Alma Rasmussen showed her strength on the opening stage of the Rás na mBan, going solo 30km from the finish in Freshford, holding off a hard-chasing bunch.
The 19-year-old Denmark National Team rider reached the line 15 seconds ahead of the peloton. led in by Ireland National Team rider Aoife O’Brien and Cycling Ulster’s Erin Creighton.
She bridged across to breakaway riders Kathrine Madsen and Alisha Teerink and then attacked when she became unhappy with their collaboration.
“They wouldn’t really pull, so I just thought that I had to attack and do it for myself because I wasn’t going to do a lot of free work for the other girls,” Rasmussen said of her decision to pounce.
Her led stretched to a minute-and-a-half at one point, but the peloton soon upped the tempo.
“I had quite a big gap for some time and then suddenly it was very small,” Rasmussen added. “I was definitely fearing that they would catch me, but I held up and it was amazing.”
Greta Lawless, Noémie Garnier and Maeve Gallagher had tried to bridge the gap to the leader but were caught by the chasing peloton before the finish.
For O’Brien, her second-place finish marked her best Rás result to date.
“I think I have got a lot of fourth places, so now it is up to the next agonising second place,” she said after the stage. “I hope I will eventually get a win.
“I think after today I took a lot of confidence from the climbing. I am a real grit your teeth sort of rider. I will try to get over everything.”
The race continues on Thursday with a 97km stage starting and finishing in Gorey.
Rás na mBan Stage 1 results
1. Alma Rasmussen (Denmark National Team), 2:36.59; 2. A O’Brien (Ireland National Team) at +0.19; 3. E Creighton (Cycling Ulster), +0.21; 4. L Gschwentner (Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team), +0.25; 5. O Goergan (Vendée Féminine RVC), +0.25