Gonchar takes the lead role in Tour of Italy

CYCLING: Ukrainian rider Serguei Gonchar took over at the top of the general classification in the Tour of Italy yesterday after his T-Mobile squad finished a very close second to Team CSC in the stage-five team time trial.

Gonchar's squad was just one seconds slower over the 36 kilometres, leaving him six second's clear of CSC's Jens Voigt and his team-mate Michael Rogers in the overall standings.

As anticipated, Mark Scanlon's AG2R Prévoyance team were outside the top 10, finishing one minute, 22 seconds down in 15th place. The Sligoman begins today's 227km stage to Forli 120th overall, three minutes, 11 seconds adrift of Gonchar.

Closer to home, the participation of two more Continental teams in this month's FBD Insurance Rás has been confirmed. The Belgium-based Seán Kelly-ACLVB M Donnelly Racing team will travel from their base in Merchtem with promising Irish riders Tim Cassidy and Mark Cassidy (no relation). The squad is expected to be completed by Belgians Jehudi Schoonacker, Peter Schoonjans and Rieno Stofferis.

Also coming from mainland Europe is the Germany-Stevens Racing Team. German national cyclo-cross champion Johannes Sickmüller, Canadian national silver medallist Greg Reain, Finn Heitman, Fabian Brzezinski and Benjamin Hill are the five riders who have been selected for the 2.2-ranked event. This year's race will begin on Sunday week with a 121km stage from Tallaght to Enniscorthy.

Irish riders can fine tune their preparation this weekend in the Noel Hammond Memorial, Kelly Pharmacy GP and John Moore Memorial races on Sunday.

Finally, Irish road race champion Siobhán Dervan finished 64th in the women's World Cup race at Castilla y Leon last weekend. She is competing in the 11-day Tour de l'Aude, which started yesterday.

Fixtures: Saturday: Sundrive Road Track Racing, Eamonn Ceannt Park, Dublin 12. Sign on at 10.30 am; Ulster youth RR championships, call Noel Gallagher at 028/048 3887661 for details. Sunday: Hammond Memorial, Ballyboughal. Starts 11 am; Kelly Pharmacy GP, sign on from 10 am at Dungarvan Crystal Sports Centre, Kilrush; John Moore Memorial, starts from Lough Moss Centre Carryduff at 1 pm; Cross country NPS round 3, Lumpers Forest, Ravensdale. First races start at noon.