Cycling Round Up |
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Archives: November 2002
The news is a massive boost for the Corkman, ending as it does his fears that he would be left without a pro contract in 2003. Last winter he was told that he would be signed up by the Selle Italia - Colombia team in June of this year, but financial problems in the team prevented that from happening. Instead, Nally got a trial with them in September, and has now ended up as part of the Paternina-Costa Almeria setup. ‘I am absolutely delighted to get a contract, it is a dream come true for me’, he said today. ‘All my life I have wanted to become a professional and now it is happening. I still can’t believe it…..I am over the moon.’ ‘I was actually beginning to lose hope as Selle Italia had originally said they would take me on, but that didn’t happen. There is a lot of financial difficulties in Spanish cycling and so things looked very uncertain. However I kept in touch with Paternina-Costa Almeria and they finally offered me a contract.’ Given the financial uncertainties in Spain, Nally’s two-year deal is a huge plus, especially as some established professionals have been left without a ride for next season. The 22 year old will join his new team-mates at a training camp in Toledo on January 8th, and make his racing debut some time after that. ‘I don’t actually know what my programme is yet for next year’, he said. ‘The manager just told me to take things easy for a while, as I have had a hard season. He said that I will have plenty of opportunity to race into form and so I should now make sure that I recover properly before starting to push myself again.’
The input of FBD and the NDC has proved an important one for Irish cycling with the national tour growing steadily and graduating to the UCI international calendar in 2001. A measure of its growing importance is reflected in the fact that while there remains six months to go until the start of the 2003 edition, a number of international teams have already indicated that they would like to take part in the race. Professional squads from Italy, South Africa, Germany and Canada, plus national and amateur teams from Greece, France, Taiwan, Moldavia and the Netherlands are all lining up at this early stage. Due to take place from May 18th – 25th next year, the route of the 2003 contest is due to be announced shortly and will, according to Dignam, be one following ‘in the best traditions of the race’. CHANGE FOR IRISH CROSS CHAMPS: (By Shane Stokes Nov 27) Original scheduled to be run off in Dublin on Sunday 8th of December, both the date and location of the Irish Cyclo Cross Championships have had to be changed due to difficulties in obtaining permission to use the Phoenix Park. The staging of road races in the Park has encountered problems for some time, and it seems now that off-road racing may also be considered out of bounds by the relevant authorities. The cross championships will instead take place on Saturday 7th of December in the picturesque setting of Powerscourt Waterfall, near Enniskerry, in County Wicklow. The course is located through the main Waterfall gate, and will be signposted from both Enniskerry and from the N11 at Kilmacanogue. This weekend will provide a pointer as to the main challengers to multiple national champion Robin Seymour, with the penultimate round of the national league taking place this Sunday, December 1st, at Knockreer Estate in the Killarney National Park. Sign-on closes at 11.40 am with racing starting twenty minutes later. The course entrance is in the centre of Killarney, opposite the Cathedral. Following the following week’s national championships, the seventh and final round of the league will then be run by the XMTB club on Saturday 14th December in Bangor. The race was added to the event list after confusion relating to the status of the fifth round meant that some of the contenders missed the race. The league will now be decided by the points total obtained by riders in their best five rounds. RENEWED BACKING FOR DPC FIRST LEGAL TEAM: (By Shane Stokes Nov 27) Officially renamed DPC First Legal.ie, the Garda Cycling Club will be launching their new colours on the second of December at the Westmanstown Golf Club. The team will be backed in 2003 by First Legal, Maximuscle and Motorway. Four officers were elected at their recent AGM, with Karl Gallagher (Chairman), Paul Moran (Secretary), John Caulfield (PRO) and Jim Cassidy (Treasurer) filling the available positions.
Speaking on the matter this evening, Duffy said that he had planned to make his decision public during his address at Saturday’s Cycling Ireland AGM, but that reports leaked today had prompted an earlier disclosure. ‘I had planned to explain this on Saturday but as some people had already heard the news, we had to bring the announcement forward.’ Asked as to the reason for his decision, Duffy pointed towards the rapid expansion of CI and the escalating workload he has faced in recent months. ‘I have had to devote an increasing amount of time to sponsorship negotiations, working closely with our title sponsor and others, and it was getting harder and harder to do everything that the CEO role requires. I also feel that as Cycling Ireland grows and becomes bigger, there is a need to bring it to a higher level with regard to the area of administration. I realise that it is time for me to stand aside and let somebody else take up the position who is more qualified in this area’, he said. ‘I have had a good time working as CEO, continue to have an excellent relationship with the board and the Sports Council, but recognise that Cycling Ireland and the sport of cycling will be best served by this restructuring. I plan to stay on as part of the organisation, working closely with the title sponsor Hibernian Insurances and on fundraising and publicity ventures, which is what I do best.’ Since Duffy started as CEO, CI has secured the biggest sponsorship arrangement in its history, with Hibernian agreeing to a three-year deal worth an estimated half million euro. It also ran the first National Bike Week and brought about an increase in its membership including, crucially, a significant jump in the numbers of underage riders. CI has also made serious inroads into overcoming the considerable budget deficit of recent years, with director Ciarán McKenna predicting the accounts should be in the clear within the next few weeks. However the period has also seen some difficulties, with administration and communication problems hampering the efficiency of the governing body and leading to frustration both within the CI office itself and with its members. The planned restructuring is clearly an effort to address these issues, with Duffy’s strengths likely to be better exploited in his future position and a new CEO being able to dedicate his energies to the other important tasks. Quoted in the CI press release issued this evening, President PJ Nolan explained that ‘the administration, marketing and communication of cycling has become a very big task. The board of Cycling Ireland has agreed to devolve responsibility in to key areas and this will ensure the delivery of our four-year strategy plan. The delivery of increased resources is central to our plan, and this was identified by Eamon Duffy in the past six months. The board of Cycling Ireland are in agreement with Eamon that this (restructuring) strategy will be the best way to deliver our plan as approved by our members’. CI director Ciarán McKenna was similarly in agreement, highlighting Duffy’s hard work in securing the sponsorship of Hibernian Insurance and also in driving the areas of fundraising and publicity forward this year. ‘Eamon has done some fantastic work since become part of Cycling Ireland and will be very well suited to the new role. It will ensure he can devote all his energies to doing what he does best.’ The full text of tonight’s CI press release is as follows: Cycling Ireland is restructuring its resources following a review by the Board of the organisation. The organisation has changed dramatically in the past two years with a new name, an increased membership and a turnover in the region of a million Euro in 2002. The appointment of former international Cyclist and team manager Barry Monaghan as Youth Development Officer to be based in Northern Ireland marks another step on the way to having a comprehensive presence throughout Ireland so that everyone who wishes to cycle can utilise the resources of Cycling Ireland. Barry will work alongside Padraig Marrey who has been inspirational in his role as Development Officer since his appointment in 2001. In order to facilitate this growth it is necessary to increase the financial resources available to the organisation and to upgrade the administration capabilities of the organisation. In this regard Cycling Ireland has agreed with Chief Executive Officer Eamon Duffy that he will assume the role of Marketing Director to service the commercial requirements of the organisation. This has been Eamon’s major focus since his appointment 18 months ago and he has been spectacularly successful in this regard securing the major title sponsorship of Hibernian. This is the first ever title sponsorship for cycling in Ireland. In the year 2000 the Irish Cycling Federation as it was then known raised just under 7000 euro in sponsorship. In 2002 this figure will be over 140,000 euro along with income of over 70,000 euro from other commercial ventures. With this level of activity comes a huge level of responsibility and an onus on the organisation to deliver a quality product to our sponsors. This commercial development of the organisation will be the responsibility of Eamon Duffy as Cycling Ireland moves into the second phase of its four year strategy plan which has received the approval of the Irish Sports Council. According to Eamon Duffy ‘There is a need to move the management & administration of the Sport to a higher level, which is recognised by the Board of Cycling Ireland. I will focus on the implementation of all aspects on the development of our title sponsorship and other core sponsorships that are currently under negotiation. This will be a very challenging and exciting role that will need a sustained commitment to the proposed change of brief and has been welcomed by our title sponsor the Hibernian Group as we continue negotiations for year two of our partnership. ‘ Cycling Ireland President PJ Nolan said” the administration, marketing and communication of cycling has become a very big task. The board of Cycling Ireland has agreed to devolve responsibility in to key areas and this will ensure the delivery of our four year strategy plan”. He said “The delivery of increased resources is central to our plan and Eamon Duffy identified this in the past six months. The board of Cycling Ireland are in agreement with Eamon that this strategy will be the best way to deliver our plan as approved by our members. The position of Chief Executive of Cycling Ireland will be advertised in the press in the near future and it is hoped to appoint a suitable candidate early in 2003. TRACK COMMISSION HAPPY WITH AGM: (By Shane Stokes Nov 22) The Cycling Ireland track commission had their annual general meeting last weekend, with Chairman Philip Collins, Treasurer Will Byrne and Secretary Paul Doyle all being re-elected to their current positions. Terry McManus was also elected to the new role of Development and Coaching, a measure which the Track Commission hope will lead to greater success in the future. Also covered at the AGM was the delay in resurfacing of the Sundrive Road track, which led to the cancellation of track racing in 2002. According to Byrne, the degeneration of the existing surface made racing impossible this season, and while it was anticipated that resurfacing would have been underway long before now, delays outside the Commission’s control mean that it will be early 2003 before this is completed. It is expected that track racing will then recommence without further delay. 2003 will also see work commence on the complete of the Cycling Ireland track school/workshop at Sundrive Road. For more information, contact Will Byrne at 086 8047839. MTB Training Sunday 24th November: At Carlingford Activity Centre the MTB Commission is organising an MTB XC training day, starting at 10.30hrs. This will involve bike maintenance / training and dietary advice plus an off road ride out / training spin for the attendees. The whole session will end at approx. 16.30 hrs and the discussion will also XC plans for next year All XC riders are welcome. COMPROMISE WORKED OUT AFTER CYCLO-CROSS CONFUSION: (By Shane Stokes Nov 21) Much debate has followed last Sunday´s cyclo cross race at Craigavon Lakes, which was billed as a replacement for the cancelled fifth round of the national league originally due to be held at the flooded Stormont venue. The confusion originated from the point that while some local clubs were notified that the replacement event would count towards the final points standings, the understanding amongst some other riders - including the league favourite Robin Seymour - was that the race was being held purely to fill the gap created by the cancelled race and that no points would be awarded on the day. Consequently, the announcement after the race that it would indeed count towards the final standings provoked a strong reaction. This second group of riders felt that proper notice was not given and with some not travelling to the event, they lost their position in the league. Seymour´s absence, for example, would mean that he had lost his chance of winning the league; that the current champion and overall favourite would