December 2002 |
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Scanlon debuts in Australia: (By Gerry McManus Dec 20) Irish road race champion Mark Scanlon has been selected to ride for his new club AG2r in the 2003 edition of JACOB'S CREEK TOUR DOWN UNDER 21 - 26 January. The AG2r team entry for the event includes the reigning Estonian road race and time trial champion Jan Kirsipuu. Also riding is Alexandre Botcharov who has previously finished second overall in the event and is no stranger to stage racing with a 30th place overall in the Tour de France under his belt. Scanlon will face some of the world’s fastest riders including Australians Mark Renshaw and Peter Dawson who were part of the quartet that set a new world record in the team pursuit in Manchester in the Commonwealth Games this year. Fans of the 22-year-old Sligoman can also check out the official race site at www.tourdownunder.com.au which is expected to carry up to date information on the event.
Geraldine remains the best female from the Breton region, whilst Alexandra Le Henaff her nearest rival has amassed less than half the points of Geraldine inspite of having earned international selection, as well as completely dominating the Breton Regional championship held at Epiniac in July. "I am sure that Geraldine is restricted in her performance capability due to the lack of Irish female potential" commented Harry James, "and I was really sorry that the negociations which my eldest daughter had been treating with a potential sponsor, to create an Elite team around Geraldine fell through at the last minute. Hamper Race Cancelled: (By Gerry McManus Dec 12) The annual Christmas Hamper Race in Sean Kelly’s hometown of Carrick-on-Suir will not be run this year. Instead the event planned for Sunday 15th December will be replaced by a club training ride. After the arrival of a new sponsor this year, the Carrick Wheelers club split into two with twelve riders forming a new club Autoview Carrick Wheelers. Each club had expected the other to register the race and it transpired that neither had. Carrick Wheelers Treasurer and joint race organiser Leslie O’Donnell explained: “it was more of a mix-up than anything else really but after 32 years of running the event we decided to put on a club ride in its place to keep the tradition going. We will have one group on a 63-mile route out from Carrick-on-Suir taking in Clonmel, Ballymacabry, Dungarvan and Lemybrien to finish just outside Carrick near Sean Kelly’s house.” The ride is expected to be run off at a fast pace
with Navigators professional Ciarán Power, Irish squad riders Brian Keneally,
Phil Cassidy, Martin O’Loughlin and Eddie O’Donohue riding along side Sean
Kelly. With friendly competition always present amongst all the top cyclists,
the ride is expected to ‘de-neutralise’ at Lemybrien with 13-miles to
go. A number of the expected participants have just
returned from a weekend of training and socialising with Sean Kelly in Castlebar
county Mayo. October 2002
On a perfect day the field divided into three groups with 2 minutes between each with 11 times Irish cyclo-cross champion, Robin Seymour (WORC) starting on his own a further 30 seconds back. Mulvenna was out on his own after the first of eight laps folowed by Dutch rider Joel Dieleman (WORC). It stayed this way as Seymour gradually moved up through the field. At half distance he lay third behind Mulvenna and Dieleman, still 3.07 down and a lap later he was second at 2.28. At the bell the gap was down to 1.08 but with the young Ards rider losing less than 1 minute a lap he looked safe and so it proved as he came home 26 seconds ahead of the Wicklow man. On the final lap Matt Ferguson (XMTB) pqassed Dieleman to take third. There was a great tussle between the next two finishers, both from Banbridge CC, Don Travers and Roger Aiken. Both had started in the third group and after a race-long contest it came down to a sprint with Travers just getting his tyre in front at the line. The second round is next Saturday at Big Wood between Newry and Warrenpoint at noon (seniors 1 p.m.). RESULTS: Cyclo-cross league, round 1, Lurgan Park: 1, Michael Mulvenna (Ards CC) 48.52; 2, R Seymour (WORC) at 26 secs; 3, M. Ferguson (XMTB) at 1.37; 4, J. Dieleman (WORC) at 1.47; 5, D. Travers (Banbridge CC) at 2.03; 6, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) s.t.; 7, D. Gill (WORC) at 2.19; 8, R. Lamont (XMTB) at 2.37; 9, J. McCall (WORC) at 2.44; 10, A McDonald (Apollo CT) at 3.05. Under 14/16: 1, Eoin Sheridan; 2, N. McConnell (1st u14); 3, N. McGimpsey (all XMTB). Under 12: 1, WIlliam Boyd; 2, Claire Oakley; 3, R. Lamont (all XMTB). CYCLO CROSS SEASON: First cyclo cross of the new season this Saturday 19th October, Lurgan Park, changing in waves leisure complex Lurgan. Co Armagh first of ten races which will be run mtbs welcome but only cyclo cross bikes will qualify for points. underage racing at 12 midday, senior handicapped race at 1 pm .The Cyclery is sponsoring a feed for all competitors after race in the complex we had over 120 competitors in the events last year and we hope the 2002 cross season will build on that promise. Any questions contact Myles on (004428) 38 348627 Final calendar for this years Cross season
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GOOD
SEASON IN FRANCE FOR GILL: (By Harry James Dec 14) Despite having
been handicappped with problems of health, Irish Ladies champion Geraldine GILL
maintained her position amongst the best of French woman's racing during 2002,
finishing in 14th place. The National Challenge was won by Magali Le Floc'h
whilst Geraldine reduced the margin by which such riders as Catherine Marsal or
Jeanie Longo have beaten her in the past and gained enough points to finish well
ahead of former World Champion Juliette Vandekerckhove. Where-as outings in
events with the Irish national team gave Scanlon enough UCI points to emulate
his countryman David McCann by winning the 2002 French National Classification,
the lack of Irish international female team activites limit Geraldine's final
points tally.
N.I.
CYCLO-CROSS LEAGUE ROUND 1: (By Jim Traynor Oct 19) Ards CC junior
Michael Mulvenna made the most of his 6.30 allowance to hold off all the chasers
and win the opening race of the Northern Ireland cyclo-cross season, the first
round of the league promoted by Apollo CT at Lurgan Park.