McCann Faces Top Class Opposition in bid for Elusive 2nd Win

1st of July at Dundrod

Northern Ireland's lone professional rider, David McCann of the Polish CCC MAT team, aims to make it two in a row in the Irish Cycling Federation Senior Road Race Championship at Dundrod, Co. Antrim this Sunday 1st July.

The Irish Road Championships, covering 13 laps of the challenging 7.4 mile Dundrod circuit, are being promoted David's amateur Phoenix Cycling Club, as the main celebration of their 50th Anniversary year. The hilly race circuit, which is based in the hills above Belfast and Lisburn, is less than 7miles from McCann's Belfast home and has not been used for the Irish Championships since 1954 when the great Shay Elliott, who went on to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey, was the winner.

Speaking about the prospect of winning the Championship for a rare second consecutive time, David said: "It is great to be able to compete in the Road Race Championships so close to home. Racing at Dundrod will be a huge advantage for me. Thanks to the support from Lisburn Borough Council and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, my home club, Phoenix CC has been able to successfully bring the Race North at long last. If I ever was to win a gold medal twice in a row then this is the time," he said.

The event which is sponsored by Lisburn Borough Council, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, Ballygowan Natural Water, Tayto, Reach Screenprint and Design, and Connors Maxol Direct offers a comprehensive £1000 prize list going down to 20th individual and the first three teams.

Thanks to support from Lisburn Tourism who have put together discount accommodation for all racers and spectators, it has been a long time since a field with such depth of quality has been assembled in Northern Ireland. All the pre-race favourites are entered in the hundred plus field battling for this year's only UCI points from a single day road race in Ireland. All the recent National Champions are entered for the gruelling event which knowledgeable cycling fans have labelled a "must see" event. With only one week to the Tour de France start, many professional teams will be watching the results of the National Championships as a guide to developing talent.

McCann's other compatriot in the professional peloton, Ciaran Power (St. Quentin - Oktos) is on the road to recovery following his broken collarbone sustained in the Four Days of Dunkirk and will be a outside bet with no recent form. Former World junior champion Mark Scanlon (Nantes 44) was a stage winner in last month's Ras Tailteann and will feature prominently on this circuit which is very similar to that which led him to the Rainbow jersey. All of the continental based favourites will return for the weekend including former champions Morgan Fox (Montpellier) and Tommy Evans (VC la Pomme). Other National team riders who will be slogging it out for medals include Paul Griffin (unattached), former Champion Ray Clarke (Classic Walls) and David O'Loughlin (unattached).

With cash and medals on offer in the team race, recent race winner Eugene Moriarty and another former champion Phil Cassidy lead the strong Cycleways Team who are likely to find tough competition from other full teams including Ray Clarke's Classic Walls outfit, David Peelo's Irish Road Club, Cahill Cycles, Carrick Wheelers and the local clubs - Maryland Wheelers and Northern CC.

Racing gets underway with the senior men's race at 12.00 noon followed immediately by the senior ladies which had a very disappointing entry of only five riders by the official closing date. Entries for men's and ladies events are still available until 11.15am on the day. Sign-on is open from 10.00am and team managers' meeting is at 11.15 at the Lamh Dearg GAC at Hannastown. Spectators should make their way to the Dundrod pits where off road parking is available along with grandstand seating and PA commentary. The feed zone is in operation on laps 3-11 and is situated 0.25miles before the finish line. The other main spectator area is the Deer's Leap climb which also has race commentary relayed from the start/finish area, and from roving commentators on the course.

Media enquiries to Cormac McCann at (UK mobile) 07711 785458

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