Cycling Round Up

Archives: October 2003

POWER TO RETAIN CONTRACT WITH NAVIGATORS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 31) Irish professional Ciarán Power appears to be set for another season racing on the US circuit, following the news that he has signed a letter of intent to remain with the New York-based Navigators team. The double FBD Milk Rás winner has ridden for the pro outfit for the past two seasons and, according to his agent Frank Quinn, should complete the signature of his new contract in the near future.

‘We have filled out a letter of intent and are just waiting for the team to send over Ciarán’s new contract’, he said yesterday. ‘The deal is as good as done. It is likely that his programme will be very similar to this year, with a number of European races on his schedule in the spring and then a return to the US circuit after that.’

Quinn says that the 27 year old is due to go on a training camp in Spain with some of Ireland’s other Olympic hopefuls in December. ‘The team director wants him to ride well in the early races and this ties in nicely with the training camp, as he will get in some good training there.’

ORWELL ANNOUNCE NEW SPONSORS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 31) Dundrum Shopping Centre, Holfeld Engineering and The Yard Broadcasting Network were yesterday evening named as the new sponsors of the Orwell Wheelers club, following their random selection from the large number of companies in the running to become the official backers of the team.

Orwell’s drive to raise funds saw a large number of companies and individuals approached in recent weeks to take part in a novel scheme, whereby tickets would be sold for 150 euro apiece. Three of these would then be pulled from a hat to decide which backers would be named as the new sponsors of the club. A total of 101 tickets were sold, raising over 15,000 euro for Orwell Wheelers, and at yesterday evening’s draw Dundrum Shopping Centre/Glenrye Properties came out on top to become the new title sponsors.

‘This is very apt as the Shopping Centre has helped support the Stephen Roche race for many years’, said a delighted Dave Tansey.

And now for my next trick: the 1955 Ras winner Gene Mangan may 
look a little like a polished stage magician in this shot, but he was 
actually here to act as a neutral selector of the winning tickets
Mangan dips into the hat held by club president Aidan Hammond

And the new title sponsor is.....(cue dramatic drumroll)......
the Dundrum Shopping centre

A ticket bought by Holfield Engineering was next out of the hat, confirming them as the secondary sponsors of the club, while the media company The Yard Broadcasting Network completes the list of names to appear on the new-look Orwell jersey in 2004 and 2005.

‘The campaign took a lot of effort, but is one which will be of huge benefit to the club,’ said Orwell Wheelers’ Paul Tansey afterwards. ‘We are delighted with the response we got, and have raised a good bit of money to help the riders.’

The Dublin based Orwell Wheelers team is best known as having been the amateur club of Irish professionals such as the 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, Paul Kimmage and Laurence Roche. The club hopes that the new backing will help further the chances of their riders to achieve good performances in races such as the FBD Milk Rás, while also helping the club to grow in years to come.

Orwell rider Aidan Hammond is running an underage skills and games session every second Sunday in the car park of the Dundrum Shopping Centre. Open to riders from ages 7 upwards, the session is the perfect way to both enhance the safety of the young riders and also give them the opportunity to have fun on their bikes with people of a similar age. Helmets are required, and all are very welcome. More details are available from Joe Daly’s bike shop on Dundrum’s main street, or by ringing Dave at 01 2981485.

This Sunday’s session (November 2nd) starts at the usual time of 8.50 am.

SWIFT BUILDS UP FOR JAPANESE EVENT: (By Shane Stokes Oct 29) Irish road race silver medallist Colette Swift is to become the first Irishwoman to compete in the end-of-season Tour de Okinawa, following an invitation from the organisers of the race to include a woman on the squad. Swift will join Eugene Moriarty, David McCann, Paul Griffin and Rory Wyley as Irish entrants in the world-ranked event, which is taking place in early November.

The four male riders face a tough 200 kilometre contest in the 1.5 ranked contest on November 9th, while Swift’s race is one day earlier. At 50 kilometres, it is considerably shorter but takes place on a very hilly route, and so will be a tough test for the London-based Corkwoman.

‘It is a good bit shorter than what I am normally used to’, said Swift recently, ‘but it is very hilly and so will be a hard race. I am happy with the course as climbing is a strength of mine. But because it will be so intense, I have to be able to hold form and so will be working hard before travelling over to Japan.’

‘It is difficult to keep going until this time of the year but I have some great people to train with and can do a few races with men over in the UK. That will help me to keep in good condition.’

Swift has had a fine season, taking high placings in both men’s and women’s races in Ireland and the UK. She also raced in Belgium during the year. Highlights of the season included her fine eighth place on stage one of the Dunboyne 3 day, her dominant win in the Isle of Wight two day (where she took all three stages and finished nearly eight minutes clear) and, of course, her strong performance in the B world championship road race in Aigle, Switzerland, where she finished eighteenth. Her selection for Okinawa came after another good performance at the TQ Paper International 2 day, where she took third on both road stages, finished second in the points classification and fifth overall.

'The standard of women's racing in Ireland has taken big strides in the last year and we're delighted to be able to send a girl to Okinawa’, says Valerie Considine of Cycling Ireland’s Women’s Commission. ‘We wish Colette all the best and hope that Okinawa will be a standard date on the women's racing calendar in the future.’

WOMEN’S COMMISSION MEETING ON NOVEMBER 8TH: (By Shane Stokes Oct 29) Cycling Ireland’s women's commission will hold their general meeting on Saturday November 8th at the Spawell Hotel, Templeogue, starting at 10:00am. Everyone who is interested in women's cycling in Ireland is welcome to attend. A range of topics will be discussed, including a review of the 2003 season vis-à-vis performances and CI’s input into the women’s scene, plus an outline of the programme for 2004. Selection criteria, personal goals for next season, carding applications and other matters will also be covered at the meeting.

2003 saw some good progress in the women’s scene, with several newcomers taking up the sport, the TQ Paper 2 Day reaching new heights and the Irish squad performing very solidly in the B world championships. The hope is that this progress will continue in 2004, enabling the women’s scene to grow yet further.

Newcomers are very welcome to attend the meeting. More information is available from Valerie Considine at 086 3825842.

* A number of other AGM meetings will be held over the next few weeks. The MTB Commission’s AGM will take place 1st of November in the Spawell Hotel, Tempelogue, starting at 2 pm. The meeting is open to all. Contact Brendan Kilbride in Cycling Ireland (01 8551522) or Geoff Seymour (01 2863890) for more details.

November 9th sees the Track Commission’s meeting take place at the same venue, while Cycling Ulster’s AGM be held on Tuesday 11th November in the House of Sport, Upper Malone Road, Belfast. Beginning at 8 pm, the AGM will see a number of top positions come up for election. Both Frank Campbell (Chairman) and Davy McCall (Secretary) will step down due to other commitments, and so a good turnout is encouraged for the crucial voting.

Finally, Cycling Ireland’s 2003 AGM will be held in The Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, on Saturday 22nd November. The meeting will begin at 11 am while the Champions Night award presentation and dinner will be held in the same venue at 8pm. Tickets for the latter event cost €40, and are available from Cara and Brendan at Kelly Roche House (01-8551522). All tickets must be pre-booked by Friday November 14th.

