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FBD
Milk Rás Information
Official Website:
www.fbdmilkras.com
Date: 20th - 27th
May 2001
STRONG INTERNATIONAL LINE-UP FOR FBD MILK RAS: (By Gerard
Cromwell May 15)
With only days to go to the start of the FBD MILK
RAS, Race Organiser Dermot Dignam, confirms there are no late withdrawals and
the scene is set for a record breaking race. One hundred and ninety riders, the
highest ever from an unprecendented number of countries will face the starter in
Navan next Sunday. For the first time, the race is included on the Calendar of
International Events making it one of the select group of world-wide events
eligible to award Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) qualifying points for
Olympic Games, World Cycling Championships and ranking points for professional
teams.
Teams from Poland, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany,
South Africa, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, USA, Britain, Scotland and Wales will
compete against the best of Irish cycling. In recent days Dignam had to turn
down requests from the professional Slovenian KRKA and French Big-Mat teams and
from the German Federation for invitations to the race. The German Federation
was keen on entering a national team.
On paper, the Swiss, Ficonseils team look to be one
of the strongest squads in this year’s race. Led by 2000 Giro D’Italia stage
winner and former Linda McCartney pro, David McKenzie of Australia, the
professional squad includes experienced stage race riders under the direction of
former Giro rider and Tour of Romandie KOM winner, Jacques Jollidan. McKenzie
would appear to have all the qualities necessary to win the race outright and
has plenty of experience, having ridden as a pro with the now-defunct Linda
McCartney team for the past two years.
Jet Fuel Coffee is the first ever and only Canadian
professional cycling team. This team will be led by reigning provincial
criterium champion, Josh Hall, and he will be backed up by a quartet of former
and present Canadian national team members.
The USA team also includes present and future
stars. 25-year-old Joe Papp has been a member of the U.S national team since
1994 and Joe Miller has won three U.S national Championships and in 1999 was
contracted onto the all-conquering US Postal squad of Tour De France winner,
Lance Armstrong. Other strong pro squads will be those of Poland’s Legia
Bazylisek and the Japanese outfit of Miyata-Suburu.
Teams returning to the Ras include those of
Malarenergi from Sweden which took a stage win into Listowel last year with
Kristoffer Ingleby and the German Telekom - Jan Ullrich team, whose, Stefan
Faruhn, held the King of the Mountains jersey for three days last year. These
young German riders have aspirations of making it onto the senior Telekom squad
of former Tour De France winner Jan Ullrich and will be out to impress.
Last years winner, Julian Winn, will also be back
to lead a strong Welsh team in defence of his title. The British Cycling
Federation, determined to capture the number one spot at the end of the race,
has named its strongest possible team. Led by in-form Chris Newton, winner of
the recent world-ranking French Circuit Des Mines classic, the Brits just may
this year have the team to fulfil a long standing ambition of conquering the
difficult Irish roads and unique mix of international and county teams. The rest
of the international line-up will be made up of BRC Kemennerland from Holland,
RG Hamburg from Germany and provincial and national teams from Scotland and
England.
Ireland, not to be outdone, has probably one of the
strongest teams in its history on the FBD MILK RAS. Leading the team will be
current Irish national champion and CCC-Mat professional, David McCann from
Belfast. He will be supported by experienced Tonnisteiner ex-pro and former
national champion, Morgan Fox from Athlone, another former national champion and
FBD MILK RAS winner, Tommy Evans from Belfast, former world Junior champion and
future star Mark Scanlon of Sligo and in-form Dundrum man, Aiden Duff. All of
these riders are based abroad and have enough ability and experience to
certainly win stages and possibly win the Ras overall, hopefully collecting
enough UCI points along the way to automatically qualify Ireland for future
world cycling championships and Olympic Games.
The FBD MILK RAS and its entourage will wind it’s
way from Navan along it’s 1,119 kilometre journey to stage ends in
Ballaghadreen, Portumna, Castleisland, Killorglin, Skibereen, Dungarvan,
Bunclody, taking in 31 mountain climbs including the likes of the Conor Pass,
Mount Leinster and Molls Gap and finishing in Dublin on Sunday May 27th with a
spectacular Criterium on the O’Connell Street/Parnell Square circuit, starting
at 3pm.