be ruled out in such a manner is clearly an unsatisfactory outcome. The nuts and bolts of the problem are this: following the news on Thursday that the Stormont race was called off, Geoff Seymour, the chairman of the MTB Commission, says that he was asked by the race organiser to relay this message to riders and the media. Seymour insists that while he was told a race would be held on Sunday, there was no agreement that the quickly-organised Craigavon event would actually carry points. ´I was talking to the race organiser last week and was asked by him to tell riders that his race was off´, said Seymour. ´So I spent a lot of time ringing around so that people would not travel to the cancelled event; there were also reports to this effect sent to members of the press and to Aertel. I subsequently heard on Saturday evening that there would be a race held after all on Sunday, but as there was no way to guarantee that all the riders would make it there at such short notice, we agreed that it should not count towards the final league standings. Instead, the cancelled fifth round was to be held at a later stage´. However some riders were informed beforehand that Sunday´s race would indeed carry points, and this was confirmed by the race organisers Apollo CT in their post-event press release. Predictably, this led to a lot of frustration for the absent competitors. ´We had gone to some trouble to put the changes up on the various sites and in the papers, but when we try to do what is asked of us and people change their minds later, it is only courteous that they also tell us about their change of mind. But this did not happen´, wrote an irked Geoff Seymour in a communiqué to Cycling Ireland this week. Fortunately it appears that a solution has been found. The league originally consisted of six events, with a rider´s best five results to count towards the overall standings, but now there has been an agreement that this quintet of points will be drawn from seven races. The final two rounds of the league will take place in Killarney on December 1st and in Bangor on December 14th. Bracketed by these two events will be the national championships, to be held on December 8th in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
‘I was very happy with Mark’s performance during his trial’, says Lavenu. ‘A young rider normally finds it tough to adapt to professional races but he became competitive very quickly. I think that he is going to make a very, very good professional’. Currently at home in Sligo, Scanlon is due to move back to the South of France at the start of next month and will meet up with the team at their week-long training camp in Temple-Sur-Lot on the 9th of December. He will make his debut as a professional early next year. The 22 year old has been told that he is likely to take part in some of the sport’s big Classics next season, as well as a number of week-long stage races, with a Tour de France start possibly on the cards for 2004. TRAVERS TAKES CYCLO CROSS RACE AT CRAIGAVON: (By Shane Stokes Nov 17) Following the cancellation of the fifth round of the national cyclo cross league due to adverse weather conditions, Don Travers today won a non-counting substitute event staged at the Craigavon Lakes venue. The Banbridge CC cyclist rode strongly in difficult conditions to finish seven seconds clear of Aidan McDonald (Apollo CT), with Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC) finishing a further 22 seconds down in third. Travers, McDonald and Aiken had all conceded up to six minutes under the day’s handicap system, but were nevertheless able to overhaul the early leaders Paul Byrne (Banbridge CC) and Kilcullen CC’s Barry Donnelly just after the halfway point. Travers first shook off McDonald on the sixth of eight laps, only to be recaptured shortly afterwards, but then forged clear again with greater effect on the final lap to take the win. Absent was national champion Robin Seymour, who had decided not to travel north after the cancellation of the league race, which had been due to be held in Stormont today. The national series will conclude when the fifth and sixth rounds are held in the next few weeks. Apollo CT cyclo-cross race, Craigavon Lakes: 1, Don Travers (Banbridge CC) 49 mins; 2, A. McDonald (Apollo CT) at 7 seconds; 3, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) at 29 seconds; 4, R. Lamont (XMTB) at 1 min 39 secs; 5, B. Donnelly (Kilcullen CC) at 1 min 51 secs; 6, C. Campbell (Newry Haldane Fisher) at 3 mins 42 secs; 7, L. Ferguson (XMTB) at 4 mins 7 secs; 8, P. McSorley (Apollo CT) at 4 mins 12 secs; 9, W. Mulligan (Banbridge CC) at 4 mins 19 secs; 10, J. McGlade (Apollo CT) at 4 mins 46 secs Under 14: 1, Nathan McCormack (Banbridge CC); 2, C. Brown (XMTB); 3, A. McSorley (Apollo CT). Under 12: 1, WIlliam Boyd; 2, R. Davidson; 3, J. Beers (all XMTB). GRIFFIN RIDES WELL IN JAPAN: (By Shane Stokes Nov 16) Paul Griffin ended the 2002 season on a good note when he placed a solid 15th at the end of the 200 kilometre Tour of Okinawa. The Japanese 1.5 ranked event was won by Australian rider Paul Redenbach, with Griffin finishing in a chasing group 5 minutes and 44 seconds down. Tim Cassidy and Eugene Moriarty crossed the line as part of the main bunch some 8 minutes further back. Tour de Okinawa, Japan (1.5 ranking event): 1, Paul Redenbach (Giant Asia Racing Team/Australia) 200 kilometres in 4 hours 47 mins 41 secs; 2, S. Hirose (Nippon Hodo – Jura Suisse/Japan); 3, Y. Tashiro (Team Bridgestone Anchor/Japan) both same time; 4, S. Suzuki (Shimano Racing Team/Japan) at 2 secs; 5, T. Kano (Shimano Racing Team/Japan) at 7 secs; 6, K. Okazaki (Nippon Hodo – Jura Suisse/Japan) at 1 min 11 secs Irish: 14, Paul Griffin, at 5 mins 44 secs; 64, T. Cassidy, at 13 mins 50; 78, E. Moriarty, same time. DNF: P. Healion NATIONAL CYCLO CROSS LEAGUE, ROUND 4 PREVIEW: (By Shane Stokes Nov 6) The Irish cyclo cross league returns to Northern Ireland on Saturday when the off-road riders will fight out the fourth race in the series in Banbridge’s Solitude Park. Local riders Don Travers and Roger Aiken will be hoping to draw inspiration from the support of their home crowd as they are currently twelve and sixteen points respectively behind Robin Seymour in the overall standings, and must work hard to reduce this deficit if they are to retain any hope of winning the league. National champion Seymour was in fine form last weekend, taking his second straight win despite a puncture during the early stages of the Kilcullen event. Having already ridden hard to reel in Travers and Aiken after the handicapped start, the forced wheelchange seemed to spell trouble for the Wicklow rider, but he was strong enough to get back on terms and then pull clear in the closing stages of the race. Travers and Aiken put up a good fight, but the latter’s chances evaporated when he punctured and rolled a tub on the final lap. He ran to the line, bike in tow, but was unable to prevent Aiken from passing him and taking second place. Seymour, Travers, Aiken and Apollo CC’s Aidan McDonald currently occupy the top four places in the league, with round one winner Michael Mulvenna (Ards CC) fifth and unattached rider Keith Meghen riding strongly to secure his place in the top six. Saturday’s action takes place on the same course as last year’s Banbridge race, although the organizers have said that there will be some changes to the 2001 circuit. The program begins at noon with the underage events, then continues with the main race one hour later. Cycling Ireland national cyclo-cross league standings, after 3 races: 1, Robin Seymour (Team WORC) 87 points; 2, D. Travers, (Banbridge CC) 75; 3, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) 71; 4, A. McDonald (Apollo CC) 60; 5, M. Mulvenna (Ards CC) 44; 6, K. Meghen (unattached) 44. Remaining events:
Speaking in recent days, CI’s Ciarán McKenna expressed his satisfaction with this year’s project, which enabled a total of 35 Irish cyclists to spend time living and racing in Belgium and learn the ropes with regard to competing on the continent. ‘We were very happy with how things went this year’, he said, ‘the riders all learnt a huge amount and you could see some real progress with some of them. Next year we are aiming to step things up a level by increasing the quality of races they enter and also looking for some bigger results from the squad. They got some good placings this season but the main priority this year was for the riders to learn and improve. Next season we will be a bit more ambitious in the kind of results we hope to get. The main thing to consider is that this is a long-term project, with the real benefits expected to be seen three or four years down the line.’ Run under the guidance of Irish international Eugene Moriarty, the Team Ireland scheme saw CI rent a house in Belgium and subsidise the stay of riders who spent varying amounts of time training and racing there. The model has drawn praise from a number of quarters, with several other sports in Ireland now thought to be considering adopting a similar approach with their young sportspeople in the future. The heavily-funded British Cycling body is also rumoured to be exploring similar avenues. Next season’s planned relocation to an area near Brussels is intended to expose the riders to a greater number and quality of events. ‘We will be right in the heart of the racing there’, said McKenna. ‘This year’s venue necessitated driving to a lot of races, but the location we are looking at for next year would see most of the events within a few miles of the base. We plan to enter bigger races too, with UCI events very much part of the programme.’ SEYMOUR EXTENDS LEAD WITH ROUND THREE WIN: (By Shane Stokes Nov 4) Despite suffering a puncture during yesterday’s third round of the Cycling Ireland Cyclo-Cross league, Irish champion Robin Seymour once again came out on top and further extended his lead in the series. The Team WORC rider had started at the very back of the field under the handicap system in place, but made quick work of eating into the advantage of his rivals during the twelve lap race. Using his good technical skills on the riding sections and running strongly on the many muddy, waterlogged parts of the course, Seymour cut through the field impressively until he suffered a puncture, necessitating a wheel change and enabling his main rivals Don Travers and Roger Aiken to pull away once more. However the Wicklow rider came back strongly, overhauling the Banbridge CC duo on lap ten and then mopping up race leaders James Begley (Newbridge CC) and Stuart Galloway (Team WORC), who had been sent off early under the handicapping system. With one lap remaining Seymour turned the pace up a notch, dropping Aiken and putting Travers under serious pressure. Travers then punctured, his tubular tyre rolling off the rim, and was forced to run the final half lap of the event. Seymour sped home to take his second win of the series, with Aiken overhauling Travers before the line and Aidan McDonald taking fourth. Seymour is now the clear leader with three of the league’s six races completed, having 87 points to Travers’ 75, with Aiken and McDonald next in the standings and round one winner Michael Mulvenna (Ards CC) back in fifth. Results Cyclo Cross League Round 3, Kilcullen: 1, Robin Seymour (Team WORC) 51 mins 25 secs; 2, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC); 3, D. Travers (Banbridge CC); 4, A. McDonald (Apollo CC); 5, N. Quinlan (Cycleways); 6, B. Donnelly (Kilcullen); 7, K. Meghen (unattached); 8, J. Begley (Newbridge CC) Under14: 1, Nathan McCormack (XMTB); 2, L. Rawlings (Usher IRC), Under 12: 1, Reece Davidson (XMTB); 2, C. Farrell (Kilcullen), Current league standings: 1, Seymour, 87 points; 2, Travers, 75; 3, Aiken, 71; 4, McDonald, 60; 5, M. Mulvenna (Ards CC) 44; 6, Meghen, 44. Archives: October 2002
Following a brief tussle with Travers, Seymour pulled clear alone and went on to overhaul the riders up front who had been granted a more generous head start, including round one winner Michael Mulvenna of Ards CC. By the end of the six lap race Seymour had opened a winning lead of 55 seconds over Travers, with McDonald and Aiken finishing third and fourth and the junior Mulvenna ending the race further back in eleventh. The league continues next Sunday in Kilcullen, Co, Kildare. Cyclo-cross League round two, Big Wood, Newry: 1, R. Seymour (WORC) 6 laps in 57 mins 51 secs; 2, D. Travers (Banbridge CC) at 55 secs; 3, A. McDonald (Apollo CT) at 57 secs; 4, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) at 2 mins 34 secs; 5, P. Jennings (Banbridge CC) at 3 mins 4 secs; 6, R. Lamont (XMTB) at 3 mins17 secs; 7, A. Layhe (Apollo CT) at 3 mins 27 secs; 8, K. Meghen (unattached) at 3 mins 48 secs; Under 12: 1, Reece Davidson; 2, W. Boyd; 3, M. Gordon (all XMTB). Under 14: 1, Matthew McCormack (Banbridge CC); 2, D. Gordon (XMTB); 3, G. Boyd (XMTB).
Paul Griffin, Eugene Moriarty, Tim Cassidy and late call-up Paul Healion will travel to Japan for the race, on November 10th. It had been originally hoped that David O´Loughlin would make the most of his current good form and lead the quartet, but other commitments mean that the Mayo rider is unable to travel. Instead Healion has been given the nod by the Irish selectors, who recognise that he is one of the few internationals who has continued to train hard. ´Paul kept at it in order to chase place to place records´, said Ciaran McKenna of Cycling Ireland yesterday. ´He went close to taking the Dublin-Waterford record last weekend, being up on the schedule almost all of the way, but went into a headwind in the last 20 miles and so missed out. He is in good shape and should ride well in Japan´.
