EVEN BEFORE the FBD Milk Ras finishes each year, organiser Dermot Dignam is planning sections of the route for the following year but, after what he described as "probably the best Ras ever he said yesterday that he was going to take some time off and "consider my own future with the event".

With the exception of 1982, Dignam has been organiser and race director each year since 1979, when Stephen Roche was the winner. Now following another Roche success, by Manxman Andy Roche riding for Kerry, Dignam is talking more seriously than usual about not continuing in his familiar role.

During the week I asked Dignam had he any ideas about next year and he said then: "I would love to have a stage finishing as near as possible to the city centre in Belfast. He revealed that the first day would be best for such a venture and go on to Derry and then into Donegal.

From a record entry this year there was the greatest number of starters ever 165 and there were 125 finishers. Roche's winning margin was down to just five seconds over Mark McKay (Stoke) at the end, with Kevin Dawson of the Britain team only another 24 seconds adrift.

Dignam was not happy with the new finishing circuit in Swords and he said: "There will have to be a long, hard look at that aspect."

Most of the those who had raced that far were prevented from finishing the complete route as the officials left only the top men, who were going at a furious pace throughout, fighting out the bonus sprints. Those eliminated were classed as finishers, although they were not allowed complete the course and Dignam is understandably unhappy about that.

"It would be better to come in onto a circuit of about three miles," he said so, despite his reservations about organising for next year, he has obviously given some consideration to ideas to make improvements.