2026 Rás Mumhan: Race Report
The easing of winter’s grip signals the arrival of the Dornan Rás Mumhan, one of the defining races on the Irish calendar and a true early-season test of form, preparation, and race instinct.
Set against the demanding terrain of Kerry, Cork, and Limerick, the race continues to serve as a proving ground for emerging talent while remaining a major target for experienced contenders. Former winners such as Ben Healy used the event as an early stepping stone toward World Tour success, and having taken the overall victory myself in 2022, it’s a race I always return to with motivation, passion, and respect.
The 2026 Edition once again delivered the aggressive and unpredictable racing that the event has become known for, played out across its traditional four-day, five-stage format.
Stage 1A -Ballybunion → Asdee (Team Time Trial)
The race opened with the fast and technical North Kerry coastline Team Time Trial, a stage where aerodynamic efficiency and rhythm across the squad made the difference.
For Stage 1A I opted for the Scribe Élan Ultra 6, using the deeper 65 mm platform to maximise speed across the exposed coastal sections. These conditions reward wheels that maintain momentum efficiently while remaining stable in crosswinds particularly important along this stretch of Atlantic road.
Stage 1B Asdee → Knockanure
Later that afternoon the race continued inland toward Knockanure, taking in sweeping views of the Atlantic and Shannon Estuary through Ballylongford, Tarbert and Glin before tackling two laps of the Athea–Knockanure circuit.
Again, the Scribe Élan Ultra 6 proved perfectly suited to the fast nature of the stage. With exposed roads and constant positioning battles, maintaining speed efficiently is critical, and the deeper setup allowed confident riding in what was already an aggressive opening day of racing.
Stage 2 Killarney → Portmagee
Stage 2 is traditionally one of the defining days of Rás Mumhan, crossing the Iveragh Peninsula via Bealach Oisín, the Skellig Ring, and the notorious Cuam an Easpaig before the fast run-in to Portmagee.
With a deteriorating weather forecast and discussions around possible stage cancellations before the finishing circuit, I raced aggressively early to create an advantage before conditions changed further. Additionally, for this stage, I switched to the Scribe Élan Ultra 5, prioritising reduced system weight and predictable handling across the long climbs and exposed terrain.
The move worked. After attacking on the second categorized climb of the day, before then counter attacking on the preceding descent I managed to go clear solo for a period even taking a Strava KOM from Ben Healy in the process before being joined by a strong Dutch rider. Together, we built a gap of roughly two minutes over the bunch and just under a minute to the next group on the road.
Stage 3 Millstreet → Clondrohid
Stage 3 brought fast circuits around the Macroom area before the decisive climb to The Kerryman’s Table, a finish that consistently reshapes the general classification.
Racing here is always aggressive and tactical, especially for riders already marked as contenders. As a former race winner and someone competing for the King of the Hills classification, opportunities to escape were limited, with strong teams closely controlling the race.
The bunch remained tightly managed by the Foran team, defending yellow, along with several other organised squads. Even so, the racing remained open and selective throughout the day.
Stage 4 Killorglin Finale
The final stage returned the race to Killorglin, a town steeped in Irish cycling history and long associated with decisive Easter weekend racing. The route included the rapid Beaufort loop before heading onto the iconic McKenna circuit, delivering another fast and aggressive finale typical of Rás Mumhan’s closing stage.
As in previous years, the unpredictability of the race made it difficult for any one team to fully control proceedings. The open nature of the course design continues to create opportunities but also ensures there are very few places to hide.
A Race that always delivers
Particularly in the last four editions, Rás Mumhan has become increasingly unpredictable, with fewer opportunities for large teams to fully control outcomes and more chances for aggressive racing to shape the results. That unpredictability is exactly what makes it one of the most important races on the Irish calendar and one that riders continue to target year after year.
The racing was aggressive, the team support was excellent, and having confidence in equipment across such varied terrain always makes a difference when the race opens up and as always with Rás Mumhan, there’s never anywhere to hide!
Until next year!
