Cycling Round Up |
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Archives: March 2003 O’LOUGHLIN TAKES ARCHER GRAND PRIX: (By Shane Stokes Mar 30) Irish professional David O’Loughlin yesterday took the biggest victory of his career when he won the three-man sprint which decided the Archer Grand Prix in Buckinghamshire. The Mayo rider picked his moment perfectly to outkick top British riders Chris Newton and John Tanner on the uphill rise to the line, crossing the line a bike-length clear and taking maximum points in the world-ranked race. O’Loughlin, Tanner and Newton had gone clear from a twelve-man leading group after 100 of the 118 miles had elapsed. With a number of riders – including former Tour of Spain stage winner Malcom Elliot – chasing behind, the trio rode well together to establish a decisive lead before the attacks began. Tanner made a big effort on the Penn Street climb with Newton trying a similar move on the Woodrow slopes but neither were able to shake off a determined O’Loughlin, thus setting the scene for a three-man gallop. Tanner and Newton are both known for their impressive sprinting, but in the dash for the line O’Loughin showed the benefits of specific training he had done over the winter to improve his finishing burst. Timing his move to perfection, the 25 year old kicked past the former British national champion Tanner, and current world points race champion Newton to take an excellent win, the first world-ranked victory of his career. Archer Grand Prix, Buckinghamshire: 1, David O’Loughlin (Ofoto-Lombardi Sports) 118 miles in 4 hours 45 mins 20 secs; 2, C. Newton (Corima RT); 3, J. Tanner (Life Repair RT) both same time; 4, M. Elliott (Pinarello Assos RT) at 27 secs; 5, M. Lovatt (Life Repair) at 28 secs; 6, H. Pritchard (Wales/Anglia Sport) at 48 secs; 7, K. Dawson (Life Repair RT); 8, G. Richardson (CycleOps Lona RT) both same time; 9, M. Stephens (Sigma Sport); 10, D. Lloyd (Team Endura.com) at 49 secs HEDDERMAN CONQUERS CARLOW PEAKS: (By Shane Stokes Mar 30) Cycleways rider Adrian Hedderman surpassed the achievement of his bronze medal in Saturday's Leinster Road Race Championships when he took a fine victory in the Des Hanlon Memorial Road Race in Carlow today. Hedderman timed his attack to perfection at the end of the mountainous 90 mile race, considered one of the toughest events on the Irish calendar, soloing clear within sight of the finish line and successfully holding off the charge of Paul Griffin (Earl of Desmond) and local rider Mick Mulcahy (Usher IRC), plus the rest of the 14-strong front group.
Acting as the first round of the national league, the Des Hanlon drew a large, combined senior 1 and 2 field of 110 riders. Surprisingly, the first lap did not wreak the havoc which might have been expected, with 80 riders still together at the end of the opening 30 mile loop.
Soon afterwards, though, the climb out of Castlecomer started the splintering process, with 27 riders pressing ahead. This leading group remained together until the start of the final lap, but the same ascent then acted as a launching pad for nine escapees, who were later joined by 8 more. First to go clear from this shrinking front group was Richie Cahill (Banteer CC), but on the descent seven riders regained contact and, in the final kilometres, a further six. Greg Swinard (Usher IRC) was next to try his luck, opening a small lead which was ultimately snuffed out close to the finish. Hedderman then played the team card to perfection, surging clear in a strong counterattack and holding off those chasing behind to take a fine win.
Meanwhile second-year Theo Hardwick (Killorglin CC) ran out as a well-deserved victor of the junior race after a long-range attack carried him to the line alone. Team-mate Micheal Concannon took the senior 2 award while Sean McIlroy (Cidona Carrick Wheelers) and Louise Moriarty (Dublin Skip) won the senior 3 and the womens event. (Pictures by Brian MacMahon) Des Hanlon Memorial Classic League Race, Carlow:- 90 mile 1, Adrian Hedderman (Cycleways); 2, P. Griffin (Earl of Desmond CC); 3, M. Mulcahy (Usher IRC); 4, J. Fenlon (Cidona Carrick Wheelers); 5, P. Moriarty (Dublin Skip); 6, R. Cahill (Banteer CC) First senior 2: Micheal Concannon (Killorglin CC) Junior event:1, Theo Hardwick (Killorglin CC); 2, B. Woods (Killorglin CC); 3, T. Duggan (Bray Wheelers CC); 4, G. McElroy (Cidona Carrick Wheelers); 5, C. Crawley (Stamullen M. Donnelly RC); 6, R. Maes (Killarney CC) Senior 3: 1, Sean McIlroy (Cidona Carrick Wheelers); 2, B. Millar (Carlow RC); 3, C. Dwyer (Western Lakes CC) First woman: Louise Moriarty (Dublin Skip) HEALION TAKES LEINSTER RR TITLE: (By Shane Stokes Mar 29) Paul Healion today won the Leinster Road Race championships in Staplestown, County Kildare, taking the title for the second time in his racing career. The North Kildare CC cyclist went clear with Paul Doyle (Tile Choice CC) on the final lap and outpaced the national criterium champion to the line. Cycleways' Adrian Hedderman took the bronze medal, with team-mates Phil Finegan and John Peppard finishing high enough to ensure that the trio netted the team prize. In the other classifications, Brendan Whelan (Staggs Lucan) and Jason Ludgate (McNally Swords) took the senior 2 and senior 3 races, while Terry Ferris (Dublin Wheelers) and Louise Moriarty (Dublin Skip) were best of the veterans and women. Leinster Road Race Championships, Staplestown, Co. Kildare: 1, Paul Healion (North Kildare CC); 2, P. Doyle (Tile Choice CC); 3, A Hedderman (Team Cycleways) Team prize: Cycleways (A. Hederman, P. Finegan, J. Peppard) Senior 2: 1, B. Whelan (Staggs Lucan CC); 2, P. Reid (Finglas Ravens); 3, J. Cruise (Bray Wheelers) Team: Finglas Ravens (P. Reid, C. Farrell, D. Walsh) Senior 3: 1, Jason Ludgate (McNally Swords CC); 2, S. Mulvany (Stamullen M. Donnelly); 3, K. Moloney (Navan Avonmore) Team: Stamullen M. Donnelly (S. Mulvany, J. Ryan, S. Howard) Veteran: Terry Ferris (Dublin Wheelers) Women: Louise Moriarty (Dublin Skip) POWER BACK UP TO SPEED: (By Shane Stokes Mar 29) Irish professional Ciarán Power showed a quick return to form after the tendonitis which disrupted his early season when he finished to the fore on today´s third stage of the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale in Italy. The Navigators rider sprinted home a fine sixth at the end of the 154 kilometre race to Nonantola, crossing the line in the same time as winner Ivan Quaranta of the Saeco team. Quaranta´s team mate Mirko Celestino finished in the front group and retains the overall lead. Power had been sidelined for several races because of a knee problem, but in recent weeks was able to begin racing as the symptoms eased. Today´s result is hugely encouraging as it shows he has retained much of the core fitness he built during the winter. Also making a comeback is 1998 Tour de France winner Marco Pantani, whose career had been in freefall in recent years after allegations of drug use. The specialist climber finished in the main bunch today and is a strong eleventh overall. Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi-Bartali, stage 3: Nonantola - Nonantola: 1, Ivan Quaranta (Team Saeco) 154 kilometres in 3 hours 14 mins 17 secs (45.088 km/h); 2, A. Loddo (Lampre); 3, U. Murn (Formaggi Pinzolo-Fiordo); 4, R. Daniel Bongiorno (Ceramich Panaria-Fiordo); 5, O. Grishkine (Navigators Cycling Team); 6, C. Power (Navigators Cycling Team) all same time General classification after stage 3: 1, Mirko Celestino (Team Saeco) 11 hours 53 mins 30 secs (39.304 km/h); 2, F. Casagrande (Lampre) at 4 secs; 3, A. Kolobnev (Domina Vacanze-Elitron) at 8 secs; 4, Y. Popovych (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) same time; 5, F. Pellizotti (Alessio) at 12 secs HALLAM FOR CEO ROLE: (By Shane Stokes Mar 28) Cycling Ireland has announced that Stuart Hallam has accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer, which was advertised after the former CEO Eamon Duffy announced his intention last November to shift to the role of Commercial Director. Hallam has considerable experience in the business and cycling worlds, having worked in roles such as Managing Director of Philips Business Systems and also as a board member of British Cycling. Hallam is a former first category racing cyclist in the UK and comes from a background of competition in the sport, with his brother Ian a previous Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games medalist. The President of Cycling Ireland, PJ Nolan welcomed the appointment, saying that Hallam will bring a wealth of experience to the role. ´The knowledge of cycling and business that Stuart will bring to the organisation will be immense and his track record as an organiser, team manager and national executive member will be a huge boost to Cycling Ireland. The combination of Stuart Hallam's experience and Eamon Duffy's commercial expertise is very exciting for the organisation.´ The full text of the CI press release is as follows: The Board of Cycling Ireland is pleased to announce that Stuart Hallam has accepted the position as Chief Executive Officer of Cycling Ireland. Stuart Hallam has vast experience in both the business and cycling worlds. He has been formerly Managing Director UK of Philips Business Systems, Chief Executive Officer of the European division of Brite Voice Systems and Managing Director of the Telecom division of Opus Trust Ltd a Swiss based company. He is Managing Director of Dataphonics Limited. On a voluntary basis Stuart Hallam is also a member of the board of British Cycling and has just completed Project China a major strategy plan for the revamping of the grass roots of the organisation. He is also Director of the Dataphonics cycle racing team. Stuart comes from a family steeped in cycling tradition; Stuart is a former first category racing cyclist and a top level rugby player, his brother Ian has won Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games medals in the individual and Team Pursuit and Stuarts son Ben is also a national Pursuit medallist at Elite level and currently races with a First Division team in France. Stuart Hallam succeeds Eamon Duffy who now takes up the position of Commercial Director within Cycling Ireland. PJ Nolan President of Cycling Ireland said the board of Cycling Ireland is very happy with the appointment. He said that Stuart Hallam brings a wealth of experience to Cycling Ireland as it moves forward and expands. "The knowledge of cycling and business that Stuart will bring to the organisation will be immense and his track record as an organiser, team manager and national executive member will be a huge boost to Cycling Ireland. The combination of Stuart Hallam´s experience and Eamon Duffy´s commercial expertise is very exciting for the organisation."
