British rider Alice McWilliam triumphed overall in the Rás na mBan on Sunday afternoon, finishing second in a frenzied group sprint won by the Frenchwoman Oceane Goergen.
McWilliam (Team Phoenix) won the morning time trial around Kilkenny and swept into the overall lead, starting the concluding criterium four seconds ahead of both Goergen's team-mate Noemie Abgrall (Ladynamips RVC) and Noor Dekker (WV Breda Women CT).
Intermediate time bonuses, plus bonuses at the finish line meant her lead was vulnerable, but McWilliam was in control.
She won the intermediate gallop approximately halfway through the stage, beating Aliyah Rafferty (Ireland) and Abgrall, extending her advantage over the latter to six seconds.
She was then second to three-time stage winner Goergen in the final uphill effort to the line in front of Kilkenny Castle, with Olympia Norrid-Mortensen (Torelli) taking third and Varvasa Fasoi (Greece) fourth.
"I am absolutely delighted. It was big goal coming into this race," McWilliam said of the general classification.
"I didn’t quite get what I wanted in terms of the stage win early on, but the fact that I retained the jersey after winning the TT this morning means I am absolutely buzzing.
Taking the TT stage win was an absolute surprise."
The final stage was held around a tight circuit in Kilkenny city, and was one hour and five laps in duration.
Rafferty took a prime sprint 15 minutes into the race but a more important gallop took place soon afterwards for the intermediate time bonuses.
McWilliam was best there ahead of Rafferty and Abgrall. Esther Wong (Ireland) was first in the next sprint but there were no time bonuses on offer there, making the finish sprint all the more important.
Louise Norman Hansen tried to outmanoeuvre the sprinters with an attack eight laps from the end but she was hauled back soon afterwards.
The bunch sprint played out and there Goergen landed her third stage win of the week as McWilliam sealed her overall success.
She ended the six stage race 12 seconds ahead of Abgrall and a further second up on Dekker.
Rafferty was best of the Irish riders in seventh overall, three places ahead of Wong.
There was disappointment for Grace Reynolds, who finished a fine third in the morning time trial and moved up to seventh overall. The Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team rider crashed during the criterium and slid to 21st overall.
McWilliam won the points classification, Abgrall topped the mountains competition and Olympia Norrid-Mortensen (Torelli) was the best young rider.
The Irish rider classification was won by Linda Kelly.
Smurfit Westrock CT was first of the teams and Cycling Ireland Women’s Commission was best in the Paddy Doran Best Irish Team classification.
