Cycling Reports

THE GREEN MACHINE

By Gerard Cromwell (Sept 12) There was a time when talented young Irish cyclists were steered clear of the many British professional teams of the era. These squads were perceived by many as professional in name only and to be lacking in discipline, organisation and in some cases even wages!

In the late 1980’s the ANC Halfords team announced that it was about to change all that. ANC were going to ride the biggest race of them all - the Tour De France, and would forever dispel the notion that the British were lacking that certain je ne cest qua. In 1987 they got their wish and rode the Tour. Even the gutsy rides of some of the riders weren’t enough to stop the inevitable happening. They got hammered. By the end of the season, Malcolm Elliott and Chris Lillywhite were winning stages and the mountains jersey in the Irish Nissan Classic respectively to put bread on the table. The team hadn’t been paid in months!

This year has seen the arrival of another British professional team – Linda McCartney Foods. Under the guidance of former Tour De France yellow jersey, Sean Yates, the fledgling, all-vegetarian outfit started the season with a mixture of old hands such as Anglo-Italian Max Sciandri and 1996 Olympic champion Pascal Richard and young blood such as Englishman Matt Stephens, Irishman Ciaran Power, Dane’s Tayeb Braikia and Bjorner Vestol and Australian David McKenzie.

Knicknamed ‘The clean machine’ by none other than Paul McCartney himself, the Linda McCartney team brought with them a new attitude towards the sport. Not only do the squad take a very strong stance against doping, but part of the riders contractual obligations is that they do not eat meat, in keeping with the vegetarian ideology of the late Linda McCartney herself.

The McCartney's season got off to such a good start this year that they soon found themselves invited to partake in the second biggest stage race in the world, the 3-week, 3,700 kilometre long Giro D’Italia. This would be the veggies first real test, everybody whispered. How could they survive the Giro without even eating meat? This would sort out the men from the guys who just shave their legs and ride bikes for a living.

The McCartney's passed the test, with flying colours and such was the impression they left on the race that they left Italy as heroes. Not only did McKenzie win a stage after a superb epic lone breakaway, but the ‘clean machine’ also had Sciandri, Power and Braikia place in the top five on numerous stages over the three weeks. The burgeoning squad was beginning to look like it could fulfill it’s ambitions of riding the Tour De France within two years and being capable of taking on the big boys in their own back yard. With Sir Paul dipping a little further into the coffers at the end of this season to strengthen the squad for next year, things are looking up for the McCartney’s.

This is where the Irish connection comes into play. With Ciaran Power already showing signs that he can become a top professional - with two top five finishes on stages of this years Giro to his credit, among others – the McCartney’s went in search of more of the same across the Irish Sea.

Mark Scanlon was unbeaten in over 40 races as a second year Junior, one of which was the Junior World Road Race Championships. The 19 year old Sligoman has had an unlucky couple of years since then, but has done enough with his new French club CC Etupes this year to warrant a call from Sean Yates and a professional contract with the Linda McCartney team for next year.

24 year-old Brian Kenneally from Piltown has been one of the most consistent Irish amateurs of the past two years, almost dominating the home scene in that time. The current Irish 50 mile TT champion and silver medallist in this years Irish road race championships is heading to Italy on September 15th, where he will contest a series of one day races in the McCartney colours in an effort to win a pro contract with them for next year.

Mayoman David O’Loughlin is the current Irish U/23 champion and is now based in Italy with the crack Zalf-Fior squad, who have produced no less than three of the last four Under 23 world champions. The 22 year old is a strong climber and showed his indefatigable riding style when holding the yellow jersey of race leader in this year’s FBD Milk Ras for two days, despite having a relatively weak team around him. He too will be joining the McCartney’s for a trial period in September, with a view to making his stay more permanent.

The future is looking good not only for the Linda McCartney Foods cycling team, but for Irish cycling in general. The biggest number of professional cyclists Ireland ever had, at the same time, was six when Sean Kelly, Stephen and Laurence Roche, Martin Earley, Paul Kimmage and Alan McCormack were at their peak. Now, we could well have four on the same team! The odds have already dropped dramatically on who will be the winning team in next years Irish road race championships.

At this rate, maybe Paul McCartney will have to re-name the squad ‘The Green Machine’!