* The Orwell Wheelers club will announce their new sponsors at 8 pm this Thursday evening in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Dundrum. The draw to decide the three new sponsors had been due to take place on Tuesday but was postponed. Further information on the novel sponsorship project is available from Dave Tansey at 00 353 1 2981485 (w), or from Eddy Lynch at 00353 87 2562909.

TARJA OWENS UPDATE: (By Shane Stokes Oct 29) Olympic hopeful Tarja Owens’ Athens 2004 campaign suffered a setback over the summer when she crashed and fractured her collarbone. Missing some important points-scoring opportunities, both herself Jenny McCauley now must hope that their combined end-of-year points tally will be enough to lead to qualification through the nations ranking.

Below is an update as to her progress, as she builds towards two vitally important E1 events in Israel in early November.

As you all know I broke my collar bone some 8weeks ago in the European championships. However it was decided that I should still try and race and gain as many points as possible in the circumstances.

Two weeks after the break, I lined up on the start line of the World Championships. This was psychologically hard on me as I had trained specifically for this race all year. But the good news was I did manage to score some valuable world ranking points. After this race I travelled to the last round of the World Cup series in Austria and then two international races at home, followed by an international in Holland and then Turkey.

So this weekend (bank holiday) is the first weekend that I have off racing and travelling since I broke my collar bone. Fortunately it continued to heal each week, despite putting it through racing conditions, and encouragingly in the last race in Turkey I had a good result, where I finished third. It came down to a sprint for second place and to be honest I lost my bottle a bit coming into the finish as I was being pushed into the barriers. The thought of risking a fall made me back off. In any case, it was valuable lesson in sprinting that won’t happen again.

But continuing along the complicating lines of this season so far, that is not the end of the story! After arriving home from 8wks on the road, I was looking forward to settling in to some quality hard training before the two last races of the season, which will be in Israel in November.

Taking into consideration that I race a mtb for a living, I take risks all the time and this means that falls off my bike are part of the game. As far as Olympic qualification is concerned, though, all is still not lost. These last two races are important and our world standings after these will be the deciding factor.

I will keep you all informed.  Here’s to healthy bones!  .........Tarja

BOOK REVIEW – ‘THE RAS’  (By Shane Stokes Oct 25) The rich heritage and memorable characters of the Rás Tailteann are documented and celebrated in the fine new book, ‘The Rás - the story of Ireland’s unique bike race’, by Tom Daly. Examining the reasons behind the organisation of the first 1953 race (the bitter NCA-CRE relationship is a big factor), detailing the major personalities both on and off the bike and documenting the myriad of anecdotes and stories which have occurred during the race’s 51 editions, the book will fascinate those involved in cycling, Irish sport and also anyone else with an interest in events such as the Rás.

Tom Daly’s book is clearly a labour of love, given the massive amount of research which a work such as this necessities. The list of interviewees in the dedications section is staggering, and as a result of all this painstaking information-gathering there are many fascinating stories and accounts within the three hundred-plus pages.

Read about the NCA-CRE battles and hostilities, the blacklisting of those who dared train with friends in rival federations and the highly controversial events relating to the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The feats of characters such as Joe Christle, Shay O’Hanlon, Paddy Flanagan and others are discussed, as are the great battles which have occurred over the years. The ‘Italian affair’ of 1992 also features in great length and is a reminder of how ferocious (and sour) the fight for the final yellow jersey can be.

In addition to the pictures painted in this atmospheric account, over 200 photographs illustrate the pages and depict scenes from the great race over the years. The changing look of Ireland through the ages is evident from the shots, as are the effects of time on some of the well-known faces in the sport.

The book will be officially launched in the Outback Bar, Parnell Street on November 5th but is already on sale in major bookstores and from collinspress.ie. Highly recommended to all with an interest in Irish cycling and sport itself.

Official press release:
THE RÁS – THE STORY OF IRELAND’S UNIQUE BIKE RACE by Tom Daly
ISBN: 1-903464-37-4 Price: €30.00/£20.00 Publication: October 2003
On Wednesday 5 November at 6pm, The Rás – The Story of Ireland’s Unique Bike Race by Tom Daly will be launched by Paul Kimmage, former professional cyclist and Rás man, at The Outback Bar, Parnell Street, Dublin 1. There will also be an exhibition of Rás memorabilia. If you have memorabilia you would like to have displayed, please contact Gene Mangan. If you are in town, drop in.

THE RÁS: If ever a sport mirrored Ireland’s divisions cycling does. September 1953, 52 riders at the GPO in Dublin, a wet Saturday afternoon. As they took to the roads the concept of a national Irish bike race became a reality. The Rás quickly became an enormous success. Today over 200 contestants, some professional, from many countries, compete. It is characterised by unconventional practice, spontaneity, grittiness and fierceness of competition. This book captures the spirit and essence of the Rás, its historical significance and place in Irish sporting history.
This book is full of rich personal stories of sacrifice, hardship and epic achievement. Unforgettable are the training methods and diet of Mick Murphy, Kerry’s ‘Iron Man’ in the late 1950s. Early stars, such as Gene Mangan and Shay O’Hanlon, became sporting champions but victims of the wider political situation. The eventual reunification of Irish cycling in the 1970s saw the Rás graced by a new generation of Irish cyclists: the McQuaid's, McCormack's, Kimmage's and Stephen Roche. It is now part of cycling’s calendar of elite international events. The main statistical details – winners, stage winners, yellow jersey holders, etc. – are in detailed appendices compiled by Shay O’Hanlon.

TOM DALY has had a long interest in sport, beginning with Kerry minor footballers in 1970. In 1979 he completed the first solo circumnavigation of Ireland by kayak. While he had always cycled he did not race until he was 42 and won an All-Ireland veteran’s team medal in his first race. Intrigued by the complexity of racing and the romantic spirit of the Rás, he set about documenting its history. Little did he realise the scale of the task or richness of the story.

THE BOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ALL BOOKSHOPS FROM 8 OCTOBER. Tom Daly is available for illustrated lectures on THE RÁS. For further information please contact Con Collins. Tel: 021-4347717, fax: 021-4347720, email: con.collins@collinspress.ie mobile: 087-2513922

AIKEN DEFENDS LEAD WITH FINE WIN: (By Shane Stokes Oct 27) Roger Aiken defended his lead in the All Ireland Cyclo-Cross league in the best possible way this weekend, racing to another fine victory at the end of the second race in the series. The Banbridge CC rider started up to six minutes behind some riders in Saturday's handicapped event at the Kilbroney Park venue, but he dropped the other riders in the scratch group and steadily reeled in all those in front of him. Apollo CC’s Peter McCauley was the last to resist but he too was overhauled on the final lap.

Aiken crossed the line 39 seconds ahead of McSorley, with XMTB’s Lewis Ferguson finishing 1 minute and 48 seconds behind to place 3rd for the second week running. Aiken’s team-mate Don Travers, Robert Lamont (XMTB) and Andrew McAlister (ECV) completed the top six.

