Cycling Round Up |
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Archives: August 2001 Power can turn it on again: (Aug 31) Irish professional cyclist Ciarán Power is pinning his hopes on a strong display in the upcoming Tour de L'Avenir, after a season blighted by bad luck. Read the full story in the Irish Times Here >>
(by Shane Stokes Aug 24) One of the biggest races of the year takes place for young Irish riders this weekend with the staging of the European under 23 championships in Brittany. Four have been selected to wear the green jersey in the event - Mark Scanlon and Denis Lynch line out as part of the 102 man field entered for today's 32 kilometre time trial, with Dermot Nally and Gary McQuaid joining them in Sunday's tough 164 kilometre road race. Scanlon has the best prospects of the quartet, and will be chasing a good result to help him find a professional contract for next season. The 1998 junior world champion has ridden well of late - Scanlon was of great assistance to Tommy Evans in his winning of the recent Tour de Ronde race in France and himself finished 8th overall and best young rider. Evans took the lead in the race after some strong riding early on, including second on a 10 kilometre individual time trial, and went into the final stage leading by 14 points and also heading the sprints competition. The former national champion won the bunch sprint for 16th place on that final 100 kilometre stage, thus surviving the threat caused when the second placed rider Regis Balanrob broke away and gained time over the chasing bunch. However Balanrob was unable to join up with the leading group and so failed to close the gap. He ultimately ended up 4 points off the total of Evans, who was also second in the sprints classification. In other foreign competition, Beth McCluskey was the highest placed Irish rider in the European MTB championships last weekend. She finished 33rd, with Don Travers 68th in the mens Elite race. Glenn Kinning was 61st in the Junior event, with Johnny Reid 73rd, while Colm Mullen was 68th in the under 23 race. Meanwhile across the Atlantic, Robin Seymour was a non-finisher in the final round of the Norba series. In England, Paddy Moriarty once again showed his class in foreign competition when he won the Surrey League five day. Moriarty took the lead when he went clear on the final day of racing, finishing third on the stage, while fellow Irishmen Timmy Barry and Richie Cahill finished third and sixth overall. This weekend, more national titles are up for grabs. Tomorrow the Irish Hillclimb Championships takes place on the Spelga Pass in Co. Down, while the Dublin Skip underage track championships will be held in the Sundrive Road track in Kimmage. On Sunday the Veteran, Under 23 and Junior titles will be decided in Batterstown, with some great racing in store. Taking place on a 13 mile circuit, the Veterans will complete 4 laps while the Juniors and Under 23 riders will race over 5 and 6 laps respectively. Finally, the ICF report a strong turnout for their regional Strategy Document meetings. According to Ciaran McKenna, most of the feedback has been very positive, although further tweaks have yet to be made. The final version of the document should be finalised shortly. Fixtures : Friday 24 August - Belcara Festival race, starts 6.30 pm Sat 25 August - Dublin Skip Schoolboy Track Championships, Eamon Ceant stadium, Sundrive road. Sign on at 10 am. Irish Hill Climb Championships, Spelga Pass (near Hilltown). Starts 12 noon. Kilnaleck Grand Prix, Co Cavan. Starts 6 pm Sunday 26 August - Under 23, Veteran and Junior road race championships, Batterstown. Starts 1 pm. Results Track League Results after 5 events Dublin Skip Senior Track Bike League : 1, Shane Prendergast (Naas) 26 pts ; 2 , P. Doyle (unattached) 23 ; 3, M. Colbert (Usher IRC) 18 pts Cyclelogical Senior Road Bike League : 1, JP Hillard (Dublin Skip) 14 pts ; 2, M. McLeavey (Dublin Skip) 13 ; 3, P . Reid (Gary Fisher) 8 Joe Daly Cycles Junior Track League : 1, Stephen Enright (Usher IRC) 15 pts ; 2, D. Rawlins (Usher IRC) 5 ; 3, R. Reidy (Usher IRC) 4 Wall Cycles Schoolboy Track League : 1, Paul McMahon (Bray Wheelers) 23 pts ; 2, K. Daly (Drogheda Wheelers) 22 ; 3, U. Monks (Bray Wheelers) 13 McCann takes national time trial championship: (By Shane Stokes Aug 19) Road race champion David McCann added a third national title to his CV when he won the national mile time trial championships in Castlebar on Saturday. The CCC Mat professional stormed around the tough 25. 8 mile course in a time of 55 minutes 28 seconds, catching many of his rivals and beating silver and bronze medallists Paul Kane and Paul Healion by 3 minutes, 13 seconds and 3 minutes, 25 seconds respectively. McCann has now won a dozen championship medals on road and track. 'It was a hilly course, not a pure time trial course', said the Belfast man afterwards. 