McCann eyes chance of rare double

David McCann gets a chance for a rare double when he sets out to defend his national championship title on his home circuit in Belfast this Sunday.

McCann's biggest rival is likely to be Sligo's Mark Scanlon, who has trained hard in the South of France since he too took stage honours in the Irish tour.

Former champions Tommy Evans, Ray Clarke and Morgan Fox are similarly motivated to do well. St Quentin-Oktos professional Ciarβn Power will also line out for the 96-mile race on the Dundrod motor racing circuit but will lack race fitness after suffering a broken collarbone in May.

Numbers confirmed for the women's 38-mile race have been disappointing thus far but race organiser Cormac McCann will accept entries on the day.

Missing will be Tarja Owens, who is making final preparations for the women's Tour of Italy which begins on Monday.

Making the eight-rider Michela Fanini squad is a huge boost for the Olympic mountain bike rider, who switched to road racing this year to prepare for Athens 2004.

The 24-year-old will work as a domestique for the team leaders, and has set her sights on completing the tough two-week event which is second only to the women's Tour de France.

Last weekend, Owen's fellow Olympian and partner Robin Seymour pulled out of the second round of the American Norba series in West Virginia.

He had started 70th on the grid, stormed up to sixth place but eventually succumbed to fatigue on what was clearly an off-day.

There was, however, mountain bike success closer to home: The IMBRC team of Killian Byrne, Anton Cartwright, Brett Nelson, Beth McCluskey and Matt Dempsey placed third in the mixed category in the 24 hour Red Bull Mountain Mayhem race in England.

A MTB development squad will compete in a British National Points Series race in Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire, this weekend. Matt Slattery and Colm Mullen line out in the under-23 race while the junior squad comprises Glenn Kinning and Niall O'Shea.

There will be an introductory track meeting in Sundrive Road, Kimmage on Wednesday (7p.m.).