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NALLY PLANS STRONG SEASON IN 2004: (By Shane Stokes Nov 29) Spanish based Corkman Dermot Nally is training hard in advance of what will be a vitally important second season in the pro ranks. The 23 year old went frustratingly close to winning the intermediate sprints jersey in the highly prestigious Tour of the Basque Country last April but fell ill and was one of several riders who finished just outside the time limit on the penultimate stage. Despite his prominent showing in the event, he only got in at total of 40 days of racing with his Paternina-Costa del Almeria team. Fortunately he had signed a two-year deal and while many other pro riders are losing their contracts, the former Irish under 23 champion has an opportunity to prove his worth in 2004.

DN: My situation is that I signed my contract for two years so I had no problems with that. The team are starting to finalise the deals with the rest of the team-mates now. Basically the set-up is similar in ways to last year but we hope that Pecharromán and those fellows will be going well. That should be good to get starts for the big races.

I will be starting next year a lot stronger than this year. This year I wasn’t supposed to begin racing until March but I started in Majorca, so that made things hard. But I have already got a month’s training in at this stage… I am supposed to start (next season) pretty hard so I have to be ready.

SS: You did a decent number of races early on, including the Tour of the Basque Country where you went close to taking the intermediate sprints jersey. Did you get many races in during the second half of the year?

DN: I raced in France but I was ill. Then, basically, all the races I did since then were in Portugal, including the Tour of Portugal in August. I was going well until the rest day and then the following day… I hadn’t raced in three months and I just had to pull over. But I am looking at this year as having been one for gaining experience; my directeur says that next year it will be totally different. I will know what is up ahead, the way the races are and the mentality of the people. I am expecting some results next season.

DN: No, I only raced about 40 days. Not much, like. They weren’t pulling at me because I was the youngest on the team, and they had people with more experience. They weren’t asking that much from me.

DN: Well, at least I expect that it won’t be like this year, that on the first climb I will be suffering! I expect at least to be able to get up the road and be in the general classification…not at the top, but at least get a name by getting into the moves. I won’t quite be going for the general classification, but will try at least to be getting up on stages.

SS: You have got a season in, albeit a short one, and so probably have a better insight into pro racing. In what areas do you think your strengths will lie in the future? What kind of rider do you think you will be?

DN: Well…lets see (laughs). It is a difficult question, as this year I was suffering everywhere, on the flats, up, down. But basically I think classic-type races will suit me, races where there aren’t really big mountains but which are hard enough to force a selection from the group and leave about fifty people there. After that, I’d try to get into the moves.

SS: Cycling Ireland has drawn up a preliminary list for the Olympics. You have perhaps been a little out of sight due to a lack of racing, but would it be a goal to try to get a place for Athens?

DN: It would be nice to go to the Olympics but we will have to wait and see how the season goes, if my form is good enough to go or not. But certainly I would love to do it.

At the moment I am just concentrating on getting ready for the season. I haven’t raced since August…after about two months I started in the gym, with weights and that. Now I am out every day on the bike. I am approaching it a totally different way to this year…I just started in January and had no form at all.

I have a chance with my two-year contract to prove my worth. Everyone the team directeur signs is for one year but seeing as I was under 25, they signed me for two years. So there was no chance of losing my place. Things are terrible here in Spain at the moment, with teams stopping. I know that the directeur is throwing out a good lot of the team…they (Paternina - Costa Almeria) are not keeping on many of the lads. That’s the way it is now - there is total chaos in Spain, Italy. The riders don’t know whether they are coming or going. I am really lucky to have a two-year contract and am hoping to go a lot better in 2004.

SEYMOUR TAKES FINAL ROUND, AIKEN THE SERIES: (By Shane Stokes Nov 29) Robin Seymour showed he on course to take a thirteenth straight national cyclo-cross title next weekend in Kilruddery Estate, Bray, when he dominated the final round of the All Ireland series in Bangor yesterday. Banbridge CC rider Roger Aiken recorded another good ride to take the overall series, adding Saturday’s second place to the three wins he had taken in earlier rounds.

The two were part of the scratch group which started up to six minutes behind the other three separate packs of riders, but within a short time the handicaps had been overcome and Seymour, Aiken and Don Travers were scrapping it out for the win. Undeterred by the freezing conditions and lashing rain, Seymour set off alone to finish 56 seconds clear of Aiken, with Travers a further five seconds back. Apollo CC team-mates Andy Layhe and Peter McSorley were next across the line, with Alaister McSorley, Andrew Godfrey and Jonathon Beers winning the underage races.

All Ireland Cyclo Cross league round 5, Bangor: 1, Robin Seymour (Team WORC) 54 minutes, 2, Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC) at 56 secs, 3, Don Travers (Banbridge CC) at 1 min 1 sec, 4, Andy Layhe (Apollo CC) at 3 mins 36 secs, 5, Peter McSorley (Apollo CC) at 3 mins 46 secs, 6, Robert Lamont (XMTB) at 3 mins 56 secs, 7, Lewis Ferguson (XMTB) at 5 mins 15 secs, 8, William Mulligan (Banbridge CC) at 6 mins 5 secs, 9, Marcus Shields (unattached) at 6 mins 28 secs, 10, Stuart Galloway (Team WORC) at 7 mins 49 secs

Underage – U/16: 1, Alaister McSorley (Apollo CC), 2, Neil McGimpsey (XMTB), 3, Graham Boyd (XMTB), U/14: Andrew Godfrey (XMTB), 2, Matthew Casey (XMTB), 3, Ian Galloway (Team WORC), U/12: Jonathon Beers (XMTB), 2, William Boyd (XMTB), 3, Michael Runciman (Banbridge CC)

AIKEN AND SEYMOUR GO HEAD TO HEAD: (By Shane Stokes Nov 29) Banbridge CC’s Roger Aiken goes into tomorrow’s final round of the All Ireland Cyclo-Cross league assured of victory, after wins in three out of the four rounds already held. The race will act as a final round-up before next weekend’s national championships in Kilruddery Estate, Bray, and if the scratch riders overcome the handicapping tomorrow the race may well shape up to be a clash between Aiken and Robin Seymour.

Seymour has missed each of the four rounds so far due to his successful mountain bike campaign to secure Olympic qualification but will welcome the chance for a good ride before the nationals, where he is aiming to take an unprecedented thirteenth consecutive title.

Tomorrow’s race will take place in Castle Park, Bangor at 1 pm, one hour after the underage riders get the action underway with their event.

DOWNHILLERS RAISE IMPORTANT FUNDS: (By Shane Stokes Nov 29) A total of €5500 was raised through the purchase of tickets for an Orange racing bike, which was won by masters rider Tim Bugbee at the draw held at last weekend’s Champion’s Awards presentation.

The bicycle was one of several machines supplied to the Irish team after a large amount of bikes and equipment were stolen earlier this year at the World Cup round held at Alpe D’Huez. Orange provided the replacement bikes at a largely-reduced cost and after this outlay is taken into consideration, the draw raised a total of €2500.

This money will be put towards the costs of replacement of the bikes taken in France.