Fittingly for this year´s predicted sprinter´s championship, the final two hundred metres came down to a duel between Cipollini, who has the most victories of any rider currently competing, Robbie McEwen, who has taken the most races in 2002 and Erik Zabel, the holder of a record six wins in the Tour de France green jersey competition. But Cipollini proved too fast for his arch-rivals, powering clear all the way to the line to delight both his team-mates and the delirious Italian tifosi watching at the Zolder circuit. 2001 world champion Oscar Freire was one missing from the frenzied gallop at the end, dropping out of contention in the closing stages when a large crash in the bunch caused havoc. Despite his limited professional experience, Irish rider David O´Loughlin had a fine ride, successfully making his way through the crash and then placing 65th of the 168 finishers. The Mayo rider was a late call up to the squad after Ciaran Power indicated he would be unavailable to take part, and will be delighted with what was a very commendable performance today. World Cycling championships, elite men´s road race: 1, Mario Cipollini (Italy) 156 kilometres in 5 hours 30 mins 3 secs, 2, R. McEwen (Australia), 3, E. Zabel (Germany), 4, A. Hauptman (Slovenia), 5, Z. Klemencic (Slovenia); 6, J. Casper (France)all same time Irish: 65, D. O´Loughlin, at 1 min 26 secs ROCHE MAKES BIG EFFORT: (By Shane Stokes Oct 12) Nicolas Roche made a big effort today to take a medal in the junior road race of the world championships in Zolder, Belgium, attacking in a dangerous breakaway group with 56 of the 128 kilometre distance remaining. Going clear on the Terlaemenlaan climb, the son of the 1987 Tour de France winner pooled his strength with nine others to open up a maximum lead of 30 seconds over the chasing bunch. Maintaining a gap for 40 kilometres, Roche´s hopes of a top finish were dashed when the breakaway group stopped working well together, allowing the bunch to reel them in with 16 kilometres remaining. Just before the junction was made, Roche launched a solo attack but was unable to open a significant gap, spelling an end to his chances. The race was won by Frenchman Arnaud Gerard, who went clear in a six man group shortly after Roche was caught, and proved fastest in their sprint for the line. Jukka Vastaranta (Finland) took silver with the Australian Nicolas Sanderson winning bronze. Sixth place went to Dutch rider Joost Van Leijen, who was one of the strongmen of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour earlier this year. Paidi O´Brien was highest placed of the Irish, coming home as part of the main bunch in 50th place. Theo Hardwick, Andrew McQuaid and Nicolas Roche all finished in the same time, while Micheal Concannon withdrew from the event after an early crash and puncture. ´Nicolas rode very well today´, said junior team manager Tom Keenan after the race. ´He got into a break but unfortunately the balance wasn't right there and they didn't make the most of their chance. A couple of riders started sitting on and that destroyed the rhythm of the group, allowing the bunch to get back up to them.´ `Nicolas was not really that disappointed with how things worked out as he knows he gave it a good shot and rode well. Indeed all the lads did their best, so I am happy enough with their performance.´ World Championship Junior Men Road Race: 1, Arnaud Gerard (France) 128 kilometres in 2 hours 50 mins 17 secs; 2, J. Vastaranta (Finland); 3, N. Sanderson (Australia); 4, T. Veelers (Netherlands); 5, M. Jurco (Slovakia); 6, J. Van Leijen (Netherlands) Irish: 50, Paidi O'Brien at 9 secs; 80, T. Hardwick; 81, A. McQuaid; 87, N. Roche all same time. DNF: Micheal Concannon GILL FORCED OUT: (By Shane Stokes Oct 12) Geraldine Gill, who was due to represent Ireland in the women´s Elite road race today, was a non-starter due to an ongoing back problem. The national road race champion was affected by a trapped sciatic nerve during Wednesday´s elite time trial and decided not to line out today.
The 1998 junior world champion had looked in great shape throughout the 164 kilometre under 23 road race, holding back in the early stages to conserve energy and then spearheading a promising breakaway on the final lap. Powering ahead with 10 kilometres remaining, Scanlon´s horsepower drew the small group clear but a lack of commitment on the part of his breakaway companions meant that the potential race-winning move was hauled back by the main bunch. Reeled in with 5 kilometres to go, Scanlon did his utmost to recover in time for the resulting bunch sprint but a probable top-ten placing was foiled with 200 metres to go when a large pileup nearly brought down the Sligoman. Narrowly missing a fallen rider, he finished the race in 20th place, a misleading end to what was an impressive ride during the contest. The world title was won by Francesco Chicchi of Italy, with second and third going to Francisco Guiterez of Spain and Swiss rider David Loosli. Dutchman Hans Dekkers was disqualified from the silver medal position after race judges ruled he had caused the last-kilometre crash, which left one rider seriously injured. ‘I am not to disappointed about the way things worked out’, said a philosophical Scanlon afterwards. ‘I rode pretty well out there today and so was happy with my performance, especially after such a long season. I think we could have stayed clear if the others had worked in the break, but most of them wouldn’t come through and we didn’t really have a chance then. I am not sure whether they were tired, or waiting for their team-mates behind, but I know that a lot of the big teams were happy for things to end up in a sprint’. ‘I am not a pure sprinter but when it came to the gallop I was looking at a place in the top ten, possibly even in the top five. But then the crash happened…I was very close to falling myself and had to stall, losing my chance then.’ Scanlon agreed with the disqualification of Dekkers, whose wild manoeuvre brought down several riders close to the line. ‘The guy was a disaster all right. I had a run in with him a bit further back, inside the final 5 kilometres. There was a line out and he was trying to get inside me, to shelter from the wind. He was very dangerous, pushing his way around the place.’ THE EARLY stages of today’s race were marked by a fine ride by the Irish team, who went to the front and dragged back a dangerous breakaway move. Earning praise on Eurosport for their efforts, Dermot Nally, Denis Lynch, Gary McQuaid and Philip Deignan towed the bunch along to negate the threat to Scanlon’s medal hopes. ‘The team were really great today’, he said afterwards. ‘They rode really hard to keep things together for me. It was a great ride.’ Squad manager Ciarán McKenna agreed. ‘The lads did very well. I told them to go to the front as the breakway could have been a real danger, if they had been allowed to get a gap. It was good for their morale, and also good for Mark’s.’ Unfortunately some of the Irish riders got tangled in a crash in the closing stages, ending their chances of doing further work for the team leader, and for a higher placing themselves. Dermot Nally finished 41 seconds back in 105th place, with Lynch, McQuaid and Deignan 125th, 126th and 128th respectively. Under 23 road race, World championships, Zolder, Belgium (13 laps): 1, Francesco Chicchi (Italy) 166.4 kilometres in 3 hours 36 mins 28 secs, 2, F. Gutierriz (Spain), 3, D. Loosli (Switzerland), 4, S. Lagutin (Uzbekistan), 5, G. Lwquatre (France) all same time Irish: 20, Mark Scanlon (Ireland) same time; 105, Dermot Nally, at 41 secs; 125, D. Lynch, at 3 mins 38 secs, 126, G. McQuaid, at 3 mins 40 secs, 128, P. Deignan, at 5 mins 5 secs