Meanwhile Eoin Sheridan of MOB CC also took his second successive win, beating Banbridge’s Nathan McCormick to win the under 16 event. Andy Godfrey of XMTB also did the double, winning the under 14 race from Team WORC’s Ian Galloway, while William Boyd (XMTB) and his team-mate Jonathon Beers were the first two home in the under 12 contest.

All Ireland Cyclo-Cross league, round 2, Kilbroney Park. 1, Roger Aiken (Banbridge) 58 mins 3 secs, 2, Peter McSorley (Apollo) at 39 secs, 3, Lewis Ferguson (XMTB) at 1 min 48, 4, Don Travers (Banbridge) at 2 mins 33, 5, Robert Lamont (XMTB)at 2 mins 57, 6, Andrew McAlister (ECV) same time, 7, Matthew Ferguson (XMTB) at 3 mins 55, 8, Glen Kinning (XMTB) at 4 mins 56, 9, Eamon McConvey (unattached) at 5 mins 19, 10, Stephen O’Sullivan (Cycleways-Lee Strand) at 5 mins 30

Under 16: 1, Eoin Sheridan (MOB CC), 2, Nathan McCormick (Banbridge), 3, Alaister McSorley (Apollo), Under 14: 1, Andy Godfrey (XMTB), 2, Ian Galloway (WORC), 3, Ronan Byrne (Newry Wheelers) 

Under 12: 1, William Boyd (XMTB), 2, Jonathon Beers (XMTB), 3, Michael Gordon (XMTB)

OLYMPIC SQUAD STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE: (By Shane Stokes Oct 22) With next year’s Olympic Games now just ten months away, Cycling Ireland has begun to finalise the squad of riders from whom the team will be selected for Athens 2004. The Federation has named eight riders as what they term ‘probables’ for the Olympic slots, with the final decision to be made closer to the Games.

The form displayed this season by the top-ranked Irish professional Mark Scanlon of the Ag2r team suggests he is most likely to secure one of the places on offer. Navigators rider Ciarán Power, Ofoto Lombardia’s David O’Loughlin and Team Endurasport’s David McCann have also valuable experience of competing on the professional circuit, while Tommy Evans and Brian Kenneally have achieved considerable success in Irish jerseys in the past.

The VC La Pomme duo of Denis Lynch and Philip Deignan are the youngest of the eight but are regarded as ranking amongst Ireland’s strongest hopes for the future. Should they find good form next year, they too will be very much in the running for the coveted Olympic slots. They have one advantage over the other riders in that they have already competed on the Olympic road race circuit, having taken part in the European under 23 championships there earlier this year.

Mountainbike and track events have different qualification cut-off points and so their ‘probables’ lists have not yet been released.

The board of Cycling Ireland has also announced that Martin O’Loughlin will be the Team Manager for Athens 2004. His appointment follows the recent decision of Philip Collins to step down from the position, due to work commitments. Collins will continue to work with O’Loughlin in order to assist in the implementation of the Olympic programme, and will also remain involved in the development of the track facilities at the Eamon Ceannt Stadium, Sundrive Road.

Commenting on the announcement, Cycling Ireland said that ‘Martin O’Loughlin’s administrative capabilities and his extensive cycling knowledge will ensure that this complex task of co-ordinating Ireland’s 2004 Olympic preparation and participation will be undertaken to the highest standards.’

O’Loughlin acted as team manager to Lynch and Deignan at the European championships this summer, and so will have an understanding of the demands and peculiarities of the tough Athens course.

JACK WATSON HONOURED: (By Shane Stokes Oct 23) Jack Watson was rewarded for many years of dedicated work in cycling when he was presented with the UCI Order of Merit award at the recent UCI congress at the world championships in Hamilton, Canada.

Watson is currently the Cycling Ireland Honorary Secretary and in the past has also been President of the Federation. He is a leading member of the anti-doping teams of the UCI, the Irish Sports Council and the UK Sports Council, and is an International commissaire. Although he has spent many years in cycling, it is understood that he was stunned by the presentation, which is regarded as a major honour in the world of the sport.

Commenting on the award, CI president PJ Nolan paid tribute to Watson. ‘Cycling Ireland is very fortunate to have someone of Jack Watson’s expertise as both an administrator and as an influential figure at world level’, he said. ‘Jack’s contribution to Irish cycling is and has been immense, at great personal cost to himself, and, in my relatively short time as President, he has been invaluable to sustaining and developing the sport’.

TRACK COMMISSION OFFICIALS FOR RE-ELECTION: (By Shane Stokes Oct 23) Some of the chief positions in Cycling Ireland’s track commission will be up for election at its annual general meeting on November 9th, with Phil Collins (chairman), Paul Doyle (secretary), Justin McGee (technical rep), Liam Walker (riders rep) and Louise Moriarty (women’s rep) all reaching the end of their terms. Will Byrne (treasurer) and Terry McManus (coaching) have both one year left to run in their positions.

Phil Collins and Paul Doyle had agreed to one-year stints at the AGM last year and while Doyle’s intentions are unknown, Collins has indicated that he will not stand again due to work commitments. He will however continue to have a role in the area, focussing on the development of the new national cycling school and the existing velodrome at the Sundrive Road venue in Kimmage, Dublin, plus assisting Olympic manager Martin O’Loughlin in the build-up to the Games.

‘There will be a number of things covered at the AGM’, Collins told IrishCycling.com this evening. ‘The annual reports will start the proceedings and will include a review of the Alchemy plan this season. There will be the latest update on the things at Sundrive Road and also an overview of the programme for next year. We are hoping to get a good turnout and everyone who is interested is very welcome to attend.’

The AGM will begin at 3.30 on Sunday November 9th and will be held in the Spawell complex in Templelogue.

NOVEL SPONSORSHIP APPROACH BY ORWELL WHEELERS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 22) The new sponsors of the Dublin-based Orwell Wheelers club will be revealed at a draw next Tuesday (October 28th) in Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Dundrum. In what is seen as a novel way to secure backing, the club has been selling tickets to companies and individuals in recent weeks, with contributors paying 150 euro for the chance to be one of three club sponsors for the period 2004 and 2005.

Limited to 150 participants, first prize in the draw will see the company or individual concerned become the title sponsor of the club, commanding a prominent position on club gear and being named as the backers of teams in events such as the FBD Milk Rás, the Rás Mumhan and the Gorey 3 day. Second and third prizes will also secure a place on club clothing, thus providing important exposure for the sponsors concerned.

‘It has been pretty positive so far, there seems to be a lot of people interested’, says Orwell’s Dave Tansey. ‘There seems to be a lot of support from local businesses. As far as I know the idea is new to cycling – my brother Paul suggested it to us, I think he heard that a GAA club had done it in the past.’

‘I think we should sell 100 tickets, but am hopeful that we might achieve a bit more than that. There are people due to get back to us, the deadline is just before the draw next Tuesday. Of course, if anyone else is interested in getting involved we would be delighted to hear from them. The plan is to use the money raised to back teams in big races. We are hoping to also use it to hold a couple of couple of coaching weekends and also perhaps to run some fitness tests for club members. That would be of benefit to everyone in the club, not just those who are already racing.’