´The reason I feel so strongly is that I belive the new CEO has no knowledge of cycling in this country and will take too long to try to familiarise himself with the organisation, the volunteers and the other aspects of the sport,´ he said. ´I think that if they (the interview panel) had picked someone from within the sport in Ireland it would have been better. They would have already established the relationships and the contacts necessary. I would certainly feel that there should be enough talent to chose from in this country without having to look to someone from abroad.´ ´To me there will be a big time period where he (Stuart Hallam) is going to have to get to learn everything, to build up new relationships, and that will be a huge amount of time lost. I think that the individual chosen should be able to hit the ground running and get up to speed straight away. The sport in Ireland is very personality based, with a lot of things getting done due to existing relationships with volunteers. CI has picked up momentum lately but my fear now is that a lot of time is going to be lost because of this decision.´ Readily speaking about his disappointment in not getting the CEO position, he insists this was not the motivation for his retirement from the board of CI. ´I resigned as I disagreed with the decision relating to the new CEO, not because I didn´t get the job. I would have had no problem had the post gone to someone else from Ireland - there is enough talent here. I feel strongly that it is the wrong decision to appoint someone from outside the country to the position, given the demands of the CEO role.´ McKenna has been on the board of Cycling Ireland since 1999, first working as PRO and more recently acting as a director of the federation. He was chiefly responsible for CI´s strategy document, detailing their future plans and targets, and was also heavily involved in the running of the High Performance Commission and the setting up of the Team Ireland project in Belgium, where young riders stay in a CI- rented house and ride a variety of high-standard events. McKenna was the team manager for the senior teams in the World Championships in Zolder last October. Like McKenna, Butler is also a former Irish international. In recent years he has returned to the sport in the role of chairman of the High Performance Commission and was also a big part of CI´s Team Ireland project. His close links with former world number one Sean Kelly were seen as a big plus for the scheme, which aims to boost the prospects of young riders getting professional contracts in the future. With these two resignations, Cycling Ireland and its new CEO Stuart Hallam have a tougher-than-expected start to their time together. Hallam´s CV certainly is an impressive one, and PJ Nolan seems convinced his is the correct appointment; the next year or two will show if it is Nolan´s faith or McKenna´s concern which is the more justified. CYCLING IRELAND HIT BY RESIGNATIONS: (By Shane Stokes Mar 27) Cycling Ireland has been hit by the unexpected resignation of board member Ciarán McKenna. McKenna had started working with CI (then the ICF) in January of 1999 as PRO and also contributed much to the formulation of their strategy document. More recently he was working a member of their streamlined six-man board. McKenna’s resignation has been accompanied by that of Paul Butler, the Chairman of the High Performance Commission, both apparently over matters relating to the recent search for a new CEO by Cycling Ireland. No formal statement has yet been released on the resignations, which are almost certain to bring about the delay of the start of the 2003 programme for CI’s Belgium-based Team Ireland project.
In recent weeks Dignam received an indirect approach on behalf of the second division Navigators professional team, with which 2002 winner Ciarán Power competes. However, although Dignam says he was very interested in the prospect of the big American squad taking part, he ultimately decided against their participation in order to prevent the race becoming too difficult for home riders. ‘I did have an indirect approach, I assume with official blessing, from Navigators. On account of the war they intend spending more time in Europe and were exploring the possibility of a team, including Ciaran, riding the FBD Milk Rás. It was a very attractive proposition but after a lot of consideration I decided not to cross the threshold from third division to second division professional teams. I think in the long term interest of the race it is the right decision. I believe the FBD Milk Rás should remain within the reach of county riders, if not to win, certainly to compete.’ Should Power ride, he would instead be able to line out with the Irish national team as he did last year. Dignam also expressed his hope that Mark Scanlon would be able to take a break from competing with his Ag2r team to ride the race. ‘I haven't yet had any news of Mark's intentions, but I'd be surprised if Cycling Ireland is not trying extremely hard to get him on the Irish team,’ he said. ‘There are very valuable world ranking points at stake, not only for Cycling Ireland, but also for Mark himself.’ Dignam added that there are still some places available for Irish county teams, although final entries will be closing soon. The FBD Milk Ras runs from May 18th-25th this year. ULSTER CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE LAUNCHED: (By Shane Stokes Mar 26) Cycling Ulster today launched their new Centre of Excellence at the Craigavon Watersports centre in Armagh. The Centre is intended to promote the growth of the sport in the region through a number of initiatives, and is part of the sport’s strategy plan launched in 2002. ‘The Centre of Excellence is a new direction for Cycling Ireland and one which should have a very positive effect,’ said Barry Monaghan, the Development Officer for Cycling Ulster. ‘It is part of the three year development plan which began last year. The Craigavon Watersports centre has been involved in the development of cycling in the region for a number of years, and met all the criteria set down by Cycling Ulster when choosing a location for the Centre of Excellence. It is an ideal location for this base, due to the facilities there and also due to the fact that there is a strong club base in the area. Clann Eireann, Lurgan Apollo, Banbridge, Newry Wheelers and Orchard Wheelers are all within a 20 mile radius of the Centre, providing a depth of excellent cycling-related activities in the region.’ The Centre has been used as a venue for a number of competitive events in recent years and this season will host both the start and finish of the Tour of Ulster. Yet a role more important than that of a race HQ will be the use of the Centre for the training and testing of those in the sport, exercises which could do much to improve the standard of racing in the area. ‘The Centre will be at the forefront of coach and rider development over the next three years as it will be the venue for all coaching workshops and courses,’ said Monaghan. ‘We are also applying to the Northern Ireland Sports Council to have a Kingcycle testing rig stationed at the centre, in order to provide the riders with an opportunity for physiological testing.’ ‘For non-competitive riders, it is also a location which has a tremendous leisure cycling infrastructure. This too is something that we will hope to improve upon and develop with relevant organisations over the next 3 years.’ One other important role for the Centre is as a location for Monaghan’s youth development programme, a mechanism targeted by Cycling Ireland to increase participation in the sport while also increasing the safety of young road users. A total of 15 local schools will take part in this skills programme over the coming months, starting this Saturday.
Lynch joined Scanlon’s VC La Pomme team after a good domestic season in 2001. Although he was just 19 at the time, the Kanturk rider rode strongly in a large number of events including the Rás Connachta, where he placed third overall and took the King of the Mountains prize. Lynch then underlined his strong climbing ability by finishing 15th in the Tour of the Peaks race in the UK. 2002 saw him relocate to Marseilles and don the jersey of the VC La Pomme team, riding for Scanlon and Tommy Evans in many races but also taking some good results himself along the way. After placing fifth in the early season Souvenir Vietto-Gianello he went on to win the Tour de La Cote Blue in March. This was a dominant ride; second on each of the three stages, he also took the king of the mountains title and won the best under 23 award. Lynch continued to race well as the summer approached, taking fifth in the 1.12.1 ranked Hautville-Bourg-Hautville event and then performing strongly in two under 23 world cup races. He was 14th in La Cote Picarde and 21st in Paris-Mantes. In May he came home to ride the FBD Milk Rás and was one of the few riders strong enough to go clear with eventual winner Ciarán Power on the day the US based professional took yellow, finishing third on the stage. In June Lynch placed an excellent second overall in the two-day Tour des Cantons, taking fourth and second on stages. Even better was his ride in the Tour des Alpes de Hautes Provence, with two stage wins and second overall in the three-day event. Lynch then returned to Ireland to finish sixth in the national championships and complete a dominant performance by the VC La Pomme team, who also took gold and bronze through the efforts of Scanlon and Evans. (The club would have won the teams classification if it were not for the rule that the squads had to be registered in Ireland.) The second half of the season brought more good results, with second places to highly regarded riders - David O’Loughlin and Dermot Nally, now both professionals - in the Ras Connachta and the National Under 23 Championships. Lynch showed his climbing ability once more when he placed a fine 8th in the Manx International and 16th overall in the GP Tell in Switzerland. And while the World Championships in Zolder were a bit too flat for his liking, he rode well on the day to try to set VC La Pomme and Ireland team-mate Mark Scanlon up for a good finish. Determined to have a good 2003, Lynch has started the season well. In February he was third in the Grand Prix de Cannes Montauroux, twelfth in the Grand Prix de Peymeinade and sixteenth in the Trophee Des Alpes De La Mer. Thirteenth place in the group sprint which decided the prestigious Menton-Savona was another fine performance. More recently, his third place in the 1.12.1 Tour des Communes de la Vallee du Bedat and 20th in the Prix Mathias Nomblot continue this steady pattern of results. Lynch may not have a gallop to rival Scanlon’s finish burst, and so loses out somewhat in group finishes, but if he can build on this consistency as the season progresses then it is clear there is a very good year in store. He has a good programme ahead of him. ‘The B worlds is one of my main targets for the year,’ he told Irishcycling.com. ‘I will be doing a big Espoir World Cup 5 day in May and also three other World Cup races, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege. I have a very good selection of races for the season, including the division one French Cup events.’ Ample opportunity then to show his worth. Scanlon, for one, seems to think Lynch has the raw materials to be a future professional. It seems if the 21 year old keeps building on his potential there is a good chance that he may follow his former VC La Pomme team-mate into the paid ranks. Time will tell. We Ask DENIS LYNCH 20 QUESTIONS Here GLEESON DENIES O´LOUGHLIN IN BOHERMEEN: (By Shane Stokes Mar 23) Vincent Gleeson of the West Clare team denied Irish professional David O´Loughlin his fourth straight win of the season when he slipped clear inside the final mile of the Mick Beggan Memorial in Bohermeen today. Gleeson, O´Loughlin, Philip Cassidy, Conor Murphy and Phil Finegan had forged ahead from a ten man group on the last lap, paving the way for Gleeson´s successful move. The attacks had begun from the start of the 70 mile event, with a serious break of 9 riders - Gleeson, Murphy, Stephen O´Sullivan, Paul Doyle, Aidan Crowley, Keith Gallagher, Shane Baker, Fintan McCormack and John Lally - combining to open up a 45 second lead by the end of the third lap. This prompted a fierce chase from behind, led by O´Loughlin, Paul Healion and Paddy Moriarty, and the break eventually was reeled in. Two laps later Cassidy and Murphy went clear, opening up a 20 second lead over a group of 8 chasers, but this slight advantage was negated 5 miles later when a group of ten formed up front. On the final lap this group split in half, paving the way for Gleeson´s successful triumph over O´Loughlin, Cassidy, Murphy and Finegan. Sean Bracken made it two wins in a row when he took out the senior 2 race, crossing the line ahead of Paul Mulligan (North Monaghan CC) and Dave Rawlins (Usher IRC). On Saturday the veteran had came out best against Scott McDonald (Orwell Wheelers) and Dublin Wheeler´s Terry Ferris to successfully defend his title in the Christy McManus Memorial trophy. Meanwhile up north, French-based Tommy Evans soloed clear towards the end of the Phoenix Grand Prix at Nutts Corner. The Total Cycling/Lindsay Cars rider had been part of a group of 11 to the head of the affairs at the start of the final lap, and made his move shortly after that to reach the finish 28 seconds clear. Evans also finished 8th in the Tour of the Ards on Saturday, coming home 2 minutes and ten seconds after Phoenix CC´s Matthew Ward. Bohermeen GP, Bohermeen: Mick Beggan Memorial: 1, Vincent Gleeson (West Clare CC) 70 miles in 2 hours 47 mins 15 secs; 2, D. O´Loughlin (Ofoto Lombardia Sport); 3, P. Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand); 4, C. Murphy (North Monaghan CC); 5, P. Finegan (Cycleways Lee Strand) Senior 2: 1, Sean Bracken (Usher IRC); 2, P. Mulligan (North Monaghan CC); 3, D. Rawlins (Usher IRC) Senior 3/junior/veterans: 1, Thomas Duggan (Bray Wheelers); 2, S. Mulvany (Stamullen M. Donnelly RC); 3, M. Nestor (Shannonside CC) Women: 1, Debbie Booth (East Antrim Audi); 2, L. Moriarty (Les Jeunes); 3, M. Reilly (Bohermeen) Underage: u/12: Peter Williams (Orchard Wheelers CC); u/14: Aaron Henry (Usher IRC); u/16: Brian Henning (Newry Wheelers CC) Dave Walsh S2 race report here... Christy McManus Memorial, Roundwood. 1, Sean Bracken (Usher IRC); 2, S. McDonald (Orwell Wheelers); 3, T. Ferris (Dublin Wheelers); 4, P. McMahon (Bray Wheelers CC); 5, T. Duggan (Bray Wheelers CC); 6, J. Heraty (Stagg Lucan CC) Dave Walsh race report here... 1st Senior C - Noel McGlynn, Ravens CC 1st Lady - Louise Moriarty, Les Jeunes CC Senior C: Noel McGlynn (Ravens CC); Woman: Louise Moriarty (Les Jeunes CC) Phoenix Grand Prix: 1, Tommy Evans (Total Cycling/Lindsay Cars) 85 kilometres in 2 hours 2 mins 7 secs; 2, P. Kane (Northern Dave Kane) at 28 secs; 3, G. Cranston (East Antrim) at 1 min 7 secs; 4, P. Slane (Slane Cycles) at 1 min 8 secs; 5, B. Stewart (Northern Dave Kane); 6, B. Doherty (Total Cycling/Lindsay Cars) both same time. Tour of the Ards Peninsula, Newtownards: 1, Matthew Ward (Phoenix CC) 102 kilometres in 2 hours 20 mins 10 secs; 2, B. Doherty (Total Cycling Lindsay Cars); 3, G. Cranston (East Antrim); 4, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC); 5, B. Stewart (Northern Dave Kane); 7, R. Blayney (Ards CC), all same time; 8, T. Evans (Total Cycling Lindsay Cars) at 2 mins 10 secs First Vet.: Brendan Graham (Total Cycling Lindsay Cars); first junior: (tie) F. Duncan (Northern Dave Kane) and Peter Hawkins (Castlereagh CC).
SCANLON 158TH IN MILAN SAN REMO: (By Shane Stokes Mar 23) Irish neo-pro Mark Scanlon continued in his progress towards what is hoped will be a top flight career when he finished the tough Milan San Remo Classic on Saturday. The 22 year old Irishman, who has had to raise his game considerably after racing as an amateur in France last year, finished the marathon 297 kilometre World Cup event in 158th place, 12 minutes and 52 seconds after the jubilant Italian winner Paolo Bettini. Although Scanlon lost contact with the fragmenting front group towards the hilly finale, he will nevertheless be pleased to have got through the demanding race. A total of 25 riders failed to finish in San Remo and so the young Sligoman can take encouragment from his performance in these early months of his career. Milan San Remo: 1, Paolo Bettini (Quickstep Davitamon) 297 kilometres in 6 hours 44 mins 43 secs; 2, M. Celestino (Team Saeco) same time; 3, L. Paolini (Quickstep Davitamon) at 2 secs; 4. M. Cipollini (Domina Vacanze Elitron) at 11 secs; 5, D. Pieri (Team Saeco); 6, E. Zabel (Team Telecom); 7, O. Freire (Rabobank); 8, J. Svorada (Lampre) all same time Other: 158, M. Scanlon (Ag2r Prévoyance) at 12 mins 52 secs EVANS 23RD IN BORDEAUX-SAINTES: (By Shane Stokes Mar 22) VC La Pomme rider Tommy Evans finished a solid 23rd in the recent Bordeaux-Saintes event, a tough 159 kilometre race which was the opening round of the DN1 (Division Nationionale 1) French Cup. The Northern rider came home in a large group sprinting for 14th place, one minute behind Vendée U winner Alexandre Naulleau and his breakaway companion Christophe Diguet (Nantes 44). Bordeaux Saintes (3.54 ranking, held 16 March): 1, Alexandre Naulleau (Vendée U) 159.3 kilometres in 3 hours 52 mins 3 secs; 2, C. Diguet (Nantes 44) same time, 3, S. Lavergne (CC Etupes) at 6 secs; 4, A. Chouffe (SCO Dijon); 5, D. Breard (USSAPB) both same time Other: 23, T. Evans (VC La Pomme) at 1 min SCANLON FOR SAN REMO: (By Shane Stokes Mar 21) Irish neo-pro Mark Scanlon has been given a major vote of confidence by his Ag2r team with the news that he has been picked to ride the Milan-San Remo classic this Saturday. Scanlon´s selection for this first round of the World Cup reflects what has been an encouraging start to his pro career this year. The Milan San Remo is one of cycling´s most prestigious one day races and was won twice by Sean Kelly, in 1986 and 1992. The field on Saturday will include many of cycling´s top names, including the 2002 victor Mario Cipollini, who has expressed his determination to win on the Via Roma in the rainbow jersey of world champion. O’LOUGHLIN, DUGGAN TAKE PATRICK’S DAY EVENTS: (By Shane Stokes Mar 17) Irish professional David O’Loughlin followed up his victory in Sunday’s Newbridge Credit Union GP with another good win yesterday in the Carrig Challenge Cup in Carrick on Suir. The Ofoto Lombardia rider was first across the line at the end of the race, with Usher IRC’s Eddie O’Donaghue and Kieran McMahon of the Earl of Desmond completing the top three. Elsewhere, the traditional Dublin-Drogheda event was replaced by a handicap race in Batterstown, where Bray Wheelers rider Thomas Duggan came out best. Riding well together to maintain their advantage over the senior riders chasing behind, junior cyclist Duggan and the veterans Sean Lally and Oliver McQuaid took the first three placings, with Duggan's team mate Paul McMahon finshing fourth. Fastest on the day was Navan Avonmore cyclist Robert Whelan. Carrig Challenge Cup, Carrick on Suir: 1 David 0'Loughlin (Ofoto Lombardia Sport) 2 hours 13 mins; 2, E. O’Donaghue (Usher IRC); 3, K. McMahon (Earl of Desmond CC): 4, T. Barry (Cidona Carrick CC); 5, G. Swinand (Usher IRC); 6, V. Gleeson (West Clare CC); 7, M. Concannon (Killorglin CC); 8, M. Mulcahy (Usher IRC) Senior 3/junior/veterans/women: 1, R. Maes (Killarney CC); 2, N. Butler (Cidona Carrick CC); 3, B. Woods (Killorglin CC); 4, J. Barlow (Autoview CC); 5, M. Lucey (Killarney CC); 6, B. Millar (Carlow RC); 7, K. Deenihan (Earl of Desmond); 8, O. Concannon (Killorglin CC) St Patrick’s Day road race, Batterstown. 1, Thomas Duggan (Bray Wheelers): 2, S. Lally (McNally Swords CC); 3, O. McQuaid (Emerald CC): 4, Paul McMahon (Bray Wheelers): 5, M. Nestor (Shannonside CC): 6, A. McMahon (McNally Swords CC) Fastest: Robert Whelan (Navan Avonmore RC); first junior: Duggan; first veteran: Lally; first senior 2: Shane Connaughton (Cycleways Lee Strand): first senior 3: Ger Ivory (Bray Wheelers); first woman: Louise Moriarty (Dublin Skip) 2003 CREDIT UNION RAS MUMHAN: (By Shane Stokes Mar 17) A good turnout of riders is expected for this year’s Credit Union Rás Mumhan, based in Killorglin, Co. Kerry. Squads from Britain and Holland have already been confirmed for the race, and will come up against a healthy number of home teams in the four-day event. The race will begin with a 2.6 mile time trial on Friday 18th of April, starting at 4 pm. Saturday’s 101 mile stage takes the riders over the climbs of the Ring of Kerry, while the following day’s action sees the field scrap it out over 91 tough miles, including the ascent of the Conor Pass. The race ends with a 58 mile circuit race in Killorglin. Last year’s event was dominated by the Compensation Group team, with riders Kevin Dawson and Mark Lovatt finishing four minutes clear of the field at the end of the second stage and maintaining their first and second places overall to the end of the race. Both took stage wins, while Phil Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) flew the home flag by winning the prologue and final stage. CREDIT UNION RAS MUMHAN
* Entries should be sent to the race secretary Eileen Scully at Beaufort, Killarney, Co. Kerry on or before 26th March. She can be contacted at 00353 64 44791 or at 00353 87 9906912. O´LOUGHLIN WINS NEWBRIDGE CREDIT UNION GRAND PRIX: (By Shane Stokes Mar 16) Irish professional David O´Loughlin took his second win in as many weeks when he emerged best at the end of the Newbridge Credit Union GP today. The Ofoto Lombardi Sports rider is anticipating a slow start to the season due to recent illness and the demands of third level education, but once again was too strong for the other riders towards the end of today´s sun-soaked 63 mile event.
