Nicole Reist First Woman to Win Race Around Ireland

In a bit of inspirational news to start your weekend, Nicole Reist has become the first ever woman to win Race Around Ireland.

Reist makes history today by outrightly winning Race Around Ireland. The 33-year-old from Winterthur near Zurich dominated one of Europe’s toughest bike races, the almost non-stop ride around Ireland. She finished the 2153km journey in 112hrs and 21mins, more than 12 hours ahead of her nearest challenger and leader of the men’s category.

Reist also smashed the women’s record set by Isabelle Pulver last year. Her average speed of 19.71kmh was the eighth fastest in the history of the event. She continues her dominance of the endurance cycling scene, just last week she won the TorTour ultra-cycling event in Austria and is the reigning champion of Race Across America.

“The scenery, the people, the fans out on road and my crew,” said Reist, when asked about her favourite things about her first Race Around Ireland. And the toughest challenge? “The lack of sleep!”