O’Loughlin had finished10th in the under 23 event two years ago but his limited racing at the professional level was clearly a limiting factor for him today, as was the effects of the disruption caused by a broken collarbone just over two months ago. He will also line out in the elite road race on Sunday. The gold medal was won by Colombian rider Santiago Botero, who gave an impressive display of the time trial strength which won him a stage of the Tour de France earlier this year. Botero hauled a big gear around the flat course to push German Michael Rich and Spaniard Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano down into the silver and bronze medal positions, with pre-race favourite David Millar of Scotland finishing in a disappointed sixth place. 2002 Road World Championships, Zolder, Beligum. Elite men’s time trial:1, Santiago Botero (Colombia) 40.4 kilometres in 48 mins 8.45 secs (50.353 km/h); 2, M. Rich (Germany) at 8.23 secs; 3, I. Gonzalez de Galdeano (Spain) at 17.15 secs; 4, L. Bodrogi (Hungary) at 25.53 secs; 5, U. Peschel (Germany) at 33.76 secs; 6, D. Millar (Great Britain) at 35.32 secs Other: 55, David O’Loughlin (Ireland) at 4 mins 58.88 secs
Hardwick ended the race against the clock with a time one and three-quarters of a minute off the winning standard, placing thirtieth, while Nicolas Roche was a handful of seconds further back in thirty-third. With a total of seventy junior riders taking part in the time trial, the result meant that the Irish duo were both above the half-way mark. The gold medal was won by Russian Mikhail Ignatiev, who rode a perfect race to finish ten seconds clear of silver medallist Mark Jamieson of Australia and twenty-six ahead of the Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali. Geraldine Gill is next of the Irish to begin her world championship campaign, racing in the elite women’s time trial this afternoon. David O’Loughlin will compete in the elite men’s event tomorrow, with the road races taking part later this week. World cycling championships, Zolder, Belgium. Junior men’s time trial: 1, Mikhail Ignatiev (Russia) 23.3 kilometres in 28 mins 30.37 secs; 2, M. Jamieson (Australia) at 10.36 secs; 3, V. Nibali (Italy) at 25.98 secs; 4, T. Dekker (Netherlands) at 30.17 secs; 5, R. Infantino Abreu (Colombia) at 39.92 secs. Irish: 30, T. Hardwick, at 1 min 47.83 secs; 33, N. Roche, at 1 min 51.36 secs
The gold medal went to Russian woman Zoulfia Zabirova, echoing her compatriot Mikhail Ignatiev’s winning ride in the junior time trial earlier today. Swiss competitors took silver and bronze, with Nicole Brandli finishing 14.7 seconds off the winning time and Karin Thurig a further one second back. 2001 champion Jeannie Longo had a somewhat disappointing ride in her attempts to defend the title, finishing 42 seconds off Zabirova’s time in seventh place. Tomorrow sees Ireland’s David O’Loughlin line out in the elite time trial, some two years after he finished 10th in the under 23 event in Plouay, France. However, with the world’s top professionals taking part, the Mayo rider’s goals will be somewhat more modest on this occasion. Elite Women´s Time Trial: 1, Zoulfia Zabirova (Russia) 23.2 kilometres in 30 mins 2.62 secs, 2, N. Brandli (Switzerland) at 14.7 secs, 3,K. Thurig (Switzerland) at 15.65 secs, 4, J. Somarriba Arrola (Spain) at 15.68 secs, 5, S. Carrigan (Australia) at 20.39 secs. Irish: 40, Geraldine Gill, at 3 mins 49.31 secs SCANLON 13th IN UNDER 23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TIME TRIAL: (By Shane Stokes Oct 8) Mark Scanlon got Ireland’s world championship campaign off to a solid start today when he finished 13th in the under 23 time trial in Zolder, Belgium. The Sligoman rode well during the 34 kilometre test, holding third place briefly at the intermediate time check, and then occupying the bronze medal position for several minutes at the end of the time trial. However any hope of a podium finish was denied when a wave of faster riders then finished their own race, pushing Scanlon out of the top ten. Quickest was Lithuanian rider Tomas Vaitkus, with the Russian Alexandr Bespalov second and Sergio Paulinho of Portugal taking third. Scanlon eventually finished 2 minutes and 4 seconds off the winning time of Vaitkus, a result which will spur the ambitious young rider to greater heights in Friday’s road race. Scanlon’s supporters will hope that this event will better suit the former junior world champion, particularly as he shone during the road races of his recent professional trial with the AG2r team. ‘Friday might suit him better all right’, said team manager Ciarán McKenna, ‘although the risk is that the flat course makes it a bit of a lottery when it comes to picking the right breaks. Mark wasn’t down about today’s performance, he just went out there and gave it a good lash. He isn’t really under pressure here as he rode very well during his pro trial with AG2r and has already got a very good contract for next season. He is going to just take Friday as it comes and wait and see what happens.’ Next up of the Irish world championship squad are Nicolas Roche and Theo Hardwick, who both compete in the junior time trial tomorrow morning, and elite woman Geraldine Gill, who has her own race against the clock in the afternoon. SCANLON SIGNS FOR 2 YEARS WITH PRO TEAM: (By Shane Stokes Oct 7) Mark Scanlon yesterday reaped the benefits of his excellent pro trial with the AG2r team when he signed a contract to race with the first division team for the next two seasons. The 21 year old former junior world champion had received a number of offers from pro teams, particularly after his third places in the GP Isbergues and the final stage of Paris-Corrèze, but finally decided to sign for the French squad who had given him the slot as stagiaire this summer. Starting his trial in September, Scanlon quickly made his mark in the pro ranks, riding with aggression alongside some of the world’s best, and most experienced riders. The Sligoman finished 15th in the Tour de Finistère, placed 26th in both the Coppa Placci and Giro di Romagna, then went on to take those excellent podium finishes in both the GP Isbergues and the in final stage of the Paris-Correze event, where he finished 16th overall. It was a most impressive display for a rider who is still just 21 years of age, and a reflection of the huge natural ability that Scanlon possesses. ‘The results were better than I had expected’, he admitted yesterday. ‘I didn’t think that podium finishes were possible, but once I got those two third places I was pretty much assured that AG2r would sign me. I did get some other offers, but as they were the ones who gave me the chance in the first place, I decided to go with them. They seem a good set-up and without a big leader for every race, there will be opportunities there.’ Scanlon is due to attend a training camp with the team in December, after which team management will begin planning his 2003 racing programme. ‘I am not sure yet what races I will be doing but there is talk of me riding the classics next year. There is possibly also a chance of a start in the Tour, if I am going well when the team is being picked, but I don’t mind if I end up waiting another season to do that. There is no big rush.’ This week, Scanlon will line out in the world championships in Zolder as one of the hot favourites for the under 23 time trial and road race. Many of his rivals will look to the results gained during his pro trial and recognise that he is one of the riders most in form, but the Sligoman feels under little pressure to live up to their expectations. ‘I am pretty relaxed about the worlds’, he says. ‘I have achieved my main goal for the season, getting a pro contract, so I don’t feel under pressure to do well this week. I will just take the races as they come and see how I get on.’ The laid-back approach should work in his favour, though. Scanlon has been under massive pressure at the worlds, ever since he took his world title in Valkenburg in 1998, and has never performed to the best of his ability in the races. This time the expectation is that his more relaxed outlook should see him ride well, although the unpredictability brought about by such a flat course means that it is impossible to be sure how he will fare. ‘Mark might have the strongest legs in the road race but be marked out of it’, says Ciarán McKenna of Cycling Ireland, ‘or a move might slip up the road and stay away’. ‘In many ways a harder, more selective course would be better for him. All we can do is get the team to try to keep things together for him until a few laps to go, and then he can see how things work out. With regard to the time trial, he rode well in the Europeans earlier this year and looked set for a medal until his handlebars broke. It might work out well for him on Tuesday. We will see how he is going during the time checks and then decide whether he should continue to ride flat out or back off to keep fresh for the road race later in the week.’
The Dutchwoman started her campaign in the best possible way on Saturday morning’s opening road race stage, breaking clear after close to the halfway point with her Moving Ladies Groenewoud team-mate Sharon Van Essen, Stephanie Gronow of the RG Berlin Cherlottenburg squad and Ireland’s Louise Moriarty, and opening up a three minute advantage over the bunch behind. Winning the four up sprint to the line was important to her, but even more crucial was the quartet’s margin of superiority, which made it all but certain that the final winner would come from this group. With the four finishing in the same time, Gronow, Moriarty and Van Essen were very much in with a chance of stealing yellow in the afternoon’s 2 kilometre time trial, but once again van der Helm showed her determination and form. Highly focussed on the task at hand, the Dutchwoman sped to a narrow win over Gronow, covering the flat course in a time of 3 minutes 45.9 seconds and pipping her rival by the tiny margin of .7 of a second. Moriarty was next home in third, but losing 13.39 seconds meant that her chances of overall honours were ebbing away. To her credit, the young Dubliner did her utmost on the third and final stage, but every attack was marked by her main rivals. The hilly course provided plenty of opportunity for aggressive racing, yet the leading four were unable to open up any significant ground over each other. Riding clear of the main bunch on the second Queen of the Hills, the quartet opened up a lead over the rest of the field but unlike Saturday’s stage, this was eventually reeled back in, setting the scene for a probable bunch finish.
‘This year’s race was excellent’, said co-organiser Susan O’Mara, who herself finished 6th overall. ‘I think it was the best standard of entries in ages, and there really was some good racing. The winner was very, very strong – she narrowly missed a place on the Dutch team for the world championships, but really is flying. Louise (Moriarty) did a great ride to take third; she has spent the last few months competing on the continent and you could really see the benefits of that during the race.’ TQ Ladies International 2 day, North County Dublin. Stage 1: 1, Ester van der Helm (Moving Ladies-Groenewoud) 1 hour 47 mins 9 secs; 2, S. Gronow (RG Berlin Cherlottenburg); 3, L. Moriarty (Ireland); 4, S. Van Essen (Moving Ladies- Groenewoud) all same time; 5, I. Klep (Moving Ladies Groenewoud) at 2 mins 59 secs; 6, M. Boyd (Team Letchworth) same time Stage 2: 1, Van der Helm, 2 kilometre tt in 3 mins 45.9 secs; 2, Gronow at .7 secs; 3, Moriarty, at 13.39 secs; 4, S. O’Mara (Ireland) at 18.64 secs; 5, D. Booth (UCF) at 20.48 secs; 6, Van Essen, at 21.94 secs Stage 3: 1, Inge Klep 46 miles in 2 hours 14 mins 27 secs; 2, van der Helm, at 3 secs; 3, Gronow, at 5 secs; 4, S. van Essen; 5, Moriarty; 6, O’Mara, both same time Final overall: 1, Van der Helm, 4 hours 5 mins 16 secs; 2, Gronow, at 6 secs; 3, Moriarty, at 23 secs; 4, Van Essen, at 32 secs; 5, Klep, at 3 mins 25 secs; 6, O’Mara at 3 mins 28 secs. Points classification: Van der Helm; Mountains: van der Helm; veterans: S. Rafferty (UCF); junior: Y. de Jong, Netherlands
BIG CLASH IN STORE IN TQ PAPERS 2 DAY: (By Shane Stokes Oct 4) This weekend sees the biggest race on the Irish women's calendar taking place in North County Dublin, with a number of foreign and domestic riders going head-to-head in the TQ Paper's Women's 2 day event. The season may be already over for the bulk of Ireland's male cyclists but thoughts of an off-season break have been shelved by the women, with this important contest to be settled before the racing bike can be put into winter storage. Given the late timing of the event, the presence of a good international field is a clear indication of the reputation of the race. Defending champion Esther van der Helm has once again decided to travel and will start as one of the hot favourites; the Dutchwoman's challenge will be aided considerably by her strong Moving Ladies-Groenewoud team-mates Sharon Van Essen, Inge Klep and Danielle Moonen. Yvonne de Jong, Merel Koenen and Esther Kassing are also making the long journey from the Netherlands and will line out in the colours of the Alcmaria Victrix team tomorrow, while the German trio of Stephanie Gronow, Katharina Blum and Laura Schaefe will represent RG Berlin Charlottenburg. |
PRO
DEAL FOR NALLY: (By Shane Stokes
Nov 28) Spanish-based rider Dermot Nally today became the latest Irishman
to graduate to the professional peloton, signing a contract to race with the
Paternina-Costa Almeria squad for the next two years. The Valencia resident came
to the attention of the team (previously known as Jazztel-Costa Almeria) due to
the good performances he recorded in Spain and Italy over the past few seasons.
