With 96 starters on Tuesday, this year's Junior Tour may have a smaller overall field than is usually the case, but both the quality and quantity of foreign riders has ensured a high level of racing thus far. Over 50 cyclists from some of the strongest cycling nations have turned out, a heady achievement considering that Sports Council funding had been refused this year and the race is effectively being run on a miniscule budget.
Considering the cosmopolitan line-up and the beneficial effect the event has upon home riders, it would surely be a grave error if the event did not receive renewed assistance in 2002.
On the subject of stage races, the 50th anniversary of the first multi-day event in Ireland will be commemorated on the weekend of September 2nd and 3rd with a rerunning of the Belfast-Dublin-Belfast event. The two-day race sticks to the original route where possible, passing through Lisburn, Newry, Dundalk and Ashbourne and finishing at Glasnevin on Saturday 2nd, with the reverse journey being tackled one day later.
Following Robin Seymour's outstanding seventh consecutive win in the Irish national MTB championships last Sunday, the Wicklow rider has stepped up his preparation for the impending Olympic games. Seymour has registered a number of fine performances this year: 37th in the world championships in June; 13th amongst a topclass field in Lommel, Belgium recently; and is hoping for a top 20 ride both in Sydney and in next weekend's European MTB championships in Holland.
Brian Kenneally's belated return to the Irish jersey last Sunday very nearly paid off with victory in the world-ranked Havant Grand Prix in Portsmouth. Kenneally was ultimately frustrated by the negative tactics of Englishman Mark Lovatt, who refused to contribute to the pace-making and stole victory. He has, however been kept under close observation by the Linda McCartney team this season and Sunday's powerhouse display in the world-ranked Portsmouth race will do no harm to his chances of a trial.
Sticking with the vegetarian squad, Irish professional Ciaran Power re-illustrated his knack of rising to the occasion with an encouraging ride in Sunday's HEW Cyclassics world cup race in Hamburg. The 25-year-old crossed the line in 76th place, just 2 minutes and 11 seconds back from the winner Gabriele Missaglia of Italy. Power will dispute a series of Italian races in the run-up to the Olympics, and according to manager Frank Quinn, should have finalized a new contract with the burgeoning McCartney team by the end of the month.
Quinn is also hoping to secure a professional contract for 1998 world junior champion Mark Scanlon, who has returned to his winning ways after breaking his elbow in July. Scanlon will race both this Sunday's Tour of Armagh and next weekend's Ras Connachta before a return to racing in France. He has, however, opted not to ride tomorrow's 80 mile national TT championship in Lisburn.
