Ras na mBan 2012, Stage 6

Last day, Stage 6 and the final stage up Moll's Gap. It feels odd for this to be the last stage, every other year this has been the warm up stage, stage 1. The road rolled and twisted all the way to Kenmare. There was a narrow bridge and then one short rise of a hill, I found myself on the front trying to string the bunch out up here. Turned left in Kenmare and we hit the climb. You hardly notice the climb has started, it's a very gradual gradient. All the way to Kenmare, I had managed to hold my place in the top 10 or 15 riders, which was a first for this race, but I think that was mainly due to the pace being kept high and the wide roads, for a change. Half way up the climb, riders all over the road, fighting to stay near the front. I moved up in the wind on the outside, the pace wasn't too high, and it was the easiest way. As we headed around one of the last bends, I knew we were nearing the top, but no one could yet see the top. Fed up with the steady riding I decided to make a break for it. It worked briefly until around next bend, and all of a sudden we could see the top. That triggered a couple of girls to go for the hill prime. The queen of the mountains jersey and Lowri, of Abergavenny, came around me. I managed to hang on for 3rd on the prime. Not that this counted for much, but I think I just felt I wanted to show that actually I can climb with the leaders, even if I hadn't managed to make the cut on previous stages, and make it into the lead group. (Note to self must improve bunch positioning.) From here it is mainly down hill, as we passed the 20km to go sign. The pace was kept high and I kept myself in the top 20. There is another drag of a hill, before the decent into the finish, it goes on for longer than you think. I set the pace half way up here. Over the top of the hill and 4 or 5 riders got a gap across the top, I missed them, being boxed in by this point. They didn't stay away however, and the bunch was soon back together. I had been comfortably in the top 20 for the whole race, so I decided I'd try get somewhere in the sprint. As soon as we started the decent it was madness, riders everywhere, and I somehow managed to stay far enough forward. I'd chosen the inside of the road, and for the most part was able to get through gaps on the inside. Between 500m and 200m to go and I found myself on the inside, with the road ahead completely clear. I wanted a wheel to follow, but far out as it was I had to go. I got some little help for the slip stream of the bunch alongside me. The bunch went to the right of the road like I thought it would, hence my decision to go left, the only down side was the distance I had given myself to sprint. I faded as we neared the line, but was happy to come in 8th, knowing that given a wheel to follow, I could have done a lot better. Iona