Further information is available from Dave Tansey at 01 2981485 (w), or from Eddy Lynch at 087 2562909.

SECOND ROUND OF CYCLO-CROSS LEAGUE THIS SATURDAY: (By Shane Stokes Oct 22) The second round of Cycling Ireland’s national cyclo-cross league will take place this Saturday at the new venue of Kilbroney park, Rostrevor. Promoted by Newry Wheelers, sign-on will begin at 11am, with underage races starting at noon and the seniors beginning their tussle one hour later.

The race takes place on a 1 kilometre circuit, the course having been used for four Irish championships in the late 90’s. The main event will see the race divided into four, with the scratch group chasing those sent off early. Mountainbikes are permitted but will not count towards the league.

Last week’s first round had a healthy turnout of over forty riders, but more are expected this time round. Banbridge CC’s Roger Aiken raced to a fine win last Saturday, ahead of Team WORC’s Keith Meghen and the promising junior rider Lewis Ferguson (XMTB).

MANCHESTER VELODROME WEEKENDS BEGIN: (By Shane Stokes Oct 22) The Tilechoice Deeside/Murphy and Gunn club will this Saturday and Sunday run the first of their four track weekends at Manchester Velodrome. Those taking part will meet at Dun Laoghaire port at 9 am on Saturday, arriving at Holyhead at 12.30 pm and then heading by coach to Manchester track. A four hour coaching session will then follow, with qualified track coaches overseeing riders of all abilities as they get to grips with the demands of the track. These coaches have worked with former world champions and so will give top-notch advice and guidance to the riders, who can ride for as long or short as they like. There will also be a limited number of non-participants heading over to watch from the trackside.

‘These weekends prove a great source of distraction from winter training as well as providing a great source of speed training, but without mudguards, capes and overshoes’, says the club in its official press release.

Following the first session, the group will head to a restaurant for the evening meal (cost of £15 stg), after which a video of the day’s session will be shown at the hotel. An open discussion will follow. On Sunday the riders will spend a similar amount of time on the track, with the use of starting gates available to accredited cyclists. After lunch, the group will leave for Holyhead and their 6.30 pm departure.

While the first trip is likely to be full, the sessions will be repeated in the last weekend of November, December and January. The cost is £200 for riders, while a limited number of places for non-participants will cost £150.

More information and booking forms are available from Mark Colbert (086 2428305, mcolbert@mgunn.ie) or John Blackwell (087 9057771).

McCANN’S 25 MILE RECORD RATIFIED: (By Shane Stokes Oct 19) Team Endurasport rider David McCann has been confirmed as the new 25 mile record holder by Cycling Ireland, following the ratification of the time set by him in August of this year. McCann became the first Irish rider to break the fifty minute barrier when he recorded a time of 49 minutes 54 seconds in the Ulster TT league event on August 7th.

The new standard has been accepted by Cycling Ireland following a re-measurement of the course in recent weeks, thus improving on the time set by Phil Collins (Amev-IRC) in 1995. McCann’s ride was on the same Moira-Nutts course where his brother Cormac set the record many years earlier.

Also ratified by Cycling Ireland was the Veteran’s 25 record set by Jim McConnell (East Antrim), who posted a time of 54 minutes 39 seconds on the same night. This was six seconds faster than the old record.

AIKEN TAKES ROUND ONE: (By Shane Stokes Oct 19) Banbridge CC’s Roger Aiken seized the early lead in the All-Ireland cyclo-cross league in Lurgan Park on Saturday when he raced to a fine win in the seven-lap race. The Banbridge CC rider crossed the line 41 seconds clear of Team WORC’s Keith Meghen, who in turn was 35 seconds clear of XMTB junior Lewis Ferguson.

Forty riders took to the start in the handcapped event, with Aiken and the three other scratch riders starting five minutes behind the front group. By the halfway stage he had overhauled all bar Apollo’s Cameron Burns, who was making a valiant effort to stay clear. Aiken finally made the junction on the penultimate lap and pressed on to take the victory, while Meghen, Ferguson, and Apollo team-mates Peter McSorley and Andy Layhe were next across the line.

Jonathan Beers (XMTB), Andrew Godfrey (XMTB) and MOB’s Eoin Sheridan were best in the underage events.

The second round of the series takes place next Saturday at Newry. The All-Ireland championships will be held in Powerscourt Estate on December 6th.

All Ireland Cyclo-cross league round 1, Lurgan: 1, Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC) 44 mins 8 secs; 2, K. Meghen (Team WORC) at 41 secs; 3, L. Ferguson (XMTB) at 1 min 15 secs; 4, P. McSorley (Apollo) at 1 min 19 secs; 5, A. Layhe (Apollo) at 1 min 4 secs; 6, M. Murray (Clann Eireann) at 1 min 56 secs; 7, C. Burns (Apollo) at 2 mins 3 secs; 8, T. Hare (Apollo) at 2 mins 8 secs; 9, D. Travers (Banbridge CC) at 2 mins 12 secs; 10, A. McAlister (Team WORC) at 2 mins 14 secs

Underage: U/12: 1, Jonathon Beers (XMTB); 2, W. Boyd (XMTB); 3, M. Runciman (Banbridge CC), U/14: 1, Andrew Godfrey (XMTB); 2, I. Galloway (Team WORC); 3, M. Casey (Team WORC), U/16: 1, Eoin Sheridan (MOB CC); 2, A. McSorley (Apollo CC); 3, M. McCormic (Banbridge CC)

All-Ireland league 2003, remaining fixtures: Round 2: Newry, October 25th, Round 3: Kilcullen, November 9th, Round 4: Banbridge, November 15th, Round 5: Bangor, November 29th - Non-league event: CI All Ireland Championships, Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow, December 6th

SEYMOUR RIDES WELL ON OLYMPIC COURSE: (By Shane Stokes Oct 19) Irish champion Robin Seymour today placed a fine seventh in the world-ranked Evathlon E1 race in Konitsa, Greece, which was held on the course for next year’s Olympic Games. The event was won by Great Britain’s Liam Kileen who beat Dutchman Bart Brentjens to the line. Seymour’s fine seventh place added further to his UCI points total for 2003, a world-ranking level which was confirmed in recent days as being high enough to ensure Olympic qualification for Ireland.

TRACK RESURFACING UNDERWAY: (By Shane Stokes Oct 16) Resurfacing of the Eamon Ceannt velodrome in Kimmage has finally got underway, after delays relating to the contracting of the work and, more recently, complications relating to the design and method of resurfacing. Rough areas on the track have recently been stripped down to a depth of several centimetres and these portions will be resurfaced before a special finishing coating is applied to the whole track.

The work is being carried out by the contractors SM Morris, who are best known for roads and motorway contracts in Ireland and the UK. Specialists from the UK will be brought in to apply the special coating agent and so complete the resurfacing. All improvement work on the track is expected to be completed in two to three weeks, weather permitting.

Phase two of the capital programme will see building on a site adjacent to the track, transforming an existing building into Cycling Ireland's National Cycling School. With the necessary safety certification in place and planning permission obtained, tenders are now being sought for the construction, which is scheduled to start at the end of November.

