McCann out in the cold

CYCLING/Weekly Column: The professional career of double Irish road-race champion David McCann is under serious threat following the news that the Ceresit-Henkel team, with whom he was due to compete this season, has suffered financial collapse.

The news bears striking similarity to the sudden demise of the Linda McCartney team in January 2001 which left Irish riders Ciarán Power and Mark Scanlon temporarily sidelined. McCann has said that he will try to get a new pro contact but with the new season already started, it is probable that the Belfast rider will compete in the amateur ranks, most likely in Italy, this season.

Ciarán Power is currently on a training camp with his new Navigators team in Phoenix, Arizona. He took part in training races last weekend but it will be March 2nd before his first contest proper in the McLane Pacific series in California. Meanwhile, Tommy Evans, Mark Scanlon and Denis Lynch rode well in their first series of events last weekend, near Cannes; Evans won the GP de Peymeinade, and also placed fourth and 10th in the GP de Cannes-Montauroux and the Souvenir Vietto-Gianello respectively.

Scanlon went close in the latter event, leading for 55 kilometres but being passed by two others inside the final two kilometres. Denis Lynch was fifth and then went on to place sixth and 14th in the other two races.

Back home, the domestic season begins this Sunday in Tralee with the Lacey Cup. The event will be on roads around the Dingle Peninsula, taking in a hilly 48 mile course which include the ascents of Gleann na nGealt and Castlemaine Hill. A strong field is expected including 2001 victor Paddy Moriarty.

In other domestic racing news the Inter-varsities road race championships will return this year with the 2002 edition to be hosted by NUI Galway on April 10th; contact David at jbrennan@nuigalway.ie for more information. The championships coincide with a drive to revive cycling throughout third-level institutions in general, as both a competitive and leisure activity. Mill O'Duffy is heading the move and can be reached