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GPO, Dublin, 7th February: The 2011 An Post Rás route, which was announced earlier today at the GPO looks certain to provide a challenging test to its riders. The route covers 1247 kilometres over eight days with 28 categorised climbs, three of which are first category ascents.

The An Post Rás gets underway on Sunday May 22nd in Dunboyne, Co. Meath. It will then move counter-clockwise around the country, and includes stage finishes in Portumna, Kilrush, Castleisland, Castletownbere, Blarney, Tramore and Kildare, before concluding on Sunday May 29th with the now-customary crowd-thronged finale in Skerries, North County Dublin.

• Stage 1, Sunday May 22: Dunboyne – Portumna, 148 kms
• Stage 2, Monday May 23: Portumna – Kilrush, 164kms
• Stage 3, Tuesday May 24: Kilrush – Castleisland, 175kms
• Stage 4, Wednesday May 25: Castleisland – Castletownbere, 142kms
• Stage 5, Thursday May 26: Castletownbere – Blarney, 156kms
• Stage 6, Friday May 27: Blarney – Tramore, 172kms
• Stage 7, Saturday May 28: Tramore – Kildare, 157kms
• Stage 8, Sunday May 29: Kildare – Skerries, 133kms

Stage 1

The 2.2-ranked event begins with a mainly flat, fast 148 kilometres from Dunboyne to Portumna. Three An Post Hot Spot Sprints, at Allenwood, Mountmellick and Clonaslee, will shake up the racing and present valuable time bonuses that could prove crucial in the fight for the first yellow jersey of the first An Post Rás in Portumna.

Stage 2

Stage 2 heads 164 kilometres to Kilrush, passing through locations such as Gort and Lisdoonvarna and featuring the second category Corkscrew Hill just over 60 kilometres from the finish line.

Stage 3

Day 3 covers 175.3 difficult kilometres from Kilrush to Castleisland, and includes third category ramps at Barnagh Gap, Ahaneboy  and Glanshearoon, plus a finishing circuit which takes in the fearsome category one climb of Crag Cave.

Stage 4

Stage 4 is equally gruelling, with the 142 kilometre race from Castleisland to Castletownbere covering some of the toughest roads in Cork and Kerry. The route includes the stunning second category climb of Ladies View, the similarly-ranked Molls Gap, the Tousist (category 3),Knockanoughanish (category 2) and the first category showdown on the Healy Pass, just half an hour from the finish line.

Stage 5

Stage 5 heads from Castletownbere to Blarney, with the 156 kilometre route beginning with a quartet of third category mountain primes, then ramping up over the second category climbs of Moskeagh and Windy Gap. The latter comes 25.3 kilometres from the end of the stage and will certainly set up a tremendously exciting finish in Blarney.

Stage 6

Stage 6 will be a very nervous one, covering six category three ascents on the 172 kilometres between Blarney and Tramore, and concluding with an uphill finish on Main Street.

Stage 7

More edgy racing is guaranteed on the penultimate stage between Tramore and Kildare, with the 157 kilometres taking in the category two slopes of Brown Mountain plus the category one climb of Clogrennane. It is continuously up and down, and could provoke a change in the race leadership heading into the final day.

Stage 8

At 133 kilometres, the race between Kildare and Skerries is the shortest of the eight stages, but the five category three climbs it features will keep things up in the air. The Hill of Allen comes very early on and could provoke a long break, then later the riders will tackle the ascents of Pluckhimin, Cross of the Cage, plus the Black Hills climb on each of the two 13.8 kilometre finishing circuits in Skerries. As ever a huge crowd is anticipated at the seaside town, providing a fitting finale after eight days of battle.

Visit www.anpostras.ie