This project and other details will be discussed at the AGM of Cycling Ireland’s track commission, which will be held in the Spawell Complex in Templeogue on Sunday November 9th, starting at 3 pm. All are welcome. Contact Will Byrne on 086 8047839 for further information.

SEYMOUR CERTAIN OF OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION: (By Shane Stokes Oct 15) Irish mountainbike champion Robin Seymour is now certain of qualifying Ireland for a place in next year’s Olympic Games, following a fine seventh place finish in last weekend’s International Alanya Mountain Bike Cup in Turkey. Seymour’s high placing earned him eighteen world ranking points, increasing his total to 484 for the season and ensuring he is comfortably inside the world’s top fifty riders.

The points total ensures that even if Seymour were to fail to score points in his remaining three events and so drift outside the world’s top fifty, he would nevertheless qualify under the nations’ ranking. His total means that Ireland is currently 18th with the top 22 to qualify.

Tarja Owens and Jenny McCauley are trying to secure one Olympic place under this latter system, and made their tough task a little easier with excellent performances in the women’s race at the weekend. Owens came to the finish with three riders and narrowly missed out on second place in the ensuing sprint, while McCauley was four minutes further back in fourth place. They took 30 and 26 world ranking points respectively, adding to those obtained from their 11th (McCauley) and 15th (Owens) placings in the previous weekend’s Holland Casino Hondsrug Classic E1 event in Geiten, the Netherlands.

Their combined points total puts them 20th in the world rankings, with Olympic qualification theoretically possible should they edge up to 16th. While this is a tough task, their chances have been helped somewhat by Owens’ recovery from a collarbone fracture. Last Sunday’s race was the first time she has been able to ride strongly since the injury-causing crash in the European championships.

Next up for Seymour is an E1 on the Olympic course in Greece this weekend. Owens and McCauley must wait until next month before their final two races, the season-closing Soham event on November 8th and the Mount Sdom Bike contest one week later. Both are E1 events and are taking place in Israel.

* A general meeting of the MTB Commission will take pace on the 1st of November in the Spawell Hotel, Tempelogue. Starting at 2 pm, the meeting is open to all. Contact Brendan Kilbride in Cycling Ireland (01 8551522) or Geoff Seymour (01 2863890).

ASTARLOA SURPRISES FAVOURITES, SCANLON A FINE 67th: (By Shane Stokes Oct 12) Spanish rider Igor Astarloa was the surprise winner of the Elite men’s road race at the world championships in Hamilton, Canada, this evening, soloing in alone to an ecstatic victory at the end of a thrill-packed 258 kilometre race. Astarloa was one of six riders who ripped clear of the main bunch on the final lap, jumping away with pre-race favourites Paolo Bettini, Peter Van Petegem and Michael Boogerd, the 1998 champion Oscar Camenzind and Bo Hamburger to open up a fluctuating lead over the main bunch.

The Spanish one-day specialist made his solo move on the last hill of the race, picking his moment perfectly to forge clear of the leading group, which was looking certain to be caught by the main bunch. Astarloa climbed powerfully up the slopes to open what was a race-winning lead, cresting the summit with a decent lead and then speeding down towards the line to finish five seconds clear of compatriot Alejandro Valverde, Van Petegem and Bettini. Boogerd and Hamburger were a further second back, while Camenzind crashed on the final corner and lost a certain top seven finish.

Irish neo-pro Mark Scanlon impressed greatly with a solid ride in what was his first elite world championship, riding well throughout the difficult race. He was in the middle of the main bunch going onto the final lap and eventually finished just 42 seconds behind Astarloa in 67th place. The calibre of his performance can be measured by the fact that big names such as David Millar (86th) and Levi Leipheimer (92nd) finished over four and a half minutes down. Scanlon turned 23 two days ago and considering the fine ride he posted this evening, will now go into the off-season with increasing confidence that a big future surely lies in store.

World Road Race Championships, Hamilton, Canada: Elite Men’s Road Race: 1, Igor Astarloa (Spain) 258.3 kilometres in 6 hours 30 mins 19 secs; 2, A. Valverde Belmonte (Spain) at 5 secs; 3, P. Van Petegem (Belgium); 4, P. Bettini (Italy) both same time; 5, M. Boogerd (Netherlands) at 6 secs; 6, B. Hamburger (Denmark); 7, M. Barry (Canada) both same time; 8, L. Paolini (Italy) at 12 secs; 9, O. Freire Gomez (Spain); 10, J. Tombak (Estonia); 11, E. Zabel (Germany); 12, A. Davis (Australia) all same time.  Irish: 67, M. Scanlon, at 42 secs

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR JENNINGS AS LJUNGSKOG DEFENDS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 11) French legend Jeannie Longo went frustratingly close to taking her fourteenth world championship gold medal today in the women’s road race in Hamilton, Canada, breaking clear alone with twenty kilometres remaining and riding superbly to fend off the many efforts to bridge the gap. The 44 year old was finally recaptured inside the final few hundred metres, paving the way for a victory by defending champion Susanne Ljungskog of Sweden. Mirjam Melchers of the Netherlands was a close second while World Cup winner Nicole Cooke of Wales finished third, adding bronze to the four gold medals she took as a junior.

There was no joy for Ireland’s Sinead Jennings, the rower who had beat off Ireland’s female riders to secure her slot in the championships. She dropped out of the race in the early stages.

1998 junior champion Mark Scanlon concludes Ireland’s campaign tomorrow when he lines out in the Elite men’s road race. The contest will run over 21 laps of the difficult course, totalling 260 kilometres.

Elite women’s road race: 1, Susanne Ljungskog (Sweden) 124 kilometres in 3 hours 16 mins 6 secs (37.94 km/h); 2, M. Melchers (Netherlands); 3, N. Cooke (Great Britain); 4, E. Pucinskaite (Lithuania); 5, O. Zabelinskaia (Russia); 6, J. Longo Ciprelli (France) at 4 secs.  Irish: S. Jennings, DNF

NO IRISH FINISHERS IN JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPS, REUS WINS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 11) There was big disappointment today for the Irish squad in the junior road race at the world championships in Hamilton, Canada. Theo Hardwick, Mark Cassidy, Barry Woods and Paul Brady were hoping for a strong ride but all were listed as non-finishers by the end of the tough 124 kilometre race. Hardwick crashed out in a big spill on the first lap while trying to avoid a fallen rider, while Brady actually completed the course but was one of several riders who was outside the time limit.

The junior road race was won by Dutchman Kai Reus, who had given an indication of his talent when he was dominant winner of the M. Donnelly Junior Tour in Waterford in early August. Reus closed up to a small breakaway on the last of ten laps today and then jumped clear with four kilometres remaining, soloing in to an excellent fourteen second win.

Danish rider Anders Lund and Czech Lukaz Fuz were quickest in the 42-rider bunch sprint, taking silver and bronze.