'I started one minute behind Paul Griffin and knew I was on good form when I caught him after 5 miles. It is great to win another title - I had nothing but seconds and thirds for years, but when I won the road race championship last year that got things going.' McCann leaves tomorrow to meet up with his CCC Mat team in Italy, where he will dispute three days of racing before making his first ever World Cup debut in the Grand Prix of Zurich next Sunday. After that, he plans to ride the Tour of Hokkaido and the Sun Tour with the Irish team and is also hoping to get the green light to compete in the world time trial championships in Portugal in October. Meanwhile, Susan O'Mara followed up her second place in the women's road race in July by winning the time trial title on Saturday in style. The Team Letchworth rider was 38 seconds clear of Debbie Booth over the 21 mile course, with Sheila Rafferty a further 2 seconds back. John O'Shea beat Nicolas Roche by half a minute to take the junior title, one week ahead of their national road championships, while Jim Cassidy also showed he was in promising form by winning the veterans event in 50 minutes 30 seconds. John Cole was over one and a half minutes in arrears in second place. In other races, Paul Griffin was best of the field in Saturday evening's Mayo Grand Prix, dominating the race and besting Gary McQuaid by 30 seconds at the finish. Greg Swinard triumphed in today's Brendan Carroll Memorial in Donore, leading home Denis Easton and Brendan Doherty, while Belgian rider William De Moulin won the Silver Pail Grand Prix in Fermoy ahead of promising young rider Daniel Lynch. Irish National TT
Championship, Castlebar: 1, David McCann (CCC Mat) 25.8 miles in 55
mins 28 secs; 2, P. Kane (Northern Dave Kane) at 3 mins 13 secs; 3, P. Healion
(Usher IRC) at 3 mins 25 secs; 4, J. Dempsey (Northern Dave Kane) at 4 mins 28
secs; 5, E. O'Donoghue (Cidona Carrick) at 4 mins 43 secs; 5, R. Hamilton
(Maryland Wheelers) at 4 mins 55 secs. Team: Usher IRC (Healion, Colm
Bracken, Dave Peelo) Third national title for McCann: (Aug 20) Road race champion David McCann added a third national title to his CV when he won the national mile time trial championships in Castlebar on Saturday. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Provinces given their chance to review new strategy document: (Aug 17) Last autumn, one of the first pronouncements of the new president of the Irish Cycling Federation, PJ Nolan, was that for the federation to survive it needed to become a far more professional body. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Evans 8th in France: (By Shane Stokes Aug 10) Tommy Evans of Team Ireland placed an excellent 8th on the second stage of the 4 day Mi-Aout Bretonne event in France yesterday. The former national champion finished second in a large group contesting 7th place, crossing the line 32 seconds behind winner Guillaume Judas of the Jean Floc'h team. Strong Ireland team named for junior tour: (Aug 3) Over the next few days, the biggest challenges of the year take place for young Irish cyclists, as they clash with a host of strong international competitors. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Archives: July 2001 Why the doubts persist: (July 30) Lance Armstrong, who yesterday won his third consecutive Tour de France, is at the centre of a gathering vortex of disbelief concerning his relationship with drugs. Richard Williams reports. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Armstrong wins Tour de France: (July 29) American Lance Armstrong rode triumphantly up the Champs Elysees and to his third consecutive Tour de France title today after a 20th stage largely dominated by the battle for the green points jersey. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Owens to miss shot at the Tour: (July 27) As the peloton speeds its way towards the Champs-Elysées on Sunday, Tarja Owens' hopes of riding the women's Tour de France have been dashed. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Drugs problem has nasty sting in its tail: (July 25) The use of banned substances under medical prescription is a vexed backdrop to the whole doping issue in cycling, and it was put in the spotlight yesterday, ironically on the stage which the French sports minister, Marie-George Buffet, chose for her third visit to the Tour. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Armstrong keeps yellow as Belgian takes stage: (July 24) Lance Armstrong's convincing lead in the Tour de France was untouched today after a long but easy 15th stage eventually won by Belgian sprint ace Rik Verbrugghe. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Armstrong defends link with doctor suspected of doping: (July 23) Tour de France leader Lance Armstrong has defended his relationship with controversial Italian doctor Michele Ferrari and said he would continue to work with him unless Ferrari was convicted of doping offences. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Death of former grasstrack victor Mick Cahill: (July 23) The recent death of multiple Irish grasstrack champion Mick Cahill will have been missed by some, given that he moved to Africa in the 1950s and lived abroad for the remainder of his 72 years. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Armstrong retains lead as Spaniard takes 14th stage: (July 22) Basque rider Roberto Laiseka of Tour newcomers Euskaltel pedalled in Miguel Indurain's wake with victory in the 14th stage of the Tour de France today on the final day of climbing in the Pyrenees. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Armstrong wins 13th Tour stage: (July 21) Lance Armstrong won the 13th stage of the Tour de France over 194 kilometres from Foix to Saint-Lary-Soulan in the Pyrenees today. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Armstrong outpaces Ullrich again: (July 20) Lance Armstrong proved too strong for his great Tour de France rival Jan Ullrich for the third successive mountain stage today, as he moved a step closer to the yellow jersey with another surging effort. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Dutch cyclist in a coma: (July 20) Dutch cyclist Bram de Groot suffered severe concussion after a horrific crash during the 12th stage of the Tour de France from Perpignan to Ax-les-Thermes today. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> A timely taste of Gallic racing: (July 20) As the Tour de France rages on in the Pyrenees, Irish riders themselves get a feel of Gallic racing in the Tour de la Somme this weekend. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Alpine double for Armstrong: (July 18) Lance Armstrong and his Belgian team manager Johan Bruyneel cannot agree how many times the Texan looked over the 20-mile climb to this ski resort in the run-up to the Tour. "I always say five or six, Johan says three or four," said Armstrong yesterday. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Armstrong climbs to victory at Alpe d'Huez: (July 17) Titleholder Lance Armstrong won his first stage in this year's Tour de France as he blitzed main rival Jan Ullrich in the 209km 10th stage between Aix-les-Bains and Alpe d'Huez today. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Team leaders convicted for doping: (July 17) Three leaders of former Dutch cycling team TVM were handed suspended prison sentences and fines for "organised doping" during the 1998 Tour de France by a court in Reims today. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Riders feel pinch in first mountain stage: (July 17) Four riders have abandoned the Tour de France during the first real climbing challenge of the race in the 209km 10th stage between Aix-les-Bains and Alpe-d'Huez. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Evans shows fine form in French outing: (July 16) Team Ireland rider Tommy Evans finished a fine third in the Grand Prix de Charvieu-Chavagneux race on Saturday, going clear early in the 135-kilometre French event and then pressing ahead in the closing stages as part of a five-man breakaway. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >>
Pain killers and ultra-sound treatment enabled the Olympian to continue but she was finally forced to withdraw from the race on Wednesday when the torn muscle flared up on the Alpine climbs. 'I was getting treatment ever since the crash but my back was getting progressively worse,' she said today. 'On Wednesday the pain was really bad and I was unable to get out of the saddle on the climbs, and so the team manager told me to stop.' Deeply disappointed, Owens will return to Ireland on Monday for a break and to receive treatment for her injury. Her withdrawal puts a question mark over her hopes to make the Michela Fanini team for the women's Tour de France later this year but she will hope for a strong ride in her remaining events, including a programme of mountain bike races later this summer. Shifting into a higher gear: (July 7) Shane Stokes looks at the career of German rider Jan Ullrich, winner of the 1997 Tour, as he prepares for a potentially enthralling battle with America's Lance Armstrong for the biggest prize in cycling. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Tour de France preview: (July 7) This is the shortest Tour in recent years at 3,462 kilometres. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Roche's swansong the last link in Ireland's chain of competitors : (July 7) Stephen Roche’s swansong in 1993 was the last time an Irish rider lined out in the Tour de France, bringing to a close a period when six Irish professionals finished cycling's toughest event. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> Riding on the crest of a wave: (July 3) Tarja Owens, a 24-year-old from Co Wicklow, is the first Irish woman to compete in the Tour of Italy, one of the biggest races in cycling, which started this week. Shane Stokes charts her career and looks at some of the challenges she faces Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> McCann storms home to retain national title: (July 2) Burdened by the tag of pre-race favourite, the task of defending his title on home soil and the close marking of many, David McCann nevertheless stormed to a scintillating victory in the Irish road race championships yesterday in Lisburn. Read the Full Story in the Irish Times >> |
SCANLON
TOP HOPE FOR EUROPEAN UNDER 23 CHAMPS
Owens
Forced To Withdraw From Women's Tour of Italy:
(By Shane Stokes July 12) Irishwoman Tarja Owens has
been forced to pull out of the women's Tour of Italy
after battling for the past week with a back injury. On
July 1st the 24 year old became the first Irishwoman to
start the prestigious two-week event, but four days
later went off the road on a speeding descent and landed
heavily on her lower back.