Good start for Irish riders

CYCLING/WEEKLY COLUMN: Continental-based Irish riders have made an encouraging start to the season with three victories last weekend prompting optimism for the year ahead.

VC La Pomme riders Denis Lynch and Mark Scanlon won events in France, while Mapei mountain-bike cyclist Robin Seymour was first home in an Italian race in Tuscany.

Lynch has worked hard this winter to prepare for his first full season based abroad, and this paid off last weekend when he emerged best at the end of the Tour de la Cote Bleu, west of Marseille.

The young rider was second on each of the three stages of the race, won the king of the mountains title and also took the best under-23 award. Meanwhile, Scanlon showed his promising 2002 form when he triumphed on a tough finishing circuit and won the GP Pierre Pinel race in Montastruc.

"I am very happy with my form," said Scanlon yesterday. "It is coming along very well. Hopefully I will be going well for the Division Three championship race next weekend."

Before then, Scanlon and Lynch line out tomorrow in the Tour desCantalons and then contest the Prix Mathias Nomblot on Sunday.

Seymour is hoping his first win in the colours of the Mapei off-road squad will give him a boost for this weekend's tougher contest in Cantu, near Milan.

He dominated last Sunday's first round of the Championship Series of Tuscany at Colline Del Montalbano, beating 70 riders to take the 34-kilometre cross-country event.

Meanwhile, American-based professionals Ciaran Power, David O'Loughlin, James Hodnett and John Brady have a demanding programme of Californian events coming up.

They will ride the Sequoia Cycling Classic tomorrow and Sunday, then tackle the Redlands Bicycle Classic from March 12th-17th and the Mercury Sea Otter Classic from March 21st-23rd.

The UCD Cycling Club have announced that they will promote the rejuvenated intervarsity cross- country championships on March 23rd. The race will start at 1 p.m. in Ballinastoe Wood, near Roundwood.

More details are available from Oisin_at_netsoc.ucd.ie.

Finally, the Garda Cycling Club have announced that they have secured a three-year sponsorship deal with Dermot & Coyle Solicitors.

The team, which will be co-sponsored by Maximuscle and Motorway, welcome new members; contact Jim Cassidy at the Traffic department of Dublin Castle for more details.

FIXTURES: Saturday: LCF League round two, Clonee (starts 11 a.m.); VC Bangor Spring Classic handicap, Bangor (starts noon).

Sunday: John Haldane Memorial, Newry (starts noon); Coombes Conor Memorial, Drogheda (starts 1 p.m.); Ras Duhallow, Kanturk (starts 1.30 p.m.).