STENA Line speeds FBD MILK RAS cyclists to Dublin: (By Gerard
Cromwell May 14)
The possibility of a British win in the FBD MILK
RAS has received a very significant boost with the news that two more of their
most experienced stage race riders will be in the line-up for the big Irish
international cycle race, which starts from Navan next Sunday. Mark Lovatt, 3rd
overall in last year’s FBD MILK RAS and Kevin Dawson, a mere 29 seconds behind
winner, Andrew Roche, and second placed Mark McKay, in 1997, have signed up for
the Southend team. Lovatt, a very strong and aggressive rider, has competed in
the race a number of times and is unshakeable in his belief that he can win the
Ras. With much of the attention on the powerful Great Britain squad, this duo
will be eager to seize any opportunities to gain valuable seconds whenever
possible.
Race Organiser, Dermot Dignam, commenting on the
inclusion of Lovatt and Dawson on the Southend team said “I’m absolutely
delighted with the news, both riders will make a huge contribution to the
competitiveness of the race, the opportunity for Lovatt and Dawson to take part
in the race is due in no small way to Stena Line’s sponsorship of ferry travel
for British teams and also for many of the teams coming from continental Europe”.
“Stena Line has a long association with the FBD MILK RAS and its sponsorship
greatly eases the financial burden on the race organisation as well as the
teams, most of the teams will arrive on the HSS Explorer on Friday and Saturday”.
GIRO D'ITALIA stage winner for FBD MILK RAS
By Gerard Cromwell - May 8
2000 Giro D’Italia stage winner David McKenzie is
set to lead a strong foreign challenge in this year’s FBD Milk Ras, which
starts in Navan on May 20th.
McKenzie leads the top Swiss professional outfit
Fisconseils in this year’s Ras. The 27-year-old Aussie should be a major
contender having ridden for the now defunct Linda McCartney team for the past
two years. McKenzie heralded the McCartney’s finest hour when winning stage 17
of last years Giro D’Italia with a fine solo breakaway that lasted almost 200
kilometres. Indeed the Aussie strongman also took the teams last ever win when
taking the final stage of this year’s Tour Down Under in his native Australia.
Voted Australia’s cyclist of the year in 2000,
McKenzie will be well supported in this year’s eight-day event by Swiss team
mates David Chassot, Julien Vergeres and Stephane Gremaud as well as experienced
American pro Erik Saunders. The Ras finishes in Dublin on May 27th having taken
in 1,119kms of racing over 31 mountain climbs including the Conor Pass, Mount
Leinster, and Molls Gap.
Strong Great Britain team for FBD MILK RAS.
The British Cycling Federation have announced a
strong line-up to contest this year’s FBD Milk Ras, which starts in Navan on
Sunday week, May 20th. The team will be led by in-form Chris Newton who recently
won the UCI world ranked Circuit Des Mines stage race in France. Great Britain
have opted not to change a winning team and will send the same squad that won
the French race. Newton will be strongly supported by Brian Steele, Stephen
Cummings, Phil West and Paul Manning. This year’s FBD MILK Ras takes in 31
mountain climbs and covers 1,119 kilomtres of racing, with overnight stage
finishes in Ballaghaderreen, Portumna, Castleisland, Killorglin, Skibbereen,
Dungarvan and Bunclody, before finishing in Dublin on Sunday May 27th.
PRESS RELEASES
TOP UCI
COMMISSAIRE FOR FBD MILK RAS: (Released March 9) Scotsman Gerry
McDaid has been awarded the prestigious appointment as Chief Commissaire in
Ireland’s major cycling event, the 2001 FBD MILK RAS, by the Union Cycliste
Internationale.
The eight day tour, which will for
the first time have valuable UCI points at stake - making the race a category
2.5 event for qualification points for Olympic Games and World Cycling
Championships, will be held from May 20th to 28th this year.
McDaid is well known in the
international cycling world and has a wealth of experience to call upon. A
member of the commissaires panel for both the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the
Sydney 2000 Olympics, the Glasgow-born son of a Donegal man is looking forward
to his first assignment to Ireland’s National Tour. “I’m delighted to be
appointed to the FBD MILK RAS, I’ve heard so much about it, and am really
looking forward to working with race organiser Dermot Dignam and his staff”,
he said at hearing the news.
McDaid has officiated at many
professional events over the years including the British Professional Road Race
Championships, the British Milk Race, Tours of Holland, Sweden, South Africa,
Yugoslavia, the European Community and America. Also on his CV are several World
Track and Road Championships, Commonwealth Games and the female equivalent of
the Tour De France - the Tour Feminin.