HIGH RANKINGS FOR MTB RIDERS: (By Shane Stokes Nov 29) Robin Seymour, Jenny McCauley and Tarja Owens all finished the season inside the top 50 places in the UCI world rankings, which were released this week. Seymour’s fine third place in the Mount Sdom E1 race in Israel ensured that he reached a career-best high of 35th in the rankings, amassing 546 points.

Jenny McCauley and Tarja Owens’ strong end-of-season will see them finish the year ranked 39th and 42nd respectively, taking 499 and 494 points. They finish joint fifteenth in the nations ranking for the Olympics. The top 14 countries automatically qualify but it is highly likely that one place will filter down to Ireland as it is expected that not all those riders will be sent to Athens. Owens gained her place in Sydney 2000 through this system.

Barring injury, Seymour will take part in his second Olympics next summer. The selection criteria laid out by Cycling Ireland’s MTB commission in November of last year (see below) states that in the event of one place being available, a rider finishing in the world’s top 50 will be deemed selected. Ireland’s next best rider is Don Travers in 324th position.

Under the same selection criteria, McCauley and Owens will have to fight it out between themselves for that probable Olympic start. The first three world cup races of the season in Madrid (22 May), Houffalize (29 May) and Fort William (6 June) will be used for this purpose, with the combined UCI points total from these events to determine who goes to Greece. Should any of these races be cancelled, the pre-Olympic event on the Athens course will fill the gap.

Cycling Ireland criteria for qualification of MTB riders for Athens 2004

If Ireland gains two places:

Only riders inside the top 100 (men)/60 (women) in the UCI world ranking list on 31/12/03 will be considered for selection.

The top 2 riders in the world ranking on 31/12/03 will be selected for the Olympics games in Athens

However,

If 3 riders whose final ranking positions have contributed to giving Ireland qualification for the 2 places (i.e. points of the highest 2 not having qualified the 2 places) then a qualifying competition for those riders will be held in the World Cup races of 2004

If a rider is placed in the top 50 (men) / 30 (women) in the ranking on 31/12/03 then that riders will be considered selected and the remaining place will be selected by a qualifying competition (World Cups 2004) providing both riders ranking have contributed to gaining the second place.

If Ireland gains one place:

Only riders in the top 100 (men) / 60 (women) in the UCI world ranking list on the 31/12/03 will be considered for selection.

The top rider in the world ranking on 31/12/03 will be selected for the Olympic Games in Athens

If a rider is placed in the top 50 (men) / 30 (women) then that rider will be considered selected

However,

If 2 or 3 riders whose final ranking positions have contributed to gaining qualification for Ireland (i.e points from the highest placed rider not having qualified alone) then a qualifying competition for those riders will be held (World Cups 2004)

If 2 riders are within 10 (men) / 6 (women) places of each other inside the top 100 (men) / 60 (women) then a qualifying competition will be held for those 2 riders (World Cups 2004)

Qualifying competitions:

The selection of riders not qualified by the above criteria will be based on the best overall (points) placing for those riders after the first 3 world cups in the 2004 season.

EARLY GLORY ON THE ROADS OF IRELAND: (Nov 26) Stephen Roche won many races in his thirteen year pro career, including the Tour de France, Tour of Italy and World Championships in 1987. For many the first glimpse of his future brilliance was seen on the roads of the 1979 Rás in Ireland. This extract from Tom Daly’s excellent new book, The Rás – The Story of Ireland’s Unique Bike Race, tells the story of that victory, plus the many other champions, characters, events and stories that play a part in the fascinating history of the event now known as the FBD Milk Rás. More...

CI AGM; NOLAN RETURNED AS PRESIDENT, MANY TOPICS DISCUSSED: (By Shane Stokes Nov 22) Outgoing president PJ Nolan and director Micheal Concannon were both returned unopposed to their positions at the AGM of Cycling Ireland in the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh on Saturday. Joining them on the new board are Declan O’Loughlin and Philip Collins, who were also elected to positions as directors. John News had been expected to stay on but he resigned the seat, leaving Collins to fill the vacancy.

Many matters were discussed at the AGM, with PJ Nolan getting proceedings underway by asking delegates to observe a minute’s silence for those who had passed away during the year. As expected, the recent rejection by British Cycling of the UCI resolution pertaining to cycling in Northern Ireland was one of the key points discussed. The resolution by cycling’s world governing body at Zolder in October 2003 had declared Cycling Ireland to be the sole federation responsible for the sport on the island, calling on BC to reverse their 1995 declaration extending their jurisdiction from Great Britain to the United Kingdom. BC’s rejection of this at their AGM last Sunday led some delegates at CI’s own AGM to call for sanctions to be imposed by the UCI.

Speaking for some time on the matter, PJ Nolan said that he was greatly frustrated by the decision, especially as he said that BC did not consider a series of compromise proposals CI had made in order to make the UCI resolution more acceptable. These proposals would have allowed BC members in Northern Ireland to race in all Cycling Ireland sanctioned races, including Irish championships. It also gave them eligibility to be picked on Cycling Ireland representative teams and have representation at Cycling Irelands annual general meeting.

‘We have spent a lot of time and effort on this’, Nolan told the delegates. ‘The UCI may decide to take things further, but it is important for us to get on with other business and not spend much more time on this issue.’

Many other matters were covered, including the small increase in membership of CI in 2003. Nolan said that the gain of 100 people went against the trend of declining membership in other European countries, but both he and CEO Stuart Hallam admitted that more needs to be achieved in this area. ‘282,000 new bikes are sold in Ireland each year, yet we have a very low membership’, said Hallam. ‘We have to look at ways to try to increase this.’

One such mechanism would be the conversion of those using one-day licences into full members of CI. MTB Commission members Peter Popham and Geoff Seymour stressed the importance of this, with Popham stating that of the 190 people who rode the national downhill series, 112 of these didn’t have full licences.

‘There is very little control on the issuing of one day licences and some riders get more than the three allowed’, Seymour said. Popham stated that the relatively low number of MTB races held each year meant that taking out full licences wasn’t seen as a viable option by those who could instead keep using one-day licences. After lengthy debate on what was the best way forward, it was agreed that Seymour, Popham and Hallam would meet on the issue and decide future strategy.

Other matters discussed were the improving financial situation of CI, the need for CI to accelerate the growth in membership and its plans regarding selection and preparation for next year’s Olympic games and world championships. Popham spoke again on the first of these three areas, stating that he was disappointed that CI hadn’t released their estimated figures for the months already past in 2003, as was the custom in the past. CI’s Peter Thornton said that the reason for this was that the calculations held up the delivery of the agenda and other reports to clubs. Popham replied by stressing the importance of these projected figures and asked CI to try to include them in future years.

Phil Collins gave an extensive presentation on the increasingly professional and planned approach to High Performance matters, which will be implemented early in the new year. He said that a list of riders for the Olympic games and other events would be announced under the new approach, and that there would be greater transparency with regard to selection matters and better planning in relation to peaking for key events.

Insurance matters – in particular professional indemnity insurance – was debated at length, with CI undertaking to look into getting this cover and so protecting those who volunteer to work on teams. Another matter which was deliberated at length was that of underage racing, with several people stating that clubs should be compelled to run such events if putting on a programme of Sunday races. The motion calling for this was eventually amended to a proposal that underage officers and the underage committee would meet on the subject and decide the best strategy.