The attacks began from the drop of the flag in Milltown, just outside Newbridge, when a ten man break went clear on the Hill of Allen. Reeled in at the end of lap one, a five man group forged ahead six miles later, with O´Loughlin, Micheal Concannon (Killorglin CC), Shane Baker (Usher IRC), Paddy Moriarty (Dublin Skip) and Kieran McMahon (Earl of Desmond) joining forces to draw gradually clear.
However 2 laps from the end six other riders succeeded in bridging the gap, setting the stage for a decisive move by O´Loughlin and then Brian Ahern (Naas Fig Rolls CC) inside the final five miles. Ahern succeeded in holding the Mayo rider once, but had no answer to a second attack which carried him home 20 seconds clear. Third place went to McMahon, who outgalloped Mark Quigley (Mayo Wheelers) some 32 seconds after O´Loughlin took the chequered flag.
Meanwhile Matt Slattery (Killarney CC) bested Michael Dennehy (Kanturk Credit Union) and Sean McIllroy (Cidona Carrick Wheelers) in the 50 mile senior 2 race.
Killorglin CC rider Barry Woods beat Mark Nestor (Shannonside CC) and Richard Moes (Killarney CC) to the line in the combined senior 3/junior/veteran/women´s event. Colm Crawley (Stamullen M. Donnelly RC), Chris Lawlor (unattached), Terry Ferris (Dublin Wheelers CC) and Debbie Booth (Audi East Antrim) took the prizes for best unplaced junior, senior 3, veteran and woman.
Newbridge Credit Union G.P: 1, David O´Loughlin (Ofoto Lombardia Sport) 62.5 miles in 2 hours 36 mins 10 secs; 2, B. Ahern (Naas Fig Roll) at 20 secs; 3, K. McMahon (Earl of Desmond CC) at 32 secs; 4, M. Quigley (Mayo Wheelers) same time; 5, E. O´Donoghue (Usher IRC) at 41 secs; 6, R. Whelan (Navon Avonmore RC) same time Senior 2 race: 1, Matt Slattery (Killarney CC) 50 miles in 2 hours 15 mins; 2, M. Dennehy (Kanturk Credit Union); 3, S. McIlroy (Cidona Carrick Wheelers); 4, T. Brady (Navan Avonmore RC); 5, D. Dukes (Usher IRC); 6, D. McCaughey Senior 3/junior/veteran/ladies: 1, Barry Woods (Killorglin CC) 1 hour 41 mins 25 secs; 2, M. Nestor (Shannonside CC); 3, R. Moes (Killarney CC); 4, J. Lawless (Usher IRC); 5, H. Davis (Usher IRC); 6, M. Nulty (Stamullen M. Donnelly RC) Unplaced -Junior: 1, Colm Crawley (Stamullen M. Donnelly RC); senior 3: Chris Lawlor (unattached); veteran: Terry Ferris (Dublin Wheelers CC); woman: Debbie Booth (Audi East Antrim) Omagh Wheelers McCann Cup: 1, Ross Blaney (Ards CC); 2, M. Ward (Phoenix CC); 3, P. Ulligan (Crannog Ireland); 4, P. Hawkins (Castlereagh); 5, A. Patterson (Dave Kane); 6, S. Gray (Harps CC) Unplaced junior: Frazer Duncan; unplaced veteran: Norman Campbell; unplaced senior 3: Mickey Sommers (Eire Og Sligo) Cicli Sport GP, Moneymore: 1, Gary Crory (Total Cycling.com/Lindsay Cars) 45 miles in 2 hours 43 secs; 2, J. McConnell (East Antrim Audi) at 33 secs; 3, J. Dill (East Antrim Audi) same time; 4, T. Brady (Navan Avonmore) at 39 secs: 5, G. Cranston (East Antrim Audi) at 44 secs; 6, K. Gallagher (Orchard Wheelers) same time; 7, P. Slane (Slane Cycles) at 1 min 9 secs; 8, W. Hami9lton (East Antrim Audi) same time Senior 2: Brady; senior 3: D. Heagney (RT Autoparts East Tyrone CC); veteran: J. McConnell; junior: P. Brady (McKenna Fireplaces Emyvale SCANLON 18th IN CONCLUDING TIME TRIAL: (By Shane Stokes Mar 16) Irish neo-pro Mark Scanlon ended the 3 day Grand Prix Erik Breukink with a fine 18th place in the stage 3 time trial in Bladel today. The 22 year old Sligoman covered the 18.1 kilometres in 25 minutes 1 second, 1 minute slower than stage winner Bert Roesems of the Palmans Collstrop team. Former World Cup winner Erik Dekker rode impressively in what was his comeback race after a knee injury, placing third in the time trial and winning by 2 seconds overall. Scanlon placed 89th in Friday´s opening stage, coming home as part of a 110 rider bunch some 35 seconds behing a leading break of 16, which was led home by FDJeux rider Jimmy Casper. On Saturday he was 101st, 18 minutes and 20 seconds behind Casper´s team-mate Bernard Eisel. He finally finished 63rd overall in the 2.3 ranked race, 19 minutes and 34 seconds behind Dekker. Stage 1, Bladel - Riemst - Bladel: 1, Jimmy Casper (FDJeux.com) 240 km in 5 hours 45 mins 57 secs; 2, G. Lowik (Bankgiroloterij Cycling Team); 3, L. Capelle (Lanbouwrediet-Colnago); 4, A. Vinale (Alessio); 5, J. Van Summeren (Quickstep-Davitamon) all same time Other: 89, Mark Scanlon (Ag2r-Prevoyance) at 35 secs Stage 2, Riemst - Malmédy - Riemst: 1, Bernard Eisel (FDJeux.com) 207.5 km in 5 hours 47 mins 11 secs; 2, Lowik, at 2 secs; 3, D. Bruylandts (Marlux-Wincor Nixdort) at 4 secs; 4, S. Hinault (Credit Agricole); 5, Casper, both same time Other: 101, Scanlon, at 18 mins 20 secs Stage 3, Bladel ITT: 1, Bert Roesems (Palmans-Collstrop) 18.1 km in 24 mins 1 sec (45.21 kph); 2, B. Voskamp (Bankgiroloterij Cycling Team) at 1 sec; 3, E. Dekker (Rabobank) at 12 secs; 4, T. Vaitkus (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) at 16 secs; 5, Bruylandts, at 31 secs Other: 18, Scanlon, at 1 min Final general classification: 1, Erik Dekker (Rabobank) 11 hours 57 mins 25 secs; 2, Vaitkus, at 2 secs; 3, Eisel, at 6 secs; 4, Lowik, at 9 secs; 5, Bruylandts, at 15 secs Other: 63, Scanlon, at 19 mins 34 secs TALKS OVERTURN COOLEY MOUNTAINS BAN: (By Shane Stokes Mar 14) A recent decision to ban mountainbiking from the Cooley Mountains has been overturned due to talks between elite rider Aiden McDonald and Louth County Council. Last month the council imposed a ban on the use of motorcross bikes, quad bikes and MTB’s on the grounds that it felt these were responsible for damage to the hills. The ban was due to come into place on March 1st. Understandably disappointed at the decision – not least because the Cooley Mountains are a valuable local training ground, and also because such a decision would set a serious precedent – McDonald met with the council and succeeded in getting the decision reversed, with regard to mountain bikes. ‘It came as a major shock to me that we were being blamed for the damage to the mountains,’ McDonald told Irishcycling.com. ‘So I contacted the environmental department of Louth County Council and talked to them about it. Louth County Council have now issued a special licence for use by all members of Cycling Ireland to use Cooley Mountain commonage for the purpose of mountain biking.’ ‘I have now established a healthy relationship with the county council and will be starting some trail maintenance with all mountain users in the area.’ The first of these sessions takes place this Saturday (March 15th), with the volunteers meeting at 10 am at the bottom of the Golyin Path. McDonald is appealing for good show from local riders. ‘Louth County Council are supporting the project and so it is important we get a good turnout’, he said. As regards his own training, McDonald has had to limit his exertions to walking and some turbo trainer work. ‘I cut two tendons attached to my thumb in mid-January and have been off the bike since. I have done lots of walking and started on the turbo trainer last week. I don’t know yet when my first spin out on the mountains will be, but I am looking forward to it.’ McDonald is one of Ireland’s best off road riders, with a string of good results to his credit. Seventh in the MTB championship and fourth in the cyclo-cross champs in 2001, he improved on both last year to place fifth and third respectively in the same two races. He also finished second overall in the 2002 national cyclo-cross league. LYNCH 20th IN PRIX MATHIAS NOMBLOT: (By Shane Stokes Mar 11) VC La Pomme rider Denis Lynch took another good placing when he finished 20th in the Prix Mathias Nomblot on Sunday. The young Corkman was part of a group of 20 riders who sprinted for eighth place in the 1.12.1 race, crossing the line 35 seconds behind winner Nicolas Boulenger of the Aix en Provence squad. Boulenger enjoyed a two second winning margin over Alexandre Grux (SCO Dijon) and Nicolas Dumont (CC Etupes), with the next riders eight seconds in arrears. Prix Mathias Nomblot: 1, Nicolas Boulenger (AVC Aix en Provence) 3 hours 25 mins 13 secs; 2, A. Grux (SCO Dijon) at 2 secs; 3, N. Dumont (CC Etupes) same time; 4, M. Armataffet (Chambery Cyclisme) at 8 secs; 5, J. C Peraud (SCO Dijon) same time; 6, V. Bonora (VCL Vaulx en Velin) at 12 secs Other: 20, D. Lynch (VC La Pomme Marseille) at 35 secs
O’Loughlin is regarded as one of Ireland’s most talented riders, with an excellent tenth place finish in the 2000 world championship under 23 time trial an indication of his natural aptitude for bike racing. At the time it was hoped that result would be enough to secure a pro contract, but this proved not to be the case; instead, the Irish under 23 champion went on to experience a somewhat patchy season in 2001, illness and injury disrupting his training and racing. There were some high points, though; despite limited preparation, he had enough class to finish best of the Irish in the FBD Milk Rás, taking eighth overall. O’Loughlin has had a rollercoaster history with the race. His strong 2001 Rás was preceded by an impressive ride one year earlier, when the then 22 year old wore yellow for two days and finished fifth overall, also taking the Ben McKenna trophy for best under 23 in the race. Last year he rode clear in a decisive breakaway with eventual winner Ciarán Power on the third day of racing and, despite losing time to Power and stage winner Phil Cassidy before the finish, moved up to second overall. Some had him tipped as a potential winner, but the following morning brought the shock news of his withdrawal due to food poisoning. Such has been the story of O’Loughlin’s racing career: highs followed by lows, great results interspersed with morale-bruising disappointments. It is to his credit that he has remained motivated and kept moving forward after each interruption.