FBD MILK RAS SPONSORSHIP
TO CONTINUE: (By Shane Stokes
Nov 27) FBD Milk Rás race director Dermot Dignam has confirmed that FBD
Insurances and the National Dairy Council will once again sponsor Ireland’s
biggest cycling race in 2003. The two have been supporting the race for 20 and
21 years respectively, making their backing one of the longest running
sponsorships in Irish sport.
CYCLING
IRELAND CEO TO STAND DOWN: (By Shane Stokes
Nov 21) In a press release issued this evening, Cycling Ireland has
confirmed the unexpected decision by CEO Eamon Duffy to resign from the post he
accepted in March of 2001. Duffy will stand down from the position once a successor
has been appointed in the next few weeks, thereafter adopting a more
marketing-based role within the governing body.
LAVENU
PREDICTS BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SCANLON: (By Shane Stokes
Nov 17) Impressively strong this season, the former world junior champion
Mark Scanlon has been tipped for a strong professional career by his new team
manager, Vincent Lavenu, who signed the young Sligoman to the AG2r team last
month. Scanlon, who topped the French Elite 2 rankings for 2002, will ride with
the Tour de France regulars for the next two seasons and is expected to continue
his upwards progression.
RELOCATION
FOR TEAM IRELAND PROJECT IN 2003: (By Shane Stokes
Nov 4) Cycling Ireland’s Team Ireland setup in Belgium is to undergo
modifications for the 2003 season, with a relocation nearer Brussels and the
targeting of results in bigger events both outlined as important progressions
for the Sports Council-backed scheme.
Seymour
Takes Round Two: (By Shane Stokes Oct 27) National
champion Robin Seymour showed he was head and shoulders above his other rivals
in the second round of the national cyclo-cross league in Big Wood, Newry on
Saturday, taking a dominant victory and moving to the top of the overall
standings. The Wicklow rider had started with the day’s maximum handicap of 7
minutes and 30 seconds, one minute behind the main scratch group, but took just
a single lap to catch his main rivals Don Travers (Banbridge CC), Aidan McDonald
(Apollo CC), Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC) and Robert Lamont (XMTB) on the
technical course.
IRISH
TEAM FINALISED FOR JAPAN: (By Shane Stokes Oct
25) As riders around the country settle down to a well-earned rest from
competition, four have put their off-season break on hold in order to compete in
the 1.5 ranked Tour of Okinawa next month.
CIPO
WINS WORLD CHAMPS, O´LOUGHLIN 65th: (By Shane Stokes Oct
13) Mario Cipollini today benefited from the most professional, unified
Italian team performance in years to become their first elite world champion
since Gianni Bugno in 1992. Previously hampered by infighting, selfish personal
ambitions and divided loyalties, the Squadra Azzuro worked in a determined,
dedicated fashion towards the end of the 256 kilometre race to haul back every
breakaway attempt and then set up the self-proclaimed ´fastest man on two
wheels´ for the perfect lead-out.
FLAT
COURSE FOILS SCANLON´S MEDAL HOPES, FINISHES 20TH:
(By Shane Stokes Oct 11) As feared,
negative tactics caused by the flat nature of the under 23 world championships
in Zolder, Belgium today frustrated the aggressive attempts of Mark Scanlon to
take a medal.
BOTERO TAKES TIME TRIAL
GOLD, O’LOUGHLIN 55th: (By Shane Stokes Oct
10) David O’Loughlin today finished 55th in the elite world time trial
championships in Zolder, Belgium, having a difficult task in trying to rise to
the standard set by the world’s top pro riders in the race against the clock.
A late call up after a UCI rule change saw Ireland eligible to field a rider in
the elite events, the Mayo rider completed the 40.4 kilometre course in a time
fractionally over 53 minutes and 7 seconds, which was 5 minutes off the gold
medal standard.
IRISH
JUNIORS FINISH IN TOP 35 OF WORLD CHAMPS TT: (By Shane Stokes Oct
9) Irish riders Theo Hardwick and Nicolas Roche recorded solid
performances in the junior time trial at the 2002 world cycling championships in
Zolder, Belgium, this afternoon, finishing inside the top half of the field at
the end of the flat 23.3 kilometre test.
GILL
40th IN ELITE WOMEN’S TIME TRIAL AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (By Shane Stokes Oct
9) Multiple Irish champion Geraldine Gill found the going tough today in
the world championships in Zolder, Belgium, finishing close to the end of the
results sheet in the elite women’s time trial. Gill, one of the early
starters, covered the 23 kilometre course in a time of 33 minutes 51.93 seconds,
eventually good enough for 40th place.
VAN
DER HELM CRUISES TO SECOND WIN: (By Shane Stokes Oct
7) Impressive last year in the manner of her victory, Dutchwoman Esther
van der Helm was even more dominant over the weekend as she raced to her second
straight win in the TQ Paper Ladies International 2 day event. Van der Helm
showed her great form by taking two stages, one second place and the overall
title, as well as the points classification and Queen of the Mountains prize.
Van
der Helm’s team-mate Inge Klep had other ideas, however. The 21 year old
Dutchwoman jumped clear of the field with just four of the stage’s 74 miles
remaining and rode strongly to open a good lead. Towards the line her advantage
was cut to a matter of seconds, and with the surge of the bunch’s finishing
sprint this was further reduced to a matter of metres, but she managed to hang
on to take a fine win. Second went to van der Helm, who ended the race 6 seconds
clear of German Gronow, while Louise Moriarty showed the benefits of her recent
spell of continental racing by taking a fine third.
Cycling
– Eddie Tobin Obituary