Hardwick had been seen as the Irish rider most likely to ride well on Hamilton’s tough parcours, but his race came to an end after just ten kilometres. Visibility was down due to the heavy mist shrouding the course and together with damp roads, the conditions produced a series of crashes. Canadian rider Kevin Lacombe lost control of his bike on the fast James Mountain Road Descent, sliding off into metal control barriers and sustaining head injuries. Hardwick fell in trying to avoid Lacombe, slipping on a damp, painted stripe on the road. He was not badly injured but his race was over.

"We were going quite fast, well over 70k an hour I'd say," Hardwick told journalists after the race. "There was a Canadian guy who went down in front of me and I was trying to avoid him. It was quite wet."

World road championships, Hamilton, Canada. Junior road race: 1, Kai Reus (Netherlands) 124 kilometres in 3 hours 1 min 30 secs; 2, A. Lund (Denmark) at 14 secs; 3, L. Fus (Czech Republic); 4, J. J. Rojas Gil (Spain); 5, J. Lindgren (Sweden); 6, P. Jacobs (Belgium) all same time.  Irish: DNF: T. Hardwick; B. Woods; M. Cassidy; P. Brady (outside time limit)

ROCHE 29th IN U23 WORLD CHAMPS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 10) Irish cyclist Nicolas Roche had a good ride in the under 23 world road championships this evening, finishing in the main bunch just nine seconds behind race winner Sergey Lagutin of Uzbekistan. Nicolas, the son of the 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, came to the finish in a 43-man bunch sprinting for tenth, crossing the line in a fine 29th place.

The ride is all the more notable as Roche is only in his first year out of the junior ranks, and is therefore competing against riders who are up to three years older than him.

His team-mates Philip Deignan and Denis Lynch also rode well to finish in the same bunch, placing 47th and 55th in the difficult race and so ensuring that Ireland was one of the only countries to place each of their riders in the top 60.

Given the number who either finished off the pace or dropped out of the race, this evening's display is an encouraging one for Irish cycling and gives hopes for the years ahead.

Race winner Lagutin was part of a nine man group which sprinted it out for the right to wear the coveted rainbow jersey, with the Uzbek getting the better of the impressive Belgian Johan Van Summeren and Dutchman Thomas Dekker at the end of the 174 kilometre race.

Next up of the Hibernian Team Ireland squad are Theo Hardwick, Barry Woods, Mark Cassidy and Paul Brady, who line out in tomorrow's junior road race and rower-turned-rider Sinead Jennings, who competes with the world's top female cyclists in the elite women's event. Both contests are ten laps and 124 kilometres in length.

World road championships, Hamilton, Canada. Espoirs Men Road Race: 1, Sergey Lagutin (Uzbekistan) 174 kilometres in 4 hours 14 mins 5 secs; 2, J. Van Summeren (Belgium); 3, T. Dekker (Netherlands); 4, J. Renders (Belgium); 5, M. Mugerli (Slovenia); 6, A. Bazenov (Russia) all same time.  Irish: 29, N. Roche; 47, P. Deignan; 55, D. Lynch, all at 9 secs

McCANN GOES CLOSE TO OLYMPIC PLACE: (By Shane Stokes Oct 9) Irish rider David McCann performed above expectations against a field of more established professionals in the elite time trial at the world championships in Hamilton this evening, finishing 26th of 44 starters in the difficult 41.6 kilometre test. McCann finished 3 minutes and 42 seconds off the winning time set by Scottish rider David Millar and will be pleased with what was a very solid ride at this level.

To put McCann’s ride into context, he finished just 34 seconds off the time set by Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel, who is tipped by some as a future winner of the Tour de France. McCann finished fifty seconds ahead of Victor Hugo Pena, who held the yellow jersey during this year’s Tour, and so he will return to Ireland satisfied with his performance. However he was just outside his stated goal of finishing inside the top fifteen nations, ending up eighteenth and so narrowly missing out on Olympic qualification.

The winner of the gold medal was Scottish rider David Millar, who exorcised the ghost of his narrow defeat to Jan Ullrich in Lisbon two years ago. The Scottish rider stormed to victory in the difficult 41.6 kilometre test, setting a searing pace which was clearly faster than all of his rivals, eventually finishing with a one minute and twenty-five second margin over silver medallist Michael Rogers of Australia. German rider Uwe Peschel was just over half a second further back in third.

World road championships, Hamilton, Canada. Elite time trial: 1 David Millar (GBr) 41.6 kilometres in 51 minutes 17.29 secs; 2, M. Rogers (Australia) at 1 min 25.09 secs; 3, U. Peschel (Germany) at 1 min 25.65 secs; 4, M. Rich (Germany) at 1 min 35.7 secs; 5, I. Nozal (Spain) at 1 min 39.5 secs; 6, D. Frigo (Italy) at 1 min 51.5 secs.  Irish: 26, D. McCann, at 3 mins 41.5

McQUAID FOR UCI PRESIDENT ROLE?: (By Shane Stokes Oct 9) Irishman Pat McQuaid took a big step forward towards his goal of becoming president of cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, when he was nominated today by their management committee to replace current chief Hein Verbruggen in two year’s time. Verbruggen is expected to step down in 2005 and although McQuaid’s bid would depend on a successful vote at congress, the news is very significant.

‘There is not much I can officially say at the moment,’ said McQuaid, when contacted at the world championships in Hamilton, Canada. ‘I would hope if the current president steps down, as the current indications are, that I would be a candidate and that I would go on to be president. That’s really all I can say for now.’

McQuaid was in the past a successful Irish international rider, representing the country at races such as the Olympic games. More recently, he has been a successful race promoter and a member of UCI’s management committee. He is also the current president of the UCI’s road committee.

WOMEN’S LEAGUE PRIZE PRESENTATION: (By Shane Stokes Oct 9) The prize presentation of the women’s league took place on Sunday evening in Dublin, with many of the Irish contestants from the TQ Paper International putting off their well deserved feet-up-on-the-couch until the following day. The presentation was an enjoyable occasion which underlined the camaraderie in the women’s scene and also the energy and commitment which, if fully supported by Cycling Ireland, would bode well for the future of this category.

The women’s league was backed by main sponsor Louis Moriarty, who contributed a sizeable amount to enable it to take place, and also by Stagg’s Cycles and Usher Insulations. There was a fine range of prizes awarded on Sunday; Siobhan Jacob pipped Usher IRC team-mate Roisin Kennedy and Dublin Skip’s Louise Moriarty to take the top prize in the league, with Orwell’s Orla Hendron and Karen Bothwell fourth and fifth. Susan O’Mara of Dublin Wheelers finished sixth overall.

There were a number of other awards made on the night. Emma Quirke (McNally Swords) was named as the best newcomer, while Roisin Kennedy, Siobhan Jacobs and Orla Hendron shared the prize for turning out at the most races. There was also a number of presentations made relating to the TQ Paper International, which this year was a huge success.

League organiser Valerie Considine spoke of her wish that the women’s scene will continue to grow. ‘Things have moved forward this year and it shows what can be achieved. The league got some new women into the sport, we had girls which rode very well at the world B championships and the TQ Paper race was fantastic. Hopefully things will continue to progress from here.’

