No UCI-ranked Ras Tailteann to take place in 2019

Ireland's Rás Tailteann stage race – often better known simply as 'the Rás' – will not take place as a UCI-ranked event in 2019, the organisers have announced.

Race director Eimear Dignam said that she's "extremely disappointed" not to have been able to find a major backer in time to stage the 2019 race at UCI 2.2 level. Instead, it's hoped that a shorter, non-UCI-ranked, race may still be organised, with the hope of the event returning to its previous international status in 2020.

The Rás has been run every year since 1953, and has been a UCI-ranked event since 2000. Past winners have included four-time champion Sé O'Hanlon in the 1960s, and 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche (1979), as well as current WorldTour pros Tony Martin of Jumbo-Visma (2007), AG2R La Mondiale's Gediminas Bagdonas (2011) and Bora-Hansgrohe's Lukas Pöstlberger (2015).

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"We've exhausted all opportunities in relation to sponsorship for a UCI race this year," said Dignam.

"I'm extremely disappointed. I've been involved in the race my whole life. But I'm satisfied that I explored every opportunity to us to secure a sponsorship. We never envisaged that it would come to an end like this, but hopefully it won't be an end."

Talks with potential sponsors in the lead-up to the race haven't resulted in any commitments to back the race in time.

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