WITH THE Tour of Ulster switched to the May holiday weekend, there are just three Easter stage races this year. The Blarney and Gorey events are for three days but the Tour of the North is over five days again, starting this evening at Newtownards.
The northern tour finishes in Ballymena on Tuesday and it should be noted that entries for the FBD Milk/Ras, which is from May 18th to 26th, close on Tuesday with Dermot Dignam.
Also over the weekend the Irish team of Mick O'Donnell, Stephen O'Sullivan, Willie Byrne and Conor Lally contests the three day Girvan race in Scotland.
The Amev Irish Road Club's promotion, which is from Tallaght to Gorey and back to finish at Brittas, will have the biggest line up. Even though first category licence holders are excluded, Sam Darcy has an entry of 160.
Olympic pursuit hope Philip Collins takes a break from his Atlanta track preparations in Britain and contests the Blarney promotion. He will be the big attraction there and, having figured prominently in races in England in recent weeks, he is expected to be to the fore with the three day Tour of the Vendee in France on his schedule at the end of the month.
Stage one at Blarney tomorrow (2.0) is over a circuit of 65 miles with three king of the hills points included. The first man goes off at 8.30 in the five mile time trial on Sunday morning with stage three an evening criterium (6.30). Then on Monday (11.0) the final stage is over five laps of 12 miles.
There will be a noon start at Tallaght signing on from 9.30 to 11.15 for stage one of the 30th annual Easter trek to Gorey, taking in Baltinglass, Hacketstown, Tinahely, Woodenbridge and Arklow, and then a circuit of eight miles at Gorey.
The Sunday morning time trial (9.0) is over the usual four miles from Clough and, to avoid clashing with The Island point to point races at Tulabeg, Camolin, the course for the afternoon stage (2.30) has been changed to four laps of a hard circuit of 15 miles. The survivors then return on Monday (12.30) to the finish near Brittas. The Mid Eastern Region team is Brian Lennon, Ciaran Maxwell, Greg Connolly and David McQuaid.
With some strong teams from England listed for the Tour of the North, including Energy. Optimum and Peugeot, with Glasgow, Chester and Welwyn represented too, the bulk of the prize money is expected to be carried off by the visitors but there is a UCF team in for the first time Tommy Evans, Neil Taggart, Denis Easton and Brendan Doherty. The NICF selection is Raymond Brown, John Neil, Anthony Mitchell, Robert Curry and Daryl Irwin.
The prologue time trial gets under way this evening (6.0) and after that there are 11 o'clock starts. Stage two tomorrow is over 75 miles from Belfast to finish in Bangor with the usual Sunday time trial stage over 11 miles at Coleraine. Monday's stage four is 67 miles from Ballyclare to Banbridge and it ends on Tuesday with 71 miles from Larne to Ballymena.
There is a Tour of Ulster for the mountain bike enthusiasts. Tomorrow's downhill race is at Leitrim Lodge, between Hilltown and Rostrevor, with the action at Mourne Park, Kilkeel on Sunday and then the scene switches to Craigavon on Monday noon starts each day.
A team has been chosen to represent Ireland in the British Mountain Bike series event at Margam in Wales, near Port Talbot, over the weekend. Olympic candidate Alastair Martin is included with his main rival being Robin Seymour along with John Pennyfeather. Joe McCall, Dave Maher and Richie McCauley. Tarja Owens contests the women's event with Peter Purfield manager of the team. Martin Earley will be there, too, with the Raleigh squad.
