INTRODUCTION

This web site gives results of each Rás Tailteann from the first event in 1953 to date. The older information was compiled from my own records and through research in the National Library and Dublin Corporation's Gilbert Library. If you find any omissions or errors please contact me at shay@presidentcycles.com. For more complete information read "The Rás" by Tom Daly published by The Collins Press in 2003 or "The Rás" by Jim Trainor in 2008.

Health warning

Stage distances shown in programmes, classification sheets and newspaper reports have not always been consistent. The differences are small and the effect on average speeds is also small.

It is surprising that many stage winners crossed the line exactly on the minute. This might indicate that timekeepers stopped their watch just before the winner crossed the line, recorded the time elapsed in complete hours and minutes and then restarted the watch as the winner crossed the line.

Distances and times for stages 7 and 10 in 1970 are suspect.

Stage 8b in 1971 shows a low average speed but this is probably due to the assumption at the time that the stage was 25 laps of one mile. A lap distance of about 1.25 miles would give a more logical speed which would match my memory of the evening.

The low speed for stage 10 in 1973 is probably due to a mistake in the time published. This also affects the overall time. It seems likely that the time for that stage and therefore the overall time was overstated by an hour.

On stages 1a and 2b in 1978 the published distances were probably wrong.

In 1999 Peter Van Hoof of Belgium was believed to have won the 9th stage. He was later found to have transgressed the antidoping regulations and then disqualified.

Nationality In the case of Irish riders the Christian name by which they were commonly known is given. Riders from outside Ireland are identified only by the initial of their Christian name.

Where nationalities are given the following abbreviations are used: