Cycling Reports |
NO PLACE FOR IRISH CHAMPION IN FBD MILK RAS:
Up until this year the FBD MILK RAS was an amateur event, but the 2001 edition has been granted a 2.4 ranking by the International Cycling Union, earning the riders valuable qualification points for the Olympic Games and World Cycling Championships and making the race even more attractive to the top professional teams. Although this years line-up has yet to be announced, race organiser Dermot Dignam has had phenomenal interest from foreign teams already. As McCann hadn't joined CCC-Mat until relativeley late, Dignam had already invited a Polish squad and simply can't make room for one more. "The UCI limit for the race is 200 riders" says Dignam "With the amount of foreign interest in the Ras and with our own riders, we are having to turn teams away at this stage. We have already invited a Polish team and at the time, David hadn't signed his contract with CCC-Mat, so it's just unfortunate and unless his team release him to ride for Ireland it doesn't look as if he'll be taking part this year." McCann, who rode his first professional race in Switzerland this week, is dissapointed at not being able to show off his new Irish champions jersey on home soil this year."Obviously I would love to ride in my home country as Irish Champion and as a professional." says McCann, "The team were very keen on riding the Ras and so am I, but the race organiser has already got a Polish team and doesn't seem to want us. They might let me ride on an Irish team, but I doubt it because I will probably be riding the Peace Race now instead and that overlaps the Ras by a day." This year's Ras, which promises to be one of the toughest ever, starts in Navan on the 20th of May, taking in stage finishes in Ballaghadreen, Portumna, Castleisland, Killorglin, Skibereen, Dungarvan and Bunclody before a city centre finale in Dublin on the 27th, by which time the international field will have taken in 31 mountain climbs and 1,119 kilometres of racing. |
(Mar
11) Despite winning a stage and taking both the Points and King of the Mountains
competitions in last years event, Irish national road race champion David Mcann
finds himself without a place in this years FBD MILK RAS. McCann was the
revelation of last years Ras, his performances earning him an Olympic place in
Sydney 2000. The 27 year old Belfast rider has since turned professional with
the second division CCC-Mat squad from Poland.