O’Loughlin is hoping keep moving forward this year, his morale boosted after his strong world championship ride, and despite his decision to mix pro racing with college in the University of Limerick (where he is studying Sports Science), he is confident that a good season is in store. ‘I think this year I will be a lot more competitive than in 2002 for a couple of reasons,’ he told Irishcycling.com a few weeks ago. ‘I'm working with a coach (Padraig Marrey) for the first time in a good few years which will I hope will keep me more focused and working towards more specific goals. Also I think I'm at a higher level starting this year than I was at this time twelve months ago.’ ‘I don’t think College will affect me too much; I won’t be able to do a few races in the US this spring but there are other races at home and in the UK, plus what ever Team Ireland are doing. Also, my main goals this year are all in the summer so it's just going to be a bit of a quiet start to the season for me. I will build up gradually for the big targets - the USPRO races in June and the San Francisco GP in September with Ofoto-Lombardi, plus the Irish championships and the 'B' Worlds in early July.’ O’Loughlin took advantage of a break from college to spend several weeks training in San Francisco, and showed he had good form when he took an excellent second place in the Cherry Pie road race on February 9th. He had been due to ride five more races before coming home to Ireland on the 24th, but instead had to return early due to family matters. Since then he was forced to take ten days off the bike due to illness and so his revised expectation is that he will be ‘fairly quiet until April’. ‘I’m not 100 percent sure of my programme, but I will be mainly racing in Ireland until the summer,’ he says. ‘I also plan to ride the Archer GP on March 30th, the Tour of Georgia in the US from April 22nd-27th, the Essor Breton in May and then the FBD Milk Rás. Then I will head back to the US to do the First Union Races in June.’ It’s a busy schedule, particularly when you consider that he will be also attending university, hitting the books and taking exams in that same timeframe. Few riders are capable of a pro career, fewer still are capable of mixing bike racing and college, but those who have followed David O’Loughlin’s progress over the years know that this guy certainly qualifies in the high achiever bracket. He’s set himself a tough task, but if he can avoid the illness and injury which have punctuated his progress in the past, great things can be expected from the Mayo rider this year and beyond. Read the 20 Questions and Answers Here...
140 riders lined out for six laps of a tough circuit made more demanding by the strong gusts and early rain, and the strongmen of the race wasted little time in throwing down the gauntlet to the others in the bunch. On the first ascent of the severe Black Hills climb 15 riders forged ahead, building a lead of 30 seconds over a ten man chasing group and two and a half minutes over the main field during the next lap. The chasers tried desperately to get back on terms, shedding one rider in the process, but failed to make inroads into their deficit. With two laps remaining Cycleways Lee Strand veteran Phil Cassidy showed he is still a force to be reckoned with, sparking off a four rider break which was to decide the top placings of the day. Cassidy, Donnellan, Stephen Gallagher (Orchard Wheelers) and Brendan Doherty (Total Cycling.com) joined forces to open up a 35 second lead over five chasers, before Donnellan made his winning move on the final lap. Building his lead all the way to the finish, the Dublin Wheelers rider reached the line 40 seconds clear of Doherty, who finished 15 seconds ahead of Gallagher and Cassidy. Coombes/Connor Memorial, Drogheda. Senior 1&2 race: 1, Andrew Donnellan (Dublin Wheelers) 64 miles in 2 hours 41 mins 25 secs; 2, B. Doherty (Totalcycling.com) at 40 secs; 3, S. Gallagher (Orchard Wheelers) at 55 secs; 4, P. Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) same time; 5, R. Whelan (Navan Avonmore RC); 6, C. Murphy (McKenna Fireplaces Emyvale) 1st Senior 2: Gerald Heverin (Castlereagh CC) Combined Senior 3/ Junior/Vets/Ladies event: 1, Thomas Duggan (Bray Wheelers CC); 2, M. Nestor (Shannonside CC); 3, C. Crawley (Stamullen M. Donnelly); 4, P. Hawkins (Castlereagh CC); 5, C. Lawlor (unattached); 6, F. Duncan (Northern CC) Unplaced junior: Keith Daly (McNally Swords CC), unplaced Senior 3: John Paul Queally (Dublin Wheelers CC); unplaced veteran: Norman Campbell (unattached); woman: Michelle Crinnion (Usher IRC) Underage: U/ 12 Race: 1, Axel O´Connor (Navan Avonmore); 2, C. Campbell (Drogheda Wheelers); 3, P. Tankard (Kanturk Credit Union) Under 14: 1, Chris Jensen (Sorrento CC); 2, J. Kane (Emyvale McKenna Fireplaces); 3, A. Henry (Usher IRC) Under 16: 1, Maurice O´Brien (Kanturk Credit Union); 2, M. Munroe (Western Lakes CC); 3, A. Coyle (Shannonside CC) O´LOUGHLIN ON TOP IN BANTEER: (By Shane Stokes Mar 9) David O´Loughlin may have missed 10 days training recently due to illness, but the Ofoto Lombardi professional showed that even when under the weather, he still has a lot of strength. The Mayo rider sprinted to victory today at the end of the Mick Cahill Memorial in Banteer, outpacing Timmy Barry (Cidona Carrick Wheelers), Vincent Gleeson (West Clare CC) and local rider Richie Cahill in their four-up sprint for the line. Just under 100 signed on for the race, with the combined senior 1 and 2 bunch splintering into three groups on the opening lap when a group including O´Loughlin, Cahill and Gleeson prised their way off the front. Lap three saw a regrouping of sorts when some of the second group - including Barry and Paddy Moriarty - bridged across, and thereafter the head of the race was marked by constant breakaway attempts. The elastic finally snapped with three laps to go when Barry, Gleeson, Dennehy and, subsequently, Cahill got clear and build a 20 second lead. O´Loughlin waiting until the breakaway was established before powering across the gulf and making it five up front. Cahill punctured but manged to get back on; Dennehy, however, then started to tire and slipped off the back of the group. That left four at the head of the race, and in the dash for the line O´Loughlin showed his strength to lead the other three home and take the win. Pictures of the Race Here... Mick Cahill Memorial Cycle Race, Banteer: Senior 1: 1, David O´Loughlin (Ofoto Lombardi Sports); 2, T. Barry (Cidona Carrick Wheelers); 3, V. Gleeson (West Clare CC); 4, R. Cahill (Banteer) all same time; 5, M. Dennehy (Kanturk Credit Union); 6, J. Blackwell (Tile Choice) Unplaced senior 2: 1, Michael Concannon (Killorglin CC); 2, E. Reddy (Cidona Carrick); 3, M. Slattery (Killarney CC) Senior 3: 1, Barry Meade (Kanturk Credit Union); 2, L. Ryan (unattached); 3, D. O´Donaghue (Realt CC) Juniors: 1, Barry Woods (Killorglin CC); 2, R. Cullen (Autoview); 3, B. Lacey (Earl of Desmond) Veterans: 1, Sean McIlroy (Cidona Carrick Wheelers); 2, N. McCarthy (Fermoy CC); 3, K. O´Leary (St. Finbarrs) Primes: Dennehy, O'Loughlin, McIlroy and Meade. POINTS FOR IRISH TRIO: (By Shane Stokes Mar 9) Irish riders Tarja Owens, Jenny McAuley, Robin Seymour all inched closer towards Olympic qualification when they picked up crucial world ranking points in yesterday´s Brescia Cup MTB race in Italy. Owens finished 9 minutes and 40 seconds behind the winner Annabella Stropparo in the elite women´s race, placing 10th, while McAuley was 17th, a further 5 minutes 50 seconds behind. Seymour was a solid 18th of 35 finishers in the men´s elite race, 6 minutes and 39 seconds behind the victorious GS Motorex Bianchi rider Julien Absalon. There was no joy for Richie McAuley, who dropped out of the same race, while Irish under 23 champion Glen Kinning was also disappointed after breaking his chain on the first lap. He repaired his bike but lost time, finishing 20th in the Espoir ranking and consequently out of the points. Seymour, Owens and Jenny McAuley will be happy to have picked up UCI points for the third week running, as their world ranking at the end of the season will be of crucial importance when it comes to Olympic qualification. Trofeo Città di Brescia, Lombardy (E1 event): Elite men: 1, Julien Absalon (G.S. Motorex Bianchi) at 1 hour 30 mins 19 secs; 2, M. Bui (Team Full Dynamix) at 27 secs; 3, J. Zoli (Ktm International Team) at 1 min 17 secs; 4, B. Brentjens (Olanda Team T-Mobile) at 1 min 18 secs; 5, L. Bramati (G.S Scott Racing Team) at 2 mins 23 secs Irish: 18,R. Seymour, at 6 mins 39 secs; DNF: R. McAuley Elite Women: 1, Annabella Stropparo (U.S./Filago Cap Arreghini Colnago) 1 hour 26 mins 50 secs; 2, A. Hober (Ktm International Team) at 2 mins 54 secs; 3, S. Marone (U.S./Filago Cap Arreghini Colnago) at 3 mins 36 secs; 4, M. Brunati (U.S. \Filago Cap Arreghini Colnago) at 4 mins 52 secs; 5, B. Klemencic (Slovenia Kd Uni Team) at 7 mins 39 secs Irish: 10, T. Owens, at 9 mins 40 secs; 17, J. McAuley, at 15 mins 30 secs Under 23 Men: 1, Errasti Inaki Lejarreta (Orbea) 1 hour 33 mins 58 secs; 2, F. Hofer (Siemens Mobile-Cannondale) at 3 mins 12 secs; 3, A. Quadroni (G.S. Motorex Bianchi) at 3 mins 15 secs; 4, S. Lanteri (G.S. Motorex Bianchi) at 3 mins 45 secs; 5, G. Burgsteiner (Sportunion) at 4 mins 39 secs Irish: 20, Glen Kinning at 15 mins 58 secs SCANLON GOING WELL IN BELGIUM: (By Shane Stokes Mar 9) Two days into the 2.3 ranked Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen in Belgium, Irish neo-pro Mark Scanlon is riding strongly alongside many established professional riders. The 22 year old performed well in the 7.6 kilometre prologue time trial, finishing 36 seconds off the time of Scotish rider David Millar to claim 30th place. Scanlon then performed impressively in yesterday´s wind-buffetted 182 kilometre stage to Handzame, sprinting home 40 seconds after stage winner Jimmy Casper and Jaan Kirsipuu, Scanlon´s Ag2r team leader, who took the race leaders jersey. Scanlon finished 25th on the stage, crossing the line as part of a 20 man group, with the rest of the 140 rider field finishing over seven minutes behind. Meanwhile fellow Irish professional Ciarán Power is using the race to log in some racing miles after a long period of injury. Power finished 140th in the prologue, 1 minute and 28 seconds off Millar´s time, but looked in better shape yesterday when he slipped clear as part of a dangerous breakaway group during the stage. However Power and the other escapees were hauled back in the closing stages and he eventually finished 82nd, 10 minutes and 41 seconds behind the stage winner Casper. Scanlon and Power are 23rd and 90th overall respectively with just today´s tough 188 kilometre stage remaining. Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen (2.3 event) Prologue, Bellegem: 1, David Millar (Cofidis) 7.6 kilometres in 9 mins 19.06 secs; 2, B. McGee (FDJeux.com) at 6 secs; 3, M. Rogers (QuickStep- Davitamon) same time; 4, J. Van Goolen (QuickStep-Davitamon) at 9 secs; 5, N. Nuyens (QuickStep Davitamon) at 12 secs Irish: 30, M. Scanlon (Ag2r) at 36 secs; 140, C. Power (Navigators) at 1 min 28 secs Stage 1, Handzame - Koksijde - Handzame: 1, Jimmy Casper (FDJeux.com) 182.4 kilometres in 4 hours 27 mins 30 secs; 2, J. Kirsipuu (Ag2r- Prevoyance); 3, P. Gilbert (FDJeux.com); 4, O. Grishkine (Navigators); 5, F. Pencole (MBK-Oktos) all same time Irish: 25, M. Scanlon at 40 secs; 82, Power, at 10 mins 41 secs General classification after stage 1: 1, Jaan Kirspuu (Ag2r-Prevoyance) 4 hours 37 mins 2 secs; 2, J. Casper (FDJeux.com) same time; 3, L. Aus (Ag2r-Prevoyance) at 2 secs; 4, B. Voskamp (Bankgiroloterij-Batavus) at 4 secs: 5, S. Knaven (QuickStep-Davitamon) at 10 secs Irish: 23, Scanlon, at 1 min 3 secs; 90, Power, at 11 mins 55 secs BATTERSTOWN GP – Saturday Mar 8 - 1 Brian Ahern, Naas CC, 2 Shane Baker, Usher IRC, 3 Paddy Moriarty, Dublin Skip CC, 4 Laurence Roche, North Kildare CC, 5 Colm Farrell, Navan Avonmore RC, 6 Graham Thomas, Ravens CC, 1st B John Herrity, Staggs Lucan CC, 1st C F. Duff, 4 Masters CC, 1st Junior Keith Daly, McNally Swords CC. 1st Vet Ronnie Brannigan, 0rwell CC. 1st: Lady Roisin Kennedy, Usher IRC IRISH OLYMPIC MTB CAMPAIGN CONTINUES IN ITALY: (By Shane Stokes Mar 8) The Irish Olympic mountainbiking campaign continues today (Saturday) when a quintet of riders line out in the Brescia Cup near Milan, in Italy. The team comprises Jenny McAuley and Tarja Owens, who were 7th and 11th in last weekend’s Afxentia Cup in Cyprus, Robin Seymour (14th, elite men’s event), plus Glen Kinning and Richie McAuley. ‘It will be interesting to see how they get on,’ said the team manager Geoff Seymour. ‘Last weekend’s event was almost like a road race – it wasn’t very technical, the ground was dry and hard, but Italy should give a better picture as to how the whole team is going.’ Sunday’s E1 race is one of 23 international events highlighted by Cycling Ireland’s MTB commission as sources of the world ranking points required to ensure Olympic qualification. Four of these races will take place in Ireland, namely the national championships in Castlewellan on July 19th-20th, plus three E2 events in locations around the country: Dundonald on Sunday 20th of April, Wicklow on Sunday 21st of September and Rostrevor, one week later. Every event will be of importance to the squad, offering as they do a chance to improve the rider’s points total and so enhance their chances of qualifying for the 2004 Games. Of those on the team, Robin Seymour and Tarja Owens are the only Olympians, having made their debut in Sydney 2000. Seymour qualified by reaching the required world ranking at the end of 1999, while Owens benefited when the IOC handed out a small number of additional places for the women’s event in the summer of 2000. For Athens 2004, a top 50 place in the world ranking would guarantee qualification for the men’s event, while the smaller size of the women’s scene means that a top 30 place would be enough for Owens, McAuley or whoever else produces the goods between now and the end of the year. Although Ireland could possibly qualify more riders outside this cut-off point - for example, if others made it well into the top 100 (top 50 for women), this route is an unpredictable one. And so the pressure is on to get as many points as possible. ‘Robin, Tarja and Jenny got some points last weekend but they and the other riders have a lot to do with regards to qualification,’ said team manager Geoff Seymour. ‘There is a big programme of events that we have highlighted this year and it is important for them to score well and often if they are to make the cut-off.’ ‘Basically, only the points gained this year plus those carried over from last year’s world championship will count towards the final total on the 31st of December 2003,’ he elaborated. ‘So far Robin has 61 points – we reckon he will need close to 500 to guarantee a place in the top 50. The top 100 will count, but getting into the top 50 means a guaranteed place. Therefore he is approximately 10 percent of the way there. Tarja has 84 points so far and Jenny has 42. We reckon that the women will need about 450 to just get into the top 60 and a lot more to guarantee a place by getting into the top 30. So you can see that there is a lot of work to be done between now and the end of the year.’ Fortunately, the considerable cost of travelling to the international races on the programme will be offset somewhat by funding provided by the Irish Sports Council. Riders will initially receive only a small proportion of their costs from this fund, but as the year goes on more and more of their expenses will be covered. According to Seymour, this is to ensure that the riders are fully committed to the whole programme. ‘In total there will be over 110 days away this year, so we need a team who show they are prepared to put in a lot of time and effort’, he says. The initial line-up for the squad is Seymour, Owens, Kinning and Richie McAuley, although Jenny McAuley’s unexpected good form means that she looks set to be confirmed as part of the official lineup. In order to facilitate other riders who want to become part of the funded programme and, presumably, to eliminate others if it becomes clear they are not in with a chance of reaching the required ranking, two ‘break points’ have been set in place; these cut-off standards represent proportions of the total points needed to qualify by the end of the year. For example, the first break point is for 50 points (men) and 90 points (women), and falls just before the Dundonald race in April. The second, at the end of May, is for 120 points (men) and 225 (women). Clearly a lot of work lies ahead, both for those on the team and those trying to break in. Geoff Seymour is relatively happy with their performance last weekend, although he points out that Robin, his son, finished further up the field last year. ‘Robin did better in the race twelve months ago. Then again, the quality of the field this year was much higher and so I was pretty satisfied with how the team did overall. The important thing is for the team to score points as often as possible, as we have to earn a lot if we are to qualify for the Olympics.’ McAuley’s seventh place last weekend was a very welcome boost for the Irish campaign, coming as it did after a number of years away from regular competition. ‘Jenny’s performance took us all by surprise,’ confirmed Seymour. ‘She had told people she wasn’t training very much, but is clearly as fit as a fiddle. It is good news for us; basically, it means that we have another woman who could potentially qualify for Athens. This weekend’s race should be a lot more technical, requiring more bike-handling skills, so we will get a better idea of her overall potential. If she does well there then that will be a very encouraging sign.’ One side-effect of McAuley’s unexpected form is that the pressure has been increased on current Irish champion Tarja Owens, who has raced as a professional in Italy and who is currently on UCI scholarship in Switzerland. It is an established rider’s nightmare; a less-experienced team-mate appears from nowhere and out-performs you in an international race. However Seymour stresses that Owens was below form in Cyprus. ‘Some people were looking at the results and saying that Tarja didn’t do as well as she should have, in comparison to how Jenny got on. But things were tough for her over there; she had spent only 3 hours in bed before the first race (the one-day Voroklini Cup) as her plane in from Geneva had been cancelled. I had to collect her at three in the morning after a later flight, and it was almost 4 o’ clock before she got to bed. To make matters worse, the race had been moved from Sunday to Saturday because of the presidential elections, so she had far from the ideal preparation.’ ‘Tarja was ill for a few days afterwards, and then overtrained in trying to catch up. So she was below form going into the stage race the following weekend. Hopefully everything will go right in Italy, as Cyprus was pretty frustrating for her.’ Irish under 23 champion Glen Kinning and Richie McAuley, a former Irish international in both road and MTB, will also be hoping for a better showing this weekend. They placed just inside the top 50 in the Voroklini Cup but were both eliminated on day two of the Afxentia Cup due to a 15% time limit rule. With the pressure on already to begin accumulating points, they will line out in Italy tomorrow knowing that they must start raising their game if they are to stand a realistic chance of securing places amongst the elite in Athens. That may sound harsh at this early stage to the season, but with so many other riders trying to get qualified, pushing for those Olympic places, Kinning and McAuley have unfortunately little time to settle in. POWER BACK AFTER INJURY: (By Shane Stokes Mar 6) Navigators professional Ciarán Power finally got his season off to a belated start yesterday when he lined out alongside his Navigators team-mates in the Memorial Samyn in Feyt-le-Franc, Belgium. The 2002 FBD Milk Rás winner had been sidelined since the start of the racing season due to a problem with tendonitis but, despite some twinges in the fast one-day, he was very pleased with his condition. ‘The knee is still not 100 percent but I had no problems in the race,’ he said today. Power dedicated his energies to riding for the team, ramping up the pace in the closing stages and helping to drag back a dangerous breakaway before pulling out, as planned. ‘Ciarán rode well, was feeling good, but is obviously not at 100% yet,’ said team manager Ray Cipollini. ‘He raced for the team and was instrumental in closing the gap to the late breakaway that kept our sprinters in the race.’ Power next competes in the three-day Driedaagse Van West Vlaanderen which begins tomorrow, with Ag2R’s Mark Scanlon also amongst the starters for the 2.3 ranked event. Power is due to return to Ireland for 12 days later this month, after which he will recommence the team’s early season programme of European racing. The Waterford rider will be keen to knuckle down to regular competition, particularly after a strong programme of training this winter. ‘Ciarán did a very good winter,’ confirmed his father Pat Power. ‘He was very dedicated, going out on days you wouldn’t put a dog out in. He did a lot of basic miles and also a good bit of work behind the motorbike.’ ‘His form was very impressive. For example, one day he did four hours with the Carrick club after which I brought him for some speed work behind the motorbike. He was going along for a good while at 40 miles per hour, then did over a mile at 50 miles per hour. You can really see a big difference compared to his speed training of a couple of years ago…he is more comfortable at the high speeds. Going along at 40 miles per hour was no problem to him at all. Once he gets some racing in, he should be going very well.’
The VC La Pomme rider came home 20 seconds after CR4C Roanne rider Guillaume Lejeune, with Lejeune, his team-mate Stephane Auroux and Lynch all over one and a half minutes clear of the rest of the field at the end of the tough 1.12.1 ranked race. Last week Lynch also notched up a fine result in the prestigious Menton-Savona race in Italy, a hotly disputed event which is seen as a pointer for future success. ´I finished 13th of the leading group of 28 riders in the race,´ he said. ´My form is good, and I am hoping to improve on last season´s results this year.´ TWENTY QUESTIONS – MARTIN O’LOUGHLIN: (By Shane Stokes Mar 4) Plan A was to take his third Cycleways Cup in succession. Plan B was to put up a spirited defence of the title and go on to take more of the early season victories he seems to land each year. But when Martin O’Loughlin went out training a couple of weeks back, he didn’t forsee a third possibility, that of being sidelined by a freak training accident and missing all of those opening races. ‘I was flying in training up to a fortnight ago, but during a sprint session my stem snapped and I broke my elbow and collarbone,’ he told Irishcycling.com. ‘The elbow was operated on in Waterford Regional Hospital and tension wires were inserted…however, the resultant swelling has put added pressure on the collarbone. It's still swinging around and may need pinning.’ ‘It's a pity, because I won't be able to defend 3 of the races I won in 2002 - the Cycleways Cup, the Bill Hyland Memorial in Clonmel and the Silver Pail Grand Prix in Fermoy. I had been going very well in training but now will just have to try to concentrate on getting back into proper condition…perhaps after the FBD Milk Rás.’ O’Loughlin raced in the early eighties before retiring, but then came back to log in a great 2000 season. As he tells it below, the Cidona Carrick Wheeler had to lose a bundle of weight before the season, but countless miles stripped the excess and he took a number of wins, including the opening stage of the Ras Mumhan, the Gene Moriarty Memorial Cup and the Munster Championships. He also finished second to namesake David O’Loughlin in a hard-fought Rás Connachta. 2001 brought the first of two consecutive wins in the season-opening Cycleways Cup, another stage of the Ras Mumhan and the opening stage - plus the leader’s jersey - in the Tour of Ulster. In 2002 O’Loughlin defended his Cycleways Cup title (a win he says was his easiest yet), took several other good victories and was selected to line out on the Irish team in the tough Circuit des Mines pro/am race. The event saw most of the Team Ireland squad decimated by flu, but Paul Griffin and O’Loughlin hung on to finish 59th and 68th respectively. Now 35 years of age, the schoolteacher shows little sign of slowing down. Okay, a snapped stem may have put a halt to Plans A and B, but Plan C (more wins) is very much alive. As he says himself, he is ‘down, but not out’…. Once the injuries have healed, once he logs in a few of those ‘300 to 600 mile’ training weeks, it’s a fair bet that a many more wins are in the pipeline. Read the 20 Questions and Answers Here... LETTER FROM ABROAD: JOHN DEMPSEY: (By Shane Stokes Mar 4) The Earl of Desmond rider John Dempsey has raced for short periods of time in France and, during the 2002 season, as part of the Team Ireland project in Belgium. Motivated by this taster of foreign competition, this week he will travel back to France to begin a season racing with the EC Mayenne team in Normandy. 'I am not too nervous about the trip, as I spent two months two seasons ago in France and three months last season in Belgium with Team Ireland, so I know the standard that I am up against,' he says. 'I am definitely looking forward to spending a year as a full time cyclist'. John is planning to return to Ireland for the FBD Milk Rás and the national championships, but the rest of his time will be spent in France and also, he hopes, doing some races as part of the Irish national team. The 23 year old has good contacts with the Giant Asia Racing Team and feels that a strong showing in the Eagle Tour of Malaysia or the Tour of Hokkaido might be enough to earn him a pro contract for 2004. John is planning to contribute throughout the season to the Letter From Abroad section, a correspondence which should go a long way towards giving an insight into the whole experience of living and racing overseas. Irishcycling.com would like to wish him the very best of luck for the season. Pre-season thoughts: 'I have missed a couple of races in France as there was a delay in me travelling. Up until two weeks ago it looked like I was going to sign for Giant Asia Racing, a division 3 pro team. I know that cycling is full of broken promises but it had been looking very good that I would get a contract. I had already been given a race programme for the year and travel plans had been made for me to join the team this week. However in the end it fell through, without any proper reason been forwarded to me. Then last week I found out that the team have signed Gordon McCauley, so I guess I really can't complain about been dropped when they bring in a cyclist of his calibre! I am still disappointed that it has fallen through, but I have made some good contacts with the team which might pay off in the future. They have said that they will keep an eye on me this year so I will do my best to get some results. Basically, I hope to get on the Irish team for the Eagle Tour of Malaysia or the Tour of Hokkido as they are races Giant are riding; making an impression on them there would go a long way towards getting a contract. So this week, I am heading off to France for the year. I got into the EC Mayenne club because of John Bann Lavery, who rode for them two years ago and put in a good word for me. The club also knew of me from my time spent in France two seasons ago, when I raced during the summer with CC Plancoet in Brittany. On that occasion I stayed with Harry James, and he also proved to be a help in getting into the team. Hopefully it will all work out well. EC Mayenne has a good programme of events including two UCI 2.6 races, and has a total of twelve riders. I will be living with a British guy and a Russian over there. The team are providing me with a bike, an apartment to live in and will be helping me out with food costs too, so that will help a lot. I have also got some money together myself for the year - after finishing a degree in Public Administration in the University of Limerick last year, I worked for three months during the winter to help finance the trip. Overall, I am not really too nervous about the move, as I spent two months in 2001 in France and then three months last season in Belgium with Team Ireland. So I know the standard that I am up against! I am definitely looking forward to spending a year as a full time cyclist...the plan is to send back updates every couple of weeks, so hopefully there will be some good news to report...' ___________________________ Racing overseas this year? Mail your Letters From Abroad to Shane@irishcycling.com and keep CI, our readers and your granny updated as to how you are getting on..... Less than 100 days to go! There are less than 100 days left to the Wicklow 200 on 8th June. Here at the Wicklow 200 headquarters planning and organising is in full swing for an event that will be above even the very high standards of previous years. Postal entry forms are starting to be distributed, and online entry and payment will open within the next two weeks. The online entry system has just been through a successful test run, so we're expecting large numbers of riders to make use of this new easy to use method of entering. So with less than 100 days left you should have your training plans mapped out, and any travel and accommodation plans well in hand by now. If you need any training advice, or if you have any experience to offer, why not use the Wicklow 200 discussion forum? And if you need just a little incentive to get you out on that bike just watch the 'days to go' counting down on the Wicklow 200 website!
Starting on Friday, the race comprised a 10 kilometre hill climb time trial, a point to point mass start race and finally, today, a circuit race. German rider Yvonn Kraft took the honours overall, with McCauley finishing 7 and a half minutes adrift and the more experienced Irishwoman, Tarja Owens, a further nine and a half minutes and four places further back. Robin Seymour was the sole Irish finisher of three starters in the men´s event, placing a fine 14th overall, 13 minutes off the winning time set by Belgian Rolf Paulisson. Riche McCauley and Glenn Kinning both finished outside the time limit yesterday and were eliminated. McCauley, Owens and Seymour all earned world-ranking points for Ireland, thus marking a rewarding start to the drive for Olympic qualification. Irish riders will continue to ride a number of world- ranking events this year with the aim of improving both their individual world ranking and the collective ranking for Ireland in order to secure Olympic places in Athens. Meanwhile back home the domestic racing season got underway this weekend with several races around the country. Vincent Gleeson of the West Clare club ran out as the winner of the Cycleways Cup in Navan, crossing the line three seconds clear of local rider Robert Whelan and six ahead of Usher IRC´s Michael Mulcahy, Andrew Donnellan (Dublin Wheelers) and Greg Swinard of Usher Irish Road Club. Mark Kiernan of Total Cycling.com was sixth. In the senior 2 race, Paul Mulligan (Crannog Ireland) bested Kanturk´s Michael Dennehy and Brian Taafe (Dublin Wheelers). Peter Hawkins (Castlereigh CC) came out tops in the combined senior 3/junior/veterans event, ahead of Chris Lawlor and Conemara CC´s Conor McGrath, with Rebecca O´Connell (Bray Wheelers) and Terry Ferris (Dublin Wheelers) taking the prizes for first woman and first unplaced veteran. Down South, Killarney CC rider Matthew Slattery won a six-man gallop to take the Lacey Cup, finishing ahead of Canadian Brian Truman and Kieran McMahon. Veteran rider Sean McIlroy led for most of the handicap race, taking the intermediate sprint prize and with it a pair of Mavic wheels, but was overhauled with just two kilometres remaining. He hung onto the speeding front group to take a hard-earned sixth at the finish. Finally James Lawless of the Usher IRC team led home Paul McMahon and Stefan Engermann to win the March Hare race in Kilcullen on Saturday. Afxentia Cup final overall, Elite men: 1, Rolf Paulisson (Belgium), 3hours 29 mins 36 secs; Irish: 14, R. Seymour, at 12 mins 58 secs DNF: Glenn Kinning and Richie McCauley Elite women: 1, Yvonne Kraft (Germany) 3 hours 30 mins 26 secs Irish: 7, J. McCauley, at 17 minutes 28 secs; 11, T. Owens, at 27 mins 4 secs Cycleways Cup, Navan: 1, Vincent Gleeson (West Clare CC) 120 kilometres in 2 hours 46 mins 50 secs; 2, R. Whelan (Navan Avonmore) at 3 secs; 3, M. Mulcahy (Usher IRC) at 6 secs; 4, A. Donnellan (Dublin Wheelers); 5, G. Swinard (Usher IRC); 6, M. Kiernan (Total Cycling.com) all same time Senior B: 1, Paul Mulligan (Crannog Ireland); 2, M. Dennehy (Kanturk CC); 3, B. Taafe (Dublin Wheelers); 4, J. Mason (Cycleways Lee Strand); 5, S. Bracken (Usher IRC); 6, G. Heaverin (Castlereagh CC) Senior 3/junior/veterans/ladies: 1, Peter Hawkins (Castlereagh CC); 2, C. Lawlor (unattached); 3, C. McGrath (Connemara CC); 4, C. Crawley (Stamullen Martin Donnelly); 5, M. Nestor (Shannonside CC); 6, O. McQuaid (Emerald CC) First lady: Rebecca O´Connell (Bray Wheelers CC); first unplaced veteran: Terry Ferris (Dublin Wheelers CC) Lacey Cup, Tralee: 1, Matthew Slattery (Killarney CC); 2, B. Truman (Canada); 3, K. MacMahon (Earl of Desmond); 4, T. Barry (Cidona Carrick Wheelers); 5, M. Concannon (Killorglin CC); 6, S. McIlroy (Cidona Carrick CC) all same time Senior 2: 1, Peter O´Connor (Killarney); 2, D. Lynch (Kanturk); 3, T. Devane (Killorglin) Senior 3: 1, W. Curtin (Kanturk Credit Union); 2, P.J. O´Halloran (Safari); 3, Sean Owens (Cidona Carrick Wheelers) Junior: 1, Theo Hardwicke (Killorglin Credit Union); 2, B. Woods (Killorglin Credit Union); 3, B. Lacey (Earl of Desmond) Veterans: 1, Kevin O´Leary (Cork Triton); 2, M. Griffin (Fermoy); 3, J. Rea (Leeside) NALLY 106TH IN SPAIN: (By Shane Stokes Mar 2) Irish neo-pro Dermot Nally ended the Vuelta Ciclista a la Comunidad Valenciana 106th overall, 52 minutes and 27 seconds off the time of Fassa Bortolo rider Dario Frigo. Nally fininished the fifth stage in 100th place, 4 minutes and 46 seconds down on winner Miguel Martin Perdiguero, and then placed 73rd on the final stage in Valencia. Nally, who turned professional this year with the Paternina-Costa Almeria team, is building gradually towards what he hopes will be a strong second half to the season and is using early-season races such as this to build form. Vuelta Ciclista a la Comunidad Valenciana: Stage 4, Sagunt - Alto Del Campello (Vallada): 1, M. Martin Perdiguero 158.2 kilometres in 3 hours 47 mins 39 secs; 2, D. Frigo (Fassa Bartolo); 3, D. Bernabeu (Milaneza- MSS); 4, J. Pas. Llorente (Kelme-Costa Blanca) all same time; 5, A. Vinokourov (Telekom) at 16 secs Other: 100, D. Nally (Paternina-Costa Almeria) at 4 mins 46 secs Stage 5, Valencia - Valencia: 1, Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bartolo) 165 km in 4 hours 6 seconds; 2, D. Bennati (Domina Vacanze-Elitron); 3, F. Guidi (Team Coast); 4, I. Astarloa (Saeco); 5, G. Lombardi (Domina Vacanze-Elitron) all same time Other: 73, Nally, at 7 mins 42 secs Final general classification: 1, Dario Frigo (Fassa Bartolo) 15 hours 34 mins 7 secs; 2, D. Bernabeu (Milaneza-MSS) at 15 secs; 3, Pas Llorente, same time; 4, D. Millar (Cofidis) at 24 secs; 5, X. Florencio (ONCE-Eroski) at 36 secs; 6, A. Moos (Phonak Hearing Systems) at 47 secs Other: 106, Nally, at 52 mins 27 secs |
McKENNA,
BUTLER UNHAPPY WITH DECISION: (By Shane Stokes Mar
28)
The decision to appoint Stuart Hallam to the position of CI CEO may have been
heralded as a big plus by president PJ Nolan, but it has proved to be a
controversial one in other quarters. Both the CI board member Ciarán McKenna and the Chairman
of the High Performance Commission Paul Butler have resigned over the matter,
causing shockwaves within the Federation. McKenna had himself applied for the
position but insists that the disappointment in finishing second in the running
is not behind his decision to end his role within CI.
STRONG
INTERNATIONAL FIELD FOR 2003 FBD MILK RAS: (By Shane Stokes Mar
27)
With less than two months to go until this year’s FBD Milk Rás, a strong
standard of professional and international riders look set to line out in the
2.5 ranked race. ‘We are in the final stages of reaching agreement with
incoming teams,’ says organiser Dermot Dignam. ‘This number includes four
professional teams and also a new, very interesting national team.’
DENIS
LYNCH INTERVIEW: (By Shane Stokes Mar 25) While being interviewed for
Cycle Sport in January 2002, Mark Scanlon tipped a rider to watch for the
future. ‘Denis Lynch is going to be very good,’ he said. ‘He has been
training hard and has very good potential.’
DAVID
O’LOUGHLIN INTERVIEW: (By Shane Stokes Mar 10) Despite a
late call-up to line out against the world’s top riders in the Elite world
championships in Zolder last October, Mayo’s David O’Loughlin performed
above the expectations of most to finish a fine 65th, just 1 minute and 26
seconds off the winning time of Mario Cipollini. O’Loughlin’s preparations
for the race were less than ideal – he suffered a broken collarbone in the
Tour de Toona last August – but a form-building ride in the Tour of Hokkaido
got him back into shape and saw him take second on the final stage.
His
big chance came at the end of the 2001 season, when Irish rider James Hodnett
got in touch with the news that his team were turning professional. O’Loughlin
was training hard in Australia at the time, logging in countless pre-season
kilometres in Freemantle, and the offer to become a pro with the Ofoto-Lombardi
squad was the break he was waiting for. He quickly rewarded the team’s
interest, placing 12th in the Sequia Classic in March, riding well in the
Redlands Classic and generally wasting no time in mixing it with the established
professionals on the fiercely competitive US circuit. These rides were
supplemented with strong results back home, a silver medal in the national time
trial championship plus dominant victories in a number of other events acting as
a good indicator of his growing strength.
DONNELLAN
BEST IN COOMBES/CONNOR MEMORIAL: (By Shane Stokes Mar
9)
Dublin Wheelers rider Andrew Donnellan showed fine early-season form in the
wind-buffeted Coombes Connor Memorial in Drogheda today, breaking clear alone on
the final climbs of the Black Hills and opening a 40 second winning margin by
the line.
WEEKEND
ROUNDUP: (By Shane Stokes Mar 2)
Jenny McCauley has spent many years away from international competition but her
return to mountainbike racing this year has been an impressive one. Last
Saturday McCauley (nee Brennan) rode well in the Voroklini Cup in Cyprus,
placing 10th, and this weekend she improved on that when she finished an
excellent seventh in the Afxentia Cup three day D2 event.