Prizewinners: Women’s league final overall standings: 1, Siobhan Jacobs (Usher IRC) 66 points, 2, Roisin Kennedy (Usher IRC) 60, 3, Louise Moriarty (Dublin Skip) 52, 4, O. Hendron (Orwell Wheelers), 51, 5, K. Bothwell (Orwell Wheelers) 45, 6, S. O’Mara (Dublin Wheelers) 31 Best newcomer: Emma Quirke (McNally Swords) Most races: Kennedy, Jacobs, Hendron

JENNINGS POSTS RESPECTABLE RIDE IN WORLD CHAMPS TT: (By Shane Stokes Oct 8) Former world rowing champion Sinead Jennings had a respectable ride in the time trial event of cycling’s road race championships this evening, finishing 35th in the 20.8 kilometre race against the clock. She was 3 minutes 38 seconds off the winning time set by Spanish winner Joana Somarraiba Arrola but clearly has an aptitude for the sport, given this was her first time at anything approaching this level of competition.

The former triathlete returned to cycling several weeks ago when her rowing season ended, securing her ride in Hamilton when she won the Irish qualification event for the world championships. This evening’s display suggests that if she applied herself to the sport, a good future could be in store, although in the short term rowing remains her main focus with Athens 2004 on the horizon.

The Elite women’s time trial saw an exciting tussle between Somarriba and Germany’s Judith Arndt. Arndt was 22 seconds down after just eight kilometres, but narrowed the gap all the way to the line. She finished just under eleven seconds down, with defending champion Zoulfia Zabirova taking bronze.

Next up of the Irish is David McCann, who lines out against some of the world’s top professionals in tomorrow’s elite men’s time trial.

Elite Women’s Time Trial: 1, Joana Somarriba Arrola (Spain) 20.8 kilometres in 28 mins 23.23 secs (43.96 km/h); 2, J. Arndt (Germany) at 10.78 secs; 3, Z. Zabirova (Russia) at 26.25 secs; 4, K. Thürig (Switzerland) at 27.13 secs; 5, G. Jeanson (Canada) at 48.49 secs; 6, J. Longo Ciprelli (France) at 58.95 secs

Irish: 35, S. Jennings, at 3 mins 37.98 secs

NO JOY FOR IRISH JUNIORS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 8) Irish juniors Theo Hardwick and Barry Woods had a tough time of it in the junior time trial at the world cycling championships in Hamilton, Canada, this evening. Hardwick was 51st in the 20.8 kilometre individual race against the clock, finishing two minutes and 25 seconds behind the defending champion Mickhail Ignatiev of Russia. Barry Woods was ten places further back in 61st, three minutes and 44 seconds off the winning time.

Ignatiev beat Ukrainian rider Dmytro Grabovskyy by 21 seconds to repeat his 2002 win, while Swedish rider Viktor Renäng was just over a second further back in third. M. Donnelly Junior Tour winner Kai Reus was expected to shine but the Dutch rider finished off the pace in 20th.

Next up of the Irish is the 2001 world rowing champion Sinead Jennings, who earned her place in this evening’s 20.8 kilometre elite women’s time trial when she won the recent. Irish qualification event. Although she was a triathlete some years ago she has little experience of cycling at this level, but nevertheless is seen as a rider with a lot of potential. She is hoping for a strong ride this evening.

World road championships, Hamilton, Canada. Junior men’s time trial: 1, Mikhail Ignatiev (Russia) 20.8 kilometres in 27 mins 1.88 secs (46.193 km/h); 2, D. Grabovskyy (Ukraine) at 21.27 secs; 3, V. Renäng (Sweden) at 22.5 secs; 4, D. Cornu (Belgium) at 27.45 secs; 5, W. Walker (Australia) at 46.11 secs

Irish: 51, T. Hardwick, at 2 mins 25.42 secs; 61, B. Woods, at 3 mins 44.24 secs

ROCHE GETS IRISH CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY: (By Shane Stokes Oct 7) First year senior Nicolas Roche got the Irish world championship campaign underway this evening in Hamilton, Canada, placing 29th in the under 23 time trial. Roche finished 2 minutes and 56 seconds behind the German winner Marcus Fothen at the end of the tough 30 kilometre test, which saw the riders crest the steep climb of the Niagara Escarpment on each of the two laps.

Fothen raced around the course in an excellent time of 38 minutes and 35 seconds, nineteen seconds faster than silver medallist Niels Scheuneman of the Netherlands and a further two seconds quicker than Russian rider Alexandr Bespalov.

Roche’s next race is the under 23 road race on Friday, where he will join team-mates Philip Deignan and Denis Lynch in the 173 kilometre event. Deignan’s confidence will be high after his excellent seventh place in the Nella/Cramaro World Cycling Grand Prix on Sunday, the final warm-up event before the world championships. He finished two minutes and one second behind the Belgian winner Preben Van Hecke in the gruelling four-hour race.

Next up of the Irish riders in the world championships is Sinead Jennings, who will line out in the elite women’s time trial tomorrow. The juniors Theo Hardwick and Barry Woods also race against the clock on the same 20.8 kilometre course, which is slightly different to that used by the under 23 riders this evening.

ROCHE GETS IRISH CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY: (By Shane Stokes Oct 7) Nicolas Roche today gets the Irish campaign underway at the world cycling championships in Hamilton, Canada, when he lines out in the 30.8 kilometre individual time trial for under 23 riders. The race against the clock takes in two laps of the short-course circuit in Hamilton, cresting the tough climb of the Niagara Escarpment before plunging downhill to the start/finish in front of Hamilton's city hall. Roche has been in good form of late and while he is just one year out of the junior (under 18) ranks, he will hope for a respectable showing today.

He is the son of the 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, and is regarded as one of Irish cycling's big hopes for the future.

Next up in the time trial events will be the 2001 world rowing champion Sinead Jennings, who goes as Ireland’s representative in tomorrow elite women’s contest. The juniors Theo Hardwick and Barry Woods also race against the clock on the same 20.8 kilometre course, while David McCann will wear the green jersey in the elite men’s time trial on Thursday. The programme of road races will then begin on Friday when Roche, Denis Lynch and Philip Deignan go in the 173 kilometre under 23 event, which takes place over 14 laps of the gruelling, hilly course.

On Saturday Hardwick, Woods, Paul Brady and Mark Cassidy line out in the junior contest while Sinead Jennings takes part in the elite women’s road race, both of which are 124 kilometres long. Finally, Mark Scanlon will represent Irish hopes in Sunday’s elite men’s race, which is 21 laps and 260 kilometres in length. He is aiming to finish what is expected to be a very tough race, with the riders having to scale the tough Niagara Escarpment a staggering 42 times.

HUNTER DOMINATES TQ PAPER INTERNATIONAL: (By Shane Stokes Oct 5) Race leader Angela Hunter stamped her authority on the final stage of the TQ Paper International Ladies two-day today, continuing her dominant showing in the race. Hunter won both of yesterday’s stages, a 64 kilometre road race and a 2 kilometre time trial, and today capped off her overall victory in great style when she sprinted home first at the end of the concluding 74 kilometre third stage. Full Report Here... See More Pictures Here.....

FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: (By Shane Stokes Oct 3) Nine of the ten riders on the Irish team for this year’s world road race championships depart tomorrow morning for the Canadian city of Hamilton, where the six days of racing are taking place. The squad will have three days to settle in before the races get underway with the time trials for junior women and under 23 riders on Tuesday.

Nicolas Roche will get the Irish campaign underway in the latter event, a 30.8 kilometre time trial. The 2001 world rowing champion Sinead Jennings goes as Ireland’s representative in the following day’s elite women’s TT, while juniors Theo Hardwick and Barry Woods also race against the clock on the same 20.8 kilometre course that day. Thursday’s elite men’s time trial takes place over two laps of the circuit and will see David McCann lining out against the top pros. He is aiming for the difficult goal of finishing inside the top 15 nations, and so securing Irish qualification for next year’s Olympics time trial.

The programme of road races begin on Friday. Roche, Denis Lynch and Philip Deignan are aiming for a strong performance in the 173 kilometre under 23 event, which takes place over 14 laps of the gruelling, hilly course. On Saturday Hardwick, Woods, Paul Brady and Mark Cassidy line out in the junior contest while Sinead Jennings takes part in the elite women’s road race, both of which are 124 kilometres long.

The climax of the week is next Sunday’s elite men’s race, which is 21 laps and 260 kilometres in length and sees the riders grind up the tough Niagara Escarpment a staggering 42 times. First division professional Mark Scanlon is the Irish competitor in this race and is hoping to cap off his fine debut season with a good ride. Scanlon has his final warm-up this weekend in the Paris-Tours classic race, and will fly out to Hamilton on Monday.

TQ PAPER INTERNATIONAL IS GO: (By Shane Stokes Oct 3) History will be made tomorrow when the biggest ever women’s field lines out for a race in Ireland. Over 70 riders are making the journey for the start of the TQ Paper International 2 day, including riders from Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

The action begins at 11 am tomorrow morning with a flat 64 kilometre circuit race. This takes in eight laps of the Boot Inn circuit near Dublin Airport and most likely to end in a bunch sprint. The riders then tackle a flat 2 kilometre time trial in the afternoon, a test which should act as a better pointer as to which riders have a chance of carrying off the final yellow jersey.

Sunday’s second day of competition is over a tough 74 kilometre course, winding out through the Naul, Stamullen and Ballyboughal villages and taking in several climbs along the way. The stage gives ample opportunity for attack and so a real shake-up is expected, with the top contenders scrapping it out all the way to the line.

Of those contenders, eyes will be on the Dutch Moving Ladies Groenewoud team due to their success in the last two editions of the race. While their double winner Esther Van Der Helm is not competing this time around, riders Sharon Van Essen, Inge Klep and Judith Helmink have all ridden well in the past and should be in the running. Van Essen was fourth last year, Klep took fifth overall plus a stage win, while Helmink was sixth overall in 2001. There is also a second Dutch squad with four riders lining out in the colours of the District Noord-Holland team, the German team RC Charlottenburg – Berlin, plus six teams from Britain.

Faced with a daunting international challenge, the selectors have in response picked strong Irish and Leinster teams. The national side comprises Louise Moriarty, Collette Swift, Kate Rudd, Karen Bothwell, Marie O’Reilly and Gillian McDarby. The Leinster squad is also a good one, with Cycing Ireland Women’s League winner Siobhan Jacobs, Roisin Kennedy, Beth McCluskey, Orla Hendron, and Susan O’Mara all confirmed. 2001 world rowing champion Sinead Jennings was also due to be on the team but she leaves tomorrow with the rest of the Irish squad for the world championships in Hamilton, Canada.

Previous winners: 

• 1992 - Claire Moore (Cidona Carrick)

• 1993 - Claire Moore (Traynors Solicitors)

• 1994 - Marie Purvis (Isle of Man)

• 1995 - Helena Kinsella (Dublin Wheelers)

• 1996 - Angela Hunter, (New Brighton CC)

• 1997 - Susan O'Mara, (Dublin Wheelers CC)

• 1998 - Claire Moore, (Irish Road Club)

• 1999 - Louise Jones, (Team Rudy Project (UK))

• 2000 - Julie Hooper, (Womens Cycle Racing Association, (UK))

• 2001 - Esther van der Helm, (Moving Ladies Groenewoud (NED))

• 2002 - Esther van der Helm, (Moving Ladies Groenewoud (NED))

Course details, complete rider list and more details available at http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~carolanb/tqp/

TALENT SPOT SKILLS COMPETITION THIS WEEKEND: (By Shane Stokes Oct 3) Cycling Ireland will hold their ‘Talent Spot’ skills competition for underage cyclists in Ballinrobe, County Mayo this weekend. Designed by youth development officer Padraig Marrey, the competition will test skills such as slalom, team pursuit racing, points, mixed races plus technical events. The aim is to encourage the enjoyment of the sport and so the races are open to everyone, regardless of fitness levels and type of bicycle. More details are available from Padraig Marrey at 087 7992857.

The full press release is as follows:

‘Cycling Ireland will hold a new skills competition for cyclists under fourteen years of age in Ballinrobe County Mayo on 4th and 5th of October. The event is being promoted by Western Lakes Cycling Club who have been to the forefront in Youth Development in the recent past.

The new competition has been designed by Cycling Ireland’s Development Officer Padraig Marrey and will give young cyclists an opportunity to improve their skill levels in a team situation. This is very important for young cyclists to realise that individual success at underage level is only part of the sport of cycling and that team success is equally important.

The new elements include skills such as slalom, team pursuit racing, points, mixed races for boys and girls and grass track and technical events which are designed to allow all young cyclists to enjoy competition irrespective of their level of physical development. All types of bicycles are acceptable including mountain bikes and commuter bikes.

This initiative is part of Cycling Irelands Strategic Plan and included in this is a pathway for all young cyclists that contains a Talent Spot program that will allow all young cyclists to enjoy and achieve their potential within cycling.

This Talent Spot Program has a number of elements already in place that will be coordinated in the next year and these include initiatives such as physiological testing of young cyclists, availability of continental racing through the Team Ireland initiative and the formation of a squad system for under 18 cyclists. Cycling Ireland President PJ Nolan congratulated Padraig Marrey and the underage committee on the new initiative, he said that young riders are the future of the sport and said it is Cycling Irelands ambition to allow all young cyclists to achieve their potential whatever that may be whether this is as a club cyclist or as a Tour de France contender like Mark Scanlon.

Nolan said we must look at a ten year plan to develop cycling to its full potential and the key to this is our young people so the Talent Spot is a central initiative for the future. He said the sport of cycling is changing and new events such as BMX will be included in the 2008 Olympic Games. Irish cycling needs to be in a position to benefit from these changes and having skilful young cyclists who are given the opportunity to compete in all aspects of the sport is important for the future success of cycling.’

CYCLING IRELAND REPLIES TO WORLD’S DEBATE: (By Shane Stokes Sep 30) The IrishCycling.com message board has been buzzing in recent weeks as the countdown to the world championships continued. The selection of riders, the size of the squads and the number of officials have all been hot topics on the forum, with some postings being critical of Cycling Ireland. Read Full Interview Here....

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