McDaid’s position of Chief
Commissaire will see him spend the week acting as a referee on wheels and the
Scot will be responsible for ensuring both riders and team personnel observe the
rules of the race alike. - Issued by Gerard Cromwell.
TOUGH TEST FOR
WORLD RANKING FBD MILK RAS:
(Released
Feb 16) “A tough, challenging, route which looks set to favour the specialist
mountain climber” is the reaction of 1999 FBD MILK RAS winner, Philip Cassidy,
to the route for this year’s race, announced today by Race Organiser, Dermot
Dignam. The 2001 edition takes place from Sunday 20th to Sunday 27th May.
Certainly, on paper, the course
looks set to be one of the most difficult in the 48 years history of Ireland’s
premier cycle race. With 1,119 kilometres of racing, taking the top class
international field over 31 mountain climbs including the gruelling first
category ascents of the Conor Pass, Ladies View, Molls Gap, Turners Rock,
Corrabutt Gap, the Heights and Mount Leinster and a longest stage distance of
184 kilometres the winner is sure to be a strong climber and a good all rounder.
The international prestige of the
race received a huge fillip with the recent decision by the Union Cycliste
Internationale to recognise the race, for the first time ever, as eligible for
qualification points for the World Cycling Championships and Olympic Games.
FBD Insurance and the National
Dairy Council once again combine to sponsor the event for the nineteenth year.
Increased financial support from the Irish Sports Council makes it possible for
the race to comply with many of the cost-incurring expenses of being on the
International Calendar.
In a break from the traditional
start in Dublin the race will begin its 8 day journey around Ireland from the
heart of Meath cycling territory, the booming town of Navan. Stages 2 and 3 pay
first time ever visits to Ballaghaderreen in County Roscommon and the
Shannonside, Galway town of Portumna. The huge, colourful spectacle will then
move on to thrill the townspeople of Castleisland, Killorglin, Skibberreen,
Dungarvan with the stage into Bunclody having a real sting in the tail for the
international field. Having crossed the finish line in the town the riders are
faced with a 50 kilometres loop taking in six King of the Mountain climbs before
the finish proper back in Bunclody, famed in the ballad, The Streams of Bunclody.
Although the race has been reduced
by one day to an eight day event, to fit in with the world elite calendar, UCI
points will make the race more attractive to top national and trade teams hoping
to improve their world rankings. - Issued by Gerard Cromwell.
For further details, contact;
Dermot Dignam, 01-8481517. Sally Ryan, 01-6496400
FBD MILK RAS ROUTE 2001 See
Map of Stages Here >>
FBD MILK
RÁS TO BE WORLD-RANKING EVENT: (Released Oct 6) The FBD MILK RAS,
Ireland's premier cycle race, will take on greater international importance next
year with the exciting news that the world controlling body, Union Cycliste
Internationale, has selected the race as a qualifying event for points for
Olympic Games and World Cycling Championships. Following many months of
negotiations with the UCI, Race Organiser, Dermot Dignam, has confirmed the race
will be classified 2.5 on the International Calendar of Events for 2001 and will
as such carry all-important points needed by countries to qualify for major
world events. To slot into the current UCI Elite Calendar the duration of the
race will be reduced by one day to an 8 day event and will take place from
Sunday 20th to Sunday 27th May.
National Dairy Council and FBD
Insurances, sponsors of the race for the past eighteen years, have welcomed the
growing importance of the race in world cycling and anticipate a greater demand
for invitations to the race from countries anxious to achieve the necessary
points to get into the top thirty countries in the world, which would gain them
entry to the Olympics, and Worlds. The Irish Sports Council also welcomed the
decision of the UCI and has promised additional funding to enable the race
comply with UCI Regulations. The Sports Council is particularly pleased that
Ireland will now be represented on the World Elite Cycling Calendar.
With the popularity and
competitiveness of the FBD MILK RAS soaring in recent years Dignam does not
intend to make any drastic changes to the character of the race but is delighted
with UCI status and says "the race is probably one of the toughest of its
kind in the world and it is great that the efforts of the teams and riders will
now be recognized by the UCI in the awarding of world ranking points. -
Futher details; Dermot Dignam, Tel. 01-8481517. Sally Ryan, 01-6496400.
For more details visit the new
Rás website >www.fbdmilkras.com
> Details of 2000
Event Here >>
Contact: dignam@indigo.ie
Website:
www.fbdmilkras.com
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