Following the AGM, the Champion’s Awards were held in the same venue. A large number of medals were given out to the riders who had excelled during the year in national championships and other races. And while many medal winners were absent, those in attendance were warmly applauded for their efforts.

Following the initial presentation, the other awards were given out. Mark Scanlon’s impressive first year as a professional saw him named as Cyclist of the Year, while UCI Committee Member Pat McQuaid and FBD Milk Rás organiser Dermot Dignam were given lifetime membership awards. Jack Watson’s receiving of the UCI Merit Award at the World Championships also resulted in a presentation. Dignam and Sean O’Callaghan were given UCI Volunteer awards, with CI’s Certificate of Achievement going to partially-sighted rider Mark Kehoe. The TQ Paper Women’s 2 day was named event of the year, Alice Sherratt as the Volunteer of the Year and Lakeland CC as the best club.

PJ NOLAN INTERVIEW: THE PRESIDENT'S ANGLE: (By Shane Stokes Nov 12) Cycling Ireland will hold its AGM at the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh on Saturday week, November 22nd. With time ticking down to the meeting, IrishCycling.com put questions to CI’s president PJ Nolan on a range of topics, from the achievements of 2003, the plans for 2004 and the issues which went well and not so well during the year. Go to Full Interview Here...

IRISHWOMEN SHINE IN ISRAEL; OLYMPIC PLACE LIKELY: (By Shane Stokes Nov 16) Tarja Owens and Jenny McCauley achieved their important goal of a high finish in today’s concluding event of the 2003 mountainbike season, placing an excellent third and fourth respectively in the world-ranked E1 race at Mount Sdom, Israel and so making it highly likely that an Olympic place will pass to Ireland next season.

Owens finished 1 minute and 59 seconds behind the German winner Ivonne Kraft, with McCauley 4 minutes 54 seconds further back. This should ensure that Ireland is sixteenth in the nations list when the world rankings are updated next week. The first fourteen countries automatically qualify, but team manager Geoff Seymour is confident that there will not be a full uptake of places, thus opening a slot for an Irishwoman in next summer’s Olympics. Owens obtained a place in Sydney 2000 under the same system.

The news is a fitting end to what has been at times a difficult season for each of the Irish girls. McCauley missed several important races early in the year due to blood poisoning, while Owens looked to have lost her chance when she crashed and broke her collarbone towards the end of the summer. Both showed considerable courage and determination to stick with the task at hand, however, and today's result will make them both very satisfied.

Robin Seymour has already done enough to ensure qualification and today posted another fine result when he placed third in the men’s event, wheeling to a halt 4 minutes and 57 seconds after the Swedish winner Philip Tavell at the end of the 43 kilometre desert race. Seymour is comfortably inside the world’s top 50 after a fine season-long campaign and, barring injury or other complications, is the most likely Irish candidate for Athens 2004.

Mount Sdom E1 race, Israel. Elite men: 1, Philip Tavell (Sweden) 1 hour 41 mins 8 secs; 2, C. Poulsen (Denmark) at 2 mins 30 secs; 3, R. Seymour (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 4 mins 53 secs; 4, S. Rysenko (Ukraine) at 5 mins 16 secs; 5, K. Symelidis (Greece) same time. Other Irish: 40. R. McCauley, at 2 laps

Elite women: 1, Ivonne Kraft (Germany) 1 hour 33 mins 2 secs; 2, M. Andersen (Denmark) at 1 min 37 secs; 3, T. Owens (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 2 mins 49 secs; 4, J. McCauley (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 8 mins 11 secs; 5, L. Kopens (Israel) at 8 mins 46 secs.

AIKEN ONCE AGAIN: (By Shane Stokes Nov 16) With just two rounds remaining, Roger Aiken looks assured of victory in the All Ireland cyclo-cross league after taking his third win in four races at the Banbridge Academy round on Saturday. Aiken overcame what was up to a six-minute handicap to overhaul the rest of the field, the 22 year old finishing 1 minute and 36 seconds ahead of his clubmate Don Travers with Team WORC’s Dave Gill taking third. XMTB’s Robert Lamont, Banbridge CC’s Samuel Curran and Peter McSorley (Apollo CC) were next home, all finishing within a minute of each other. XMTB’s Christy Brown had looked set for fifth place but slipped to seventh when he suffered mechanical problems on the final lap.

Co. Meath rider Eoin Sheridan (MOB CC) was best of the under 16 riders, finishing ahead of Alaister McSorley (Apollo) and Nathan McCormick (Banbridge). Ian Galloway (WORC) from Wicklow won the Under 14 race.

All Ireland Cyclo Cross League Round 4, Banbridge: 1, Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC) 48 minutes; 2, Don Travers (Banbridge CC) at 1 min 36 secs; 3, Dave Gill (Team WORC) at 2 mins 43 secs; 4, Robert Lamont (XMTB) at 3 mins 3 secs; 5, Samuel Curran (Banbridge CC) at 3 mins 33 secs; 6, Peter McSorley (Apollo CC) at 3 mins 55 secs; 7, Andrew McAlister (Apollo CC) at 3 mins 58 secs; 8, Stephen O’Sullivan (Cycleways Lee Strand) at 4 mins 4 secs; 9, Tony Hare (Apollo CC) at 4 mins 29 secs; 10, Christy Brown (XMTB) at 5 mins 14 secs

TOUR OF OKINAWA RACE REPORTS: (By Colette Swift) Last weekend Colette Swift became the first Irishwoman to take part in the Tour of Okinawa in Japan, placing an excellent fourth in her race. She has since written reports for both her event and the men’s 200 kilometre contest, where David McCann was best of the Irish in seventh, and has also sent photographs from the season-ending contest.

OKAZAKI ON TOP, MCCANN SEVENTH: In torrential wet conditions, Hibernian Team Ireland's David McCann, Rory Wiley, Paul Griffin and Eugene Moriarty worked very well together to gain some valuable UCI points in Okinawa, Japan – the final professional road race of the 2003 season. A field of 176 riders from 18 teams, including USA and Chinese national squads started the testing 200km men's champion race at 6.45am on Sunday 9thNovember.

The treacherous conditions saw many crashes throughout the race. On the opening flat 50km loop a select 25 man group had formed including McCann, Griffin and Wyley, along with 5 of the 6 man American team. On the first 350 metre climb, at the 73km mark, this lead group stayed largely together, while the bunch trailed almost 4 minutes back. At the half way point, Wyley shot ahead of the leading break with 2 Japanese riders and built a solid lead that they were to maintain over the second major climb at the 127km mark. By this point 40 riders had been lost to crashes in the slippy conditions. An attack by America's Saul Raisin saw him cross to, and then pass, Wyley's group, while the break behind blew apart. Griffin lost contact following a puncture and McCann went over the top in a 6 man chasing group.

A strong chase from the bunch saw a 6 man group including the Japanese and US champions, Fukushima and McCormac, along with former Canadian champion (and team mate of Ciaran Power) Mark Walters catch the tail end of the break but, with the exception of McCormac, they were never to see the front of the race. With 30km to go, McCann’s and Wiley’s groups had merged and been joined by McCormac, leaving 10 riders behind the lone leader, Raisin.

After 185km, the final long climb was raced in a torrential downpour. The leading group split to pieces with a final 4 riders going on to contest the finale. Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) won by 12 seconds from a 3-man chase group. Dave McCann finished in a respectable 7th place, just over 2 mins down on the leaders. Rory Wiley rode a spectacular debut ride for Ireland finishing in 13th place, only 4 mins down on the leaders. Remaining riders continued to come in for the next 30 minutes. Griffin and Moriarty made it inside the top 30 finishers. Such strong riding, so late in the racing season, guarantees the Irish mens squad a repeat invitation for 2004.

Results, 200km Elite men: 1 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Team Nippon Hodo 4.54.45 2 Guillem Munos (Spa) Team Orbea Etxe-Ondo 0.12 3 Mark McCormack (USA) USA National Team 4 Kazuyuki Manabe (Jpn) Miyata Subaru RacingTeam 5 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Shimano Racing Team 1.09 6 Kam Po Wong (HKg) Hong Kong-China Cycling Team 7 David McCann (Irl) Ireland National Team 2.11 8 Daisuke Hioki (Jpn) CCD Kinan Bike System 2.25 9 Yasutaka Tashiro (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 2.36 10 Shinichi Fukushima (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 2.38

MOORE TAKES WIN, SWIFT FOURTH: Canada's Amy Moore won the women's race from Lara Kroepsch (USA National Team). Amy opened up a gap of 3 mins after attacking from the gun and stayed away throughout the race. The larger oriental teams surprised visiting countries by choosing not to chase or try to get across to the Canadian. Instead, efforts to bridge the gap were left to the US, Irish and remaining Canadian rider. Wet slippy conditions made it difficult to break clear on the hills as there was very little traction and any efforts that were made chased down. Colette Swift (Irl) and Jutras Manon (Can) broke clear on the final climb with 3km to go but both riders were caught at the 300m mark by the remaining field of 13 riders. A high paced and tight sprint finish concluded the 50km race with Lara Kroepsch (USA) and Tomoko Nakayman (Jpn) coming through on the last crucial seconds before the finish line to take 2nd and 3rd place respectively, just ahead of Ireland's Colette Swift.

Women, 50km: 1 Amy Moore (Can) 1.22.06 2 Lara Kroepsch (USA) USA National Team 3.04 3 Tomoko Nakayama(Jpn) Sumita Ravanello Pearl Izumi 4 Colette Swift (Irl) Team Ireland 5 Huang Ho-Hsun (Tpe) Chinese Taipei

Ireland's David McCann finished seventh in the race, which was run off in
torrential conditions

Colette Swift, Rory Wyley, David McCann, Eugene Moriarty and Paul Griffin
before a pre-race training ride

BANN LAVERY APPOINTED TO ULSTER YDO POSITION: (By Shane Stokes Nov 13) Cycling Ireland announced today that John Bann-Lavery has been appointed to the position of youth development officer for the Ulster region. Taking over from Barry Monaghan, Bann-Lavery’s role will see him promote cycling in schools and colleges and feed the young riders into local clubs, thus helping secure the future growth of the sport.

Bann-Lavery has been involved in the sport for the past decade. Since graduating from the University of Ulster with an honours degree in International Business Studies, the 23 year old spent time in France in a promotional role for Irish Distillers. This background is one which Cycling Ireland CEO Stuart Hallam feels will be a successful basis for Bann-Lavery’s work as YDO.

‘John’s targets with Cycling Ireland will be based around the promotion of cycling in schools and colleges and his youthful energy will be a great asset’ Hallam said. ‘His proven flair in promoting the whiskey brand will have been a sound training ground for his new role’.

Bann Lavery will visit schools and colleges within Ulster, seeking to promote cycling as a past-time and sport. He will channel interested young riders into the club and coaching scene, with the aim of achieving a growth in numbers in the short term and, ultimately, a better level of athletic performance for Irish riders due to the resulting larger pool of talent.

KELLY, SCANLON LEAD TRAINING WEEKEND: (By Shane Stokes Nov 13) Former world number 1 Sean Kelly and budding new star Mark Scanlon will be amongst those participating in the Mayo Wheelers training weekend in Partry, which is open to all riders. The weekend will comprise a 55 mile spin this Saturday, followed by a 50 mile ride the following day.

Navigators professional Ciarán Power, local international David O’Loughlin, Brian Kenneally and Phil Cassidy will also be riding, affording those in attendance the chance to rub shoulders with some of the best-known names in Irish cycling. Contact Brendan Quigley at 087 6131891 for accommodation arrangements and further details.

CYCLING ULSTER AGM: (By Shane Stokes Nov 13) Cycling Ulster held its AGM on Tuesday evening, where Tommy Lamb (Phoenix CC) was elected to fill the Chairman’s position vacated by Frank Campbell. XMTB’s Billy Ferguson took over in the development role, while Billy Armstrong (Northern CC) was also elected, joining the existing members on the executive.

Because of the need to facilitate the major modernisation programme currently being undertaken, the council suspended standing orders and agreed to convene another AGM in April. A shadow executive was put in place to see a smooth transition of responsibility. Also present on this executive are Oliver Hunter (Bann Valley), Robert Lamont (XMTB) Brian Nugent (Bann Valley), Gerry Beggs (Banbridge), Andrew Burns (Clann Eireann), Kenny Dunlop (Lakeland CC) and Michael McKenna (Emyvale).

McSORLEY TAKES ROUND THREE: (By Shane Stokes Nov 12) Apollo CC rider Peter McSorley successfully held league leader Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC) and the rest of the scratch group at bay to win the third round of Cycling Ireland’s Cross League in Kilcullen last weekend, crossing the line 18 seconds clear of the next rider.

McSorley had been the last to resist Aiken’s furious chase in the second round of the league but this time the eighteen year old’s efforts were enough to net the win. Indeed the Banbridge rider was unable to close the gap to those who started six minutes ahead, eventually finishing sixth. Despite this, Aiken continues to lead the league by a comfortable margin.

Second in Kilcullen was Banbridge’s William Mulligan, who finished 18 seconds behind McSorley.

The next race in the series will take place this Saturday in Banbridge, starting at noon.

Cycling Ireland Cyclo-Cross League round 3, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare: 1, Peter McSorley (Apollo CC) 57mins 14 secs; 2, W. Mulligan (Banbridge CC) at 18 secs; 3, D. O'Brien (unattached) at 45 secs; 4, S. Galloway (WORC) at 55 secs; 5, F. McSorley (Apollo CC), at 58 secs; 6, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) at 1 min 21secs; 7, J. Walker (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen CC) at 1 min 36 secs; 8, S. O'Sullivan (Cycleways-Lee Strand CC) at 2 mins 21 secs; 9, B. Donnelly (Hillcrest Hire Kilcullen CC) same time; 10, A. McAllister (ECV) at 2 mins 50 secs

SWIFT TAKES EXCELLENT FOURTH IN JAPANESE RACE: (By Shane Stokes Nov 11) Hibernian Team Ireland rider Colette Swift rode with distinction at the women’s Tour of Okinawa over the weekend, fully justifying the organiser’s invitation to Japan when she took an excellent fourth place. Swift rode strongly throughout the hilly 50 kilometre event, surging repeatedly in her attempts to go clear in chase of the early attacker Amy Moore and finally getting away inside the final three kilometres with the Canadian girl’s team-mate. Although the duo were recaptured inside the last kilometre, the London-based Corkwoman had enough left in the tank to open up a strong sprint, narrowly missing out on second place when she was caught at the line.

