Even though it is the middle of the off-season for cycling, there will be a big burst of activity over the weekend with races at Craigavon, Carrick-on-Suir and Bray. The cyclo-cross championship is staged by the Lurgan club, Apollo, at Craigavon Watersport Centre tomorrow (1.0) and Sean Kelly heads the line-up for Sunday's hamper race at Carrick (1.30). Robin Seymour makes the journey from Wicklow bidding to take the cyclo-cross title for the seventh time in a row. He has also won the mountain bike championship three times in succession, so he is the obvious hot favourite. Seymour said he was satisfied with his performance when he went to a cyclo-cross in London last month. He said he did not have a trouble-free ride - a puncture was his main setback - but he should not be troubled by the terrain or the opposition tomorrow.

It is a short, challenging circuit, expected to be muddy, with some uphill running sections. Veteran Michael Carroll was runner-up last year at Ballymoney but Seymour reckons Craig Brady could now be his closest challenger. A much bigger turn-out is expected at Carrick on Sunday as the event is not just for racing men. Jim O'Keeffe, president of Carrick Wheelers, said there will first be a leisurely tour of 20 miles over the Glenbower circuit but then the pace will hot up as the racing men continue over three times around the old five-mile lap along Arrigan's Boreen that was used until 1994. A fast and furious finish is then assured with 10 laps of the half-mile circuit through Sean Kelly Square.

Last year's winner Paul Butler maintains that Kelly must be regarded as the one to beat as he has been going so well in the regular weekend outings on mountain bikes. Kelly said he is just over a stone above his best racing weight and he certainly looks fit and still seems very enthusiastic about what he refers to as "always one of my favourite outings."

Stephen Roche has also expressed his intention of taking on the local racing men on Sunday while the ranks will be swelled by some of the regular English visitors.

The Bray pre-Christmas timetrial is on Sunday morning (11.0), when teams of two submit the time they expect to do for the 10 miles, and whoever is nearest has the pick of the prizes.