stage, those two were joined by a dozen others before the first of four 12km finishing laps. Charlton attacked on the penultimate lap and went solo, while Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster) bridged across to the chasers inside the last 12km. READ MORE He had started the day third overall, just 22 seconds back and put Kimber under further pressure, but a furious chase saw all bar Charlton hauled back before the end. 'It feels amazing,' final yellow jersey Kimber told The Irish Times. 'It's unreal. I don't know how I pulled it off at the end there. I thought the race was gone, but I just stuck in there and it came back.' Josh Charlton (Team GB) wins the final stage of the Rás Tailteann. Photograph: Lorraine O'Sullivan Former individual pursuit record holder Charlton used his track racing speed to win by 58 seconds. Irish riders John Buller (Down: Banbridge CC Specsavers) and Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster) were to the fore in the bunch sprint, taking second and third on the stage. Team Ireland rider Jamie Meehan had hoped to overcome his overnight deficit of five seconds but while he jumped away on the final lap, he was unable to hold off a hard-chasing Kimber. 'The tactic today was to try and find six seconds,' he said. It was a really hard day, but we tried. We got away in the last lap with about three quarters of a lap to go, and gave it everything. It's a bit of a flat circuit for a 57 kilo man and he was able to come across.' He took second overall, while previous race leader Doogan was third. Meehan was the best under-23 and Doogan the best county rider. The latter said after stage one that he didn't envisage being in the running for the overall victory, but finished far closer than he had anticipated. 'I'm very happy,' he said. 'Coming in, I don't think my expectations were as high as what I've achieved. I was obviously disappointed to lose yellow yesterday, but I went out swinging today and gave it everything.' It was an exciting end to the 70th edition of the race, and one which gave Meehan, Doogan and others important boosts in confidence and experience.