Swift finished as part of the main bunch, three minutes down on Moore, and proved that Irishwomen can race strongly in international events. Her achievement is a big boost to women’s cycling here and it is hoped that it will inspire Swift and other Irishwomen to further successes in the future.

‘I felt good in the race, although the conditions were very difficult and so I had to use a bit of energy to stay right at the front’, she said. ‘There was torrential rain throughout and with the smooth roads, it really was very slippy. The Canadian girl got away very early and I had to decide whether to try to go with her, or to wait until later. I thought it was going to be a typically attacking race so I decided to hold back for a while…it is a pity as it worked out to be the wrong decision.’

‘I attacked on the hills but my back wheel was skating all around the place, so I couldn’t really get clear. It was pretty dangerous out there. I probably would have done better if it was dry. On the last draggy climb with about three kilometres to go I got away with another Canadian girl. We got a gap but were brought back with about 300 metres to go. I had enough left in my legs for the sprint and thought I had second place, but two riders got by me at the line.’

This was the first time an Irishwoman had been invited to take part in the race. Swift’s fine performance ensures that such an invitation is likely to be extended again in 2004.

Tour of Okinawa, Japan: 1, Amy Moore (Canada) 50 kilometres in 1 hour 22 mins 8 secs; 2, Lara Kroepsch (USA) at 3 mins; 3, Tomoko Nakayama (Japan); 4, Colette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland); 5, Ho- Shun Huang (China) all same time

TRACK COMMISSION MAKE PLANS FOR 2004: (By Shane Stokes Nov 11) Cycling Ireland’s Track Commission are hoping for a good year in 2004, with a full programme of racing on the cards in Ireland and plans also in place for potential competition in the UK and elsewhere. These details were amongst a range of subjects covered at its AGM on Sunday, which took place in the Spawell Leisure Complex in Templelogue.

The meeting began with a detailed review of the Track Commission’s Alchemy plan, which saw riders prepare for the B World Track Championships under what was a most structured and professional buildup. The value of the preparations became apparent at the B Worlds when the team, which included several track novices, rode strongly against the other nations and took a collection of high placings. Best of all was Ray Clarke’s unexpected bronze medal in the Keirin, a remarkable achievement considering it was his first time taking part in the discipline.

The National Championships in Belfast was also covered in the review, while an update was given on the Capital Programme at the Eamon Ceannt Stadium, Sundrive Road, which at the moment is focusing on a much-needed resurfacing of the Dublin velodrome. Also detailed was the plans for the construction of the National Cycling School at the same venue, a project which should be completed inside the first half of next year and which is of big importance for the future growth of track racing in Ireland.

The proposed domestic and international programme was outlined in detail at the AGM, although a firm outline cannot be drawn up until funding allocations are made. ‘It will all come down to what pot of money we get from the Sports Council and also how the money is shared out’, Chairman Phil Collins told Irishcycling.com. ‘With the Olympics next year it is likely that a lot of money will go to the road and the same will probably apply if one of the women qualify for the Olympics. The women won’t know where they stand until quite close to the Games, and so they will probably have to go ahead with some sort of build-up in case Athens 2004 works out for one of them.’

The Track Commission also presented details on a new safety and coaching programme which is being implemented. Safety and insurance considerations mean that an accredited track coach must be present at every session which takes place in Sundrive Road next year. These sessions are likely to begin early in the new year and run until April, when the programme of racing will begin.

‘It is absolutely crucial that a safety system is in place’, said Collins. ‘We can’t use the track without that, because of insurance issues, and so it is important to train people in.’

Two new members were elected into roles for next year’s Track Commission. Malcolm Goggins is to take over from Liam Walker as the Riders’ Representative while Gillian McDarby will replace Louise Moriarty as Womens’ Rep. Despite other commitments, Phil Collins has agreed to stay on for the foreseeable future until a new Chairman can be co-opted onto the Commission. Paul Doyle will remain as Secretary, Justin McGee as Technical Rep, while Will Byrne (Treasurer) and Terry McManus (Coaching) have both one year left to run in their positions.

It was also announced that two riders John Blackwell (Tilechoice CC) and Ray Clarke (Cycleways Lee Strand) will represent Cycling Ireland, following the receipt of an invitation from the organisers of the inaugural track meeting at Newport Velodrome this coming weekend.

WOMEN’S COMMISSION AIMS HIGHER FOR 2004: (By Shane Stokes Nov 11) Exciting plans for the 2004 season were unveiled at Cycling Ireland’s women’s commission AGM on Saturday, with a Classic League of dedicated women-only races, an invitation for riders from the UK to take part in these same events and Irish participation in some of the UK Reynolds Series all on the agenda. Important progress was made this season and through the implementation of these and other measures, it is hoped that the women’s scene will continue to grow and standards will continue to improve.

The meeting began with an overview of the season by Chairwoman Valerie Considine, who detailed the participation of women’s teams in a number of Irish races, the B worlds campaign, and the success of the women’s league, which brought about an increase in the number of those taking part in races. Several newcomers took up the sport, while women who had competed before were enticed back into cycling. The net effect was a very encouraging number participating in this year’s TQ Paper International 2 day, with the 27 Irish riders helping to ensure that the event was the biggest women’s race ever held here.

Considine said that the showing of Irish women in the B world championships (road and track), Sinead Jenning’s participation in the world championships and Colette Swift’s invitation to the Tour of Okinawa were all important steps forward. The main objective for 2004 is to build on the progress made this season and to help women’s cycling to continue to grow.

The former women’s manager Mick Lawless spoke at length of his past experiences in the role, saying that to succeed, riders had to really work hard and make sacrifices. Recognising that women’s racing hasn’t been given a lot of money in recent years, Lawless nevertheless said that riders couldn’t wait around until funding became available. ‘You need to head abroad to race if you want to be good’, he said. ‘And you need to dip your hand into your own pocket. You aren’t going to get anything for nothing – you need to work hard for it, do some racing abroad and prove that you deserve to get some funding.’

Lawless stressed the need for the women racing here to keep extending themselves and so raise their performance. ‘If you want to be riding against ladies in international races, you need to be riding at a high level. At the very least you should be riding against the juniors here, and doing very well. An example is Marie Eribo - she beat all the top Irish juniors a few years ago to win a junior classic race. That is the kind of thing you need to be doing.’

He also said he believed that some girls needed to improve their bike handling skills, a point which was also made by Mick Usher. ‘Some girls have poor skills and find it hard to ride in a bunch’, said Lawless. ‘They may have come from other sports and only started cycling recently, so it is hard to get the hang of being in a big group.’ In order to overcome this problem, he undertook to run a skills course over the next few weeks on Saturday mornings in the grounds of the Fás centre near Tallaght. This offer met with considerable approval, and arrangements were made for the first session to begin this coming Saturday at 9.30 (Lawless can be contacted at 087 2503114 for more information).

Phil Collins was next to speak, talking about the track plans for 2004 and giving a run-down on a number of other issues. Stressing the benefit of track racing for building skill, speed and fitness, the 1996 Olympian gave an outline of the provisional programme for next season. Weekly skills workshops will begin at Sundrive road from March, with the track league to begin at the end of April. Cycling Ireland may possibly hold an open track trial in Manchester in early March, which would allow people to benchmark themselves on the indoor track and see how their times compare with world standards. This in turn could lead to a possible participation of some women in the Manchester World Cup meet on April 16th – 18th, although Collins stressed that this would be dependant on those concerned proving that they are at a high enough standard. Finance is also a determining factor for this and other overseas trips.

The Portsmouth track on May 1st is the venue for the Susies Track Meet, another opportunity to race abroad, while Cardiff and Edinburgh are the venues for races on July 17th and August 7th and 8th. The Dudley GP in Haleswowen then follows one week later. As for the Irish national championships, they will take place in June, with the date to be finalised shortly.

Collins emphasised the importance of track racing at the meeting. ‘I believe that our future is in the area of track competition’, he said. ‘The Sports Council provide most of the funding, and their currency is in medals. That is what we need to achieve to continue getting money from them.’

Many of the women present at the meeting expressed an interest in track racing and took up on Collins’ urging that they look into other trips abroad. Several women said that they intended to look into heading over to the UK to compete in track meets. ‘That’s what is required’, said Collins. ‘You have to do things off your own bat, not just wait around for funding and rely on official teams. If you want it (to succeed) badly enough, that is what it takes. When I was racing, I used to take the boat over to England on Friday, train and race in the UK and then fly back on Sunday evening. There are thousands of people all over the world doing their utmost to make it to world cups and the Olympics, so if you want to get there you have to really work hard.’

‘There is no reason why we can’t have a full compliment of people at the 2008 Olympics, but we need to plan better, build towards it and work very hard. It is To get to the 2004 Olympics would be very unlikely – a rider would have to finish first or second in a world cup or in the first six in the endurance and sprint events at the world championships…. If people have Olympic ambitions, they should forget about 2004 and start planning for 2008.’

With regards to road racing, Valerie Considine said that the women’s commission had invited girls from the UK to ride classic league events here, thus improving the standard. She has asked a number of clubs to run women-only races next year, with events taking place once a month. However, she stressed that the events had to be supported. ‘It is really important that all the women support the league, as organisers won’t be too happy going to the trouble of running these races if very few people turn up’.

In response to requests from many of the women present, Considine agreed that the women’s commission would continue to run the midweek Boot Inn races. Many felt that these were crucially important in getting more riders into the sport, voicing concerns that the 40 mile Classic League races would prove to be too difficult for newcomers. Louis Moriarty pledged to support the league once more, a big boost given that his financial input last year was of such big importance.

Cycling Ireland President PJ Nolan ended the session by thanking Valerie Considine for what she had done during the year. ‘Valerie worked very hard and has done a lot for women’s cycling. I do think it is very important for people to give her a hand and help her out.’ One of those who will be doing that is Mick Usher, who also made some important contributions and suggestions to the meeting on Saturday and showed that he too is fully committed to helping this wing of the sport to grow.

Proposed women’s calendar 2004 (Boot Inn races to be added, some changes likely):

(Any women looking for more information can contact Valerie Considine at 086 3825842)

McCANN SEVENTH IN JAPAN: (By Shane Stokes Nov 10) David McCann finished a fine seventh in the world-ranked Tour of Okinawa in Japan yesterday, ended the Hibernian Team Ireland squad’s season campaign with a morale-boosting result.

The race was won by Team Nippon Hodo’s Kazuya Okazaki, who raced to the line 12 seconds clear of Spain’s Guillem Munos, Mark McCormack (USA) and the Miyata Subaru rider Kazuyuki Manabe. McCann was a further 1 minute and 59 seconds in arrears, taking four UCI points in the 1.5 ranked race.

McCann's team-mate Rory Wyley was a fine 13th in the race, while Paul Griffin and Eugene Moriarty also placed inside the top 40.

Tour of Okinawa, Japan: 1, Kazuya Okazaki (Team Nippon Hodo) 200 kilometres in 4 hours 54 mins 45 secs; 2, G. Munos (Team Orbea Etxe-Ondo) at 12 secs; 3, M. McCormack (USA National Team); 4, K. Manabe (Miyata Subaru Racing Team, both same time; 5, Y. Abe (Shimano Racing Team) at 1 min 9 secs; 6, K. Po Wong (Hong Kong-China Cycling Team) same time; 7, D. McCann (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 2 mins 11 secs; 8, D. Hioki (CCD Kinan Bike System) at 2 mins 25 secs; 9, Y. Tashiro (Team Bridgestone Anchor) at 2 mins 36 secs; 10, S. Fukushima (Team Bridgestone Anchor) at 2 mins 38 secs

HIGH PERFORMANCE COMMISSION OVERHAUL MAKES FOR MORE STRUCTURED FUTURE: (By Shane Stokes Nov 10) The criteria for international selection, a more balanced campaign schedule and longer-term preparation for Team Ireland riders are just some of the areas covered at a think-tank run by Cycling Ireland in September, details of which were clarified in recent days. High Performance Commission members Frank Campbell, Philip Collins and Martin O’Loughlin sat down with CI’s CEO Stuart Hallam and together concluded that despite some good results in 2003, the current structures are inadequate and need to be addressed over the winter months.

Several areas of concern were highlighted. The lack of a high performance mission statement, the selection criteria for international teams and an over-reliance on short-term planning for international events were identified as problems. So too the lack of management training for volunteers accompanying national teams, the unbalanced nature of the 2003 international road racing calendar and unclear terms of reference for the High Performance and Road Commissions.

Resolving to address each of these issues over the coming months, the four-man group drew up a corrective plan. Stuart Hallam and Martin O’Loughlin travelled to Belgium to evaluate the Team Ireland setup there and were later due to link up with Sean Kelly in a follow-up meeting. A series of rider interviews were held in October to determine long-lists of riders for various squads, with eight riders as Olympic probables, ten for Elite road competition and twelve for the espoirs squad.

Riders wishing to be considered for international selection next season have been asked to detail their goals for the year and to outline how they will prepare for targeted events, showing each phase of training. Elite road riders must send this document to Martin O’Loughlin by December 1st, while the espoirs are to address the same to Frank Campbell.

Long-listed squads and the selection criteria for each race will then be published on January 4th 2004. Those on these squads will be able to train specifically for events, secure in the knowledge that if they meet specific selection criteria by a certain date, the selectors will have faith in them. Those who are not on the long list will, by definition, be less likely to race on Team Ireland squads. However, they may still have an opportunity to earn a place on the team should they reach predetermined performance levels.

Officals and reserve officials will also be announced on January 4th, one day after a workshop in Dublin open to all interested in working with Team Ireland in 2004. Separate workshop sessions will be facilitated by Dolores Usher, John Keegan and Frank Campbell/Martin O’ Loughlin. Consultations will also take place with those overseeing the women’s and juniors scene, in order to ensure uniformity of practice.

Finally, it was recommended that the High Peformance Commission would adapt the following mission statement: ‘By 2012, Ireland will feature in the Olympic cycling medal table and all policies will be directed towards this aim’.

O’BRIEN THIRD IN RED BULL RAMPAGE: (By Shane Stokes Nov 10) Irish downhiller Glyn O’Brien finished an excellent third in the 2003 Red Bull Rampage race, which was held recently at the Kolob Reservoir in Virgin, Utah. The two day free-ride race saw the 27 contestants compete against each other in the red hills near Zion National Park, choosing a variety of racing lines from the 1,500 foot high starting point, and being judged according to their style, racing line, fluidity and the tricks they pulled off on the way down. With drop-offs of more than fifteen feet to contend with, the course was demanding and gave ample opportunity for the brave and skilful.

The first prize of $3,500 went to the Frenchman Cedric Gradia, who impressed the judges greatly with his run and pulled off a back flip on the way down. Second place went to the Candian Andrew Shandro, who plunged down a 25 foot drop off during his descent, while Newry’s Glyn O’Brien was a surprised third, taking $1200 after an excellent display.

“I was about to pack the bike away when I figured what the hell, I might as well see who won,” said O’Brien, describing how he found out he had finished in the top three. The result is a morale booster for the Irishman after a good season and another plus for Ireland’s flourishing downhill scene.

Red Bull Rampage 2003, Utah: 1, Cedric Gracia, 88.8 points; 2, Andrew Shandro, 84.8; 3, Glyn O’Brien (Ireland) 79.4; 4, Michal Marosi, 77. 6; 5, Steve Romaniuk, 77.2; 6, Thomas Vanderham, 76.4; 7, Greg Minnaar, 76.2; 8, Mike Kinrade, 73.6; 9, Greg Smith, 70.2; 10, Kyle Richey, 70.2

IRISH DUO KEEP OLYMPIC HOPES ALIVE: (By Shane Stokes Nov 10) An excellent performance by Tarja Owens and Jenny McCauley in the Soham E1 world-ranked race in Israel over the weekend means that the Irish duo remain on course to secure a possible Olympic place in next Summer’s Athens 2004 mountainbike event. Owens finished a fine second in the five lap, 45 kilometre women’s race, crossing the line one minute and 17 seconds behind the German winner Ivonne Kraft. McCauley was just over four minutes further back, taking a strong fourth.

Robin Seymour also rode very well in his six-lap event, finishing 5 minutes and 29 seconds behind the Swedish winner Philip Tavell to place fifth of the elite men. Richie McCauley also took part in the race, placing 19th at one lap.

Seymour is already certain of securing an Olympic place for Ireland, while Owens and McCauley are vying to get as many world ranking points as possible in order to elevate their nations ranking total to a point where a place in Athens 2004 becomes a possibility.

Next weekend’s E1 at Mount Sdom, Israel, is the final race of the season and another good ride by the Irish duo may prove to be enough. Olympic participation for an Irishwoman will be determined next Spring and will be dependant on some of the ladies who are qualified not being sent to Athens by their countries. Owens secured her Olympic place in this manner before the last Olympics, and manager Geoff Seymour expects that the same reshuffling will happen this time round.

‘For Tarja this was a very important ride in that she beat the Danish girl Mette Anderson, who is well up in the world rankings’, he said. ‘She was actually closing on the winner Ivonne Kraft towards the end of the race.' The quality of Owens’ ride can be gauged from the face that Kraft was ranked fifth in the world rankings as of October 21st, with Anderson 25th.

McCauley was 49th, Owens 55th, and Seymour was 46th in the men’s rankings on the same date.

Soham E1 XC mountainbike race, Israel: Elite men: 1, Philip Tavell (Sweden) 54 kilometres in 2 hours 9 mins 54 secs; 2, Christian Poulsen (Denmark) at 6 secs; 3, Sigvard Kukk (Estonia) at 1 min 13 secs; 4, Lubos Kondis (Slovakia) at 3 mins 57 secs; 5, Robin Seymour (Ireland) at 5 mins 29 secs; 6, Youri Trofimov (Russia) at 7 mins 33 secs; 7, Sergiy Rysenko (Ukraine) at 8 mins 28 secs; 8, Szilard Buruczki (Hungary) at 8 mins 45 secs. Other Irish: 19, Richie McCauley, at one lap

Elite women: 1, Ivonne Kraft (Germany) 45 kilometres in 2 hours 12 mins 25 secs; 2, Tarja Owens (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 1 min 17 secs; 3, Mette Anderson (Denmark) at 4 mins 58 secs; 4, Jenny McCauley (Hibernian Team Ireland) at 6 mins 20 secs; 5, Lornza Morfin (Mexico) at 6 mins 39 secs

"The Men of the Rás" Rás winners Paudie Fitzgerald, Seamus Kennedy, Brian
Connaughton, Stephen Spratt, Gene Mangan, Paul McQuaid, Mike O'Donoghue,
Billy Kerr, Sé O'Hanlon, Stephen Delaney, Peter Doyle, Colm Nulty & Colm Christle
at the launch of 'The Rás' book last night - See More Pictures Here.....

RAS BOOK LAUNCH A BIG SUCCESS: (By Shane Stokes Nov 6) Yesterday evening’s launch of Tom Daly’s fine book, ‘The Rás’ proved to be a great success, with an excellent turnout, the presence of many Rás greats and the display of priceless memorabilia combining to make this a very special evening. A veritable troop of past winners were in attendance; Paudi Fitzgerald, Seamus Kennedy, Brian Connaughton, Stephen Spratt, Gene Mangan, Paul McQuaid, Mike O'Donoghue, Billy Kerr, Sé O'Hanlon, Stephen Delaney, Peter Doyle, Colm Nulty and the first winner, Colm Christle, all came together to celebrate the launch of the publication, which has impressed many with its meticulous research, impeccable prose and fascinating pictures.

Many of those present were quick to praise the book, including the race director Dermot Dignam and the guest speaker Paul Kimmage. Kimmage, a former professional who rode three Tours de France, spoke at length about the Collins Press publication, saying that reading it has taught him much about what went on behind the scenes at the Rás. ‘I read it the other day and was fascinated. I found out the full story behind certain things, such as the NCA – CRE divide, which I never knew before’, he said. Kimmage also recounted his own experiences as an amateur and his determined goal to win the 1983 Rás, which was foiled by the excellent form of Meath rider Philip Cassidy.

FBD Milk Rás director Dermot Dignam was another who was quick to praise Tom Daly’s work, stressing the importance of an account such as this. Dignam began his association with the race as a competitor and has since overseen its progression onto the international calendar as a 2.5 ranked event. Echoing Daly’s description of the race as a unique contest, he pledged that the race would retain its character and balance, a contest where he says the well-prepared county rider will always have an important part to play.

For his part, the author was quick to applaud the role of others in helping him in his research, explaining that it was their cooperation and generous assistance which made it possible to tell the story of the race. ‘Everyone I contacted was happy to give their time, even when there were some awkward questions which had to be asked. Their help was invaluable’, he said.

Daly said that many anecdotes and accounts emerged during the research of the book but due to space constraints, some weren’t covered this time round. ‘Hopefully in the future there will be another forum to do this’, he said.

Some of the legacy of the 50 year old race was on display last night, with memorabilia such as race leaders jerseys and bikes strategically placed around the venue. The faded wool jersey worn by 1954 winner Joe O’Brien was just one example, as was the immaculately restored Raleigh bike which carried a young Stephen Roche to his first big stage race success in 1979. Roche’s fine showing in the race was an early indicator as to his promise; Tom Daly’s book tells the tale of many other riders who went on to future professional success, the unique, unmatched Rás a valuable stepping stone along the way. See more Pictures of the Ras Book Launch here

ALL IRELAND CROSS LEAGUE, ROUND 3: (By Shane Stokes Nov 6) Roger Aiken goes into this Saturday’s third round of the All Ireland cyclo-cross league with a clear lead, following his fine wins in races one and two. The Banbridge CC rider beat Team Worc’s Keith Meghen in round one, while Apollo CC’s Peter McSorley finished second to Aiken in the following week’s event.

This Saturday’s race is being held in Kilcullen and is promoted by the local Hillcrest Hire cycling club. The sign-on is at the Sport Complex in Kilcullen at noon, with the flag dropping starting one hour later; like previous events, the race is handicapped and mountainbikes can be used. Contact Liam Walker at 045 481755 for further information.

Elsewhere, the third round of the Connacht MTB league will be held near Westport on Sunday. The venue for the Covey Wheelers-promoted race is three miles outside Wesport on the Leenaun Road. Starting at 1 pm, further details on the event is available from Martin at 087 2226260.

IRISH IN IMPORTANT RACES ABROAD: (By Shane Stokes Nov 6) Irish road race silver medallist Colette Swift will line out in the women’s Tour de Okinawa on Saturday, making history as the first Irish female competitor to take part. Her race is 50 kilometres long but what it lacks in length it makes up for in difficulty, with the Corkwoman expecting a tough race. ‘The course is supposed to be very hilly so I think it is going to be really intense’.

On Sunday Eugene Moriarty, David McCann, Paul Griffin and Rory Wyley will line out in the 1.5-ranked men’s contest, a tough 200 kilometres race. ‘This is a tough race and the team are now coming to the end of a hard season, but I feel they will do well', said team manager Tony Campbell.

Meanwhile Israel is the venue for the other Irish campaign this weekend, with the moutainbike trio of Robin Seymour, Jenny McCauley and Tarja Owens all chasing world ranking points in the Soham E1 race. Seymour has already done enough to secure Olympic qualification for Ireland but despite some late-season mental tiredness, he has decided to travel out regardless.

His ticket was bought several weeks ago and he has also made a commitment to the organisers to be there. ‘I don’t really need the points and am pretty tired of all the travelling this year’, he said, ‘but I think it is important to be attend, having told the organisers I was going to take part.’

While Seymour will aim for a good ride, the stakes are somewhat higher for Owens and McCauley as Ireland’s female cross-country riders have not so far managed to secure an Olympic place. That said, a strong performance by both in Saturday’s race and next weekend’s E1 at Mount Sdom could be enough for their combined totals to see them get a place, through the team rankings. It is likely that some countries will not send their full compliment of riders to Athens 2004, in which case one of the Irish women may have the opportunity to take part.

AGM OF TRACK, WOMEN’S COMMISSION THIS WEEKEND: (By Shane Stokes Nov 6) The annual general meeting of Cycling Ireland’s women’s commission will be taking place this Saturday at the Spawell Leisure Complex, Templelogue. Starting at 10 AM, the meeting will cover a range of topics including a review of the 2003 season and a discussion of the plans for 2004. All are welcome to attend, including all women who are interested in taking up the sport. Contact Valerie Considine at 086 3825842 for details.

The same venue will host the track commission meeting one day later, where a number of elections will take place. Phil Collins (chairman), Paul Doyle (secretary), Justin McGee (technical rep), Liam Walker (riders rep) and Louise Moriarty (women’s rep) have all reaching the end of their terms. Will Byrne (treasurer) and Terry McManus (coaching) have both one year left to run in their positions.

The AGM will also see reports delivered relating to the resurfacing of the track at Sundrive road, plans for the construction of the national cycling school and a review of this season’s Alchemy plan. There will also be an overview of the programme for next year. The AGM will begin at 3.00 pm.

Finally, Cycling Ulster’s annual general meeting is to take place on Tuesday 11th, in the House of Sport, Upper Malone Road, Belfast. Beginning at 8pm, the meeting will deal with several issues including the need to appoint volunteers to the roles of Chairman and Secretary. Both Frank Campbell and Davy McCall have indicated that they are stepping down due to other commitments.

PLAN FOR POSSIBLE WORLD CUP MTB RACE IN IRELAND: (By Shane Stokes Nov 2) An ambitious plan for off-road racing was discussed at the AGM of Cycling Ireland’s mountainbike commission on Saturday, with a campaign in the pipeline to try to secure a world cup event for 2005. If successful, the event would incorporate downhill, cross-country and four cross races and would attract the cream of the world’s off-road riders to Ireland.

The layout for the bid is expected to be sent to the UCI by next month and if this is accepted as feasible, an official application will be lodged before the end of March. UCI officials would then travel to next year’s national championships in Bray, to determine if the necessary standard would be in place before final approval could be given.

‘We were out in Bray today (Sunday) to look at possible courses’, said MTB Commission chairman Geoff Seymour. ‘The UCI require countries bidding for world cup events to run cross-country, downhill and four cross races in the one venue in the year beforehand. We would do that at the nationals next July and so were looking to see where the three races could be held in Bray.’

Seymour will be staying on in his capacity as chairman and cross-country manager on the MTB commission, while Peter Popham will continue as downhill manager. There were changes to the commission at the AGM, though, with Brendan Kilbride taking over as PRO from Dave Gill, Stephen Merriman replacing Joe McCall in dealing with the area of facilities and Billy Ferguson succeeding Vincent Bradley as youth/developmental manager. Robert Lamont is responsible for junior cross country and facilities in Ulster, while Jim Smith is the assistant downhill manager.

Many points and subjects were covered at the AGM, including a review of the year, the fine achievements of the downhill riders and an update on the campaigns of Robin Seymour and elite women Tarja Owens and Jenny McCauley to reach the Olympic qualification cut-off point.

Details were also given of a new collaboration with Coillte which should result in a number of dedicated trails being set up by the forestry body. This is a big boost for the sport as it is taking mountainbiking out of the current grey area regarding permission to use mountains and forests for off-road riding.

One area of concern expressed by the delegates was a perceived lack of interest from the board of Cycling Ireland. Pointing out that the downhill riders alone had collected over one thousand UCI points this year, one of those present expressed his belief that road racing still takes far greater priority in the minds of the current board. Another commented on the absence of senior representation from CI at the meeting, something which he said backed up the initial point. ‘Neither the CEO nor the President turned up at today’s meeting. I think that says something about the level of commitment of Cycling Ireland’, he said. PJ Nolan and Stuart Hallam may feel otherwise, but it appeared that many of those at the meeting believe that mountainbike racing is regarded as the poor cousin of road racing by CI. This is clearly a perception which will need to be addressed.

Cycling Round Up

Cycling Ireland criteria for qualification of MTB riders for Athens 2004

If Ireland gains two places:

If Ireland gains one place: