SINCE Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and Martin Earley left the top echelon of road racing none of the Irishmen who joined continental clubs have managed to make the breakthrough to that elite grade. However, David McCann has a great opportunity of doing so when he joins the Pontivy-Festina squad next month.

The Belfast man, who will be 24 on St Patrick's Day, kept up his training routine during the winter and, following an introduction by Frank Quinn, he is keen to get going in what he describes as a really attractive professional setup".

McCann said he has a lot of road work and weight training done and now he is concentrating on "a programme of quality training sent by the Festina coach".

The Pontivy club is a Festina nursery. Bruno Roussel is manager of the Festina team led by Richard Virenque and Laurent Dufaux while his father manages the squad at Pontivy. McCann, who has never been to France, will be on his own as the other members are all French, but he said he has been brushing up on the language and does not expect it to be a problem.

McCann was asked to go with the Irish team to the Tour of Malaysia next month and when he requested permission from the Pontivy club they agreed - they said the competition there should be beneficial.

McCann said: "I will be going over for the team presentation on February 8th and will stay for a while before heading for Malaysia which is from the last week of February to March 2nd. I hope the racing there will have me just right then for the French classics."

The team want McCann for the opening races on their programme on March 8th and 9th - the Robert Gauthier Classic over 160 kilometres and the 170km Manche Atlantique - with another classic, the 180km Bordeaux Santes on the 16th.

McCann added: "I have been on my own on most of my training spins and as the weather has not been all that bad I have clocked up some good mileage.

"This weekend I'll be going to the training camp in Carlow. I then hope to go with Phil Collins for a week or two to the Canaries before the Malaysia Tour so there is a lot to look forward to."

Collins is to concentrate on the road scene this year and will be racing in France as well. National champion Peter Daly, who is also included in the Malaysian team, - will be riding with the St Quentin club in north east France this season with the classics on his programme too - St Quentin won the Mavic series last year. He is at borne in Kilkenny and will attend at Carlow before going back to France next Friday.

McCann recorded some good wins last year and his victory in the Manx International in the Isle of Man clinched Olympic selection. He was voted cyclist of the year and a few good placings in his early engagements with the Pontivy team could set him up to follow in the wheeltracks of Kelly, Roche and Earley in the top events.

The Carlow training camp McCann referred to is an introduction session at Rathgogue House to which the committee responsible for international affairs - Frankie Campbell, Sean Kelly and Kevin Kimmage - invited all who are interested and about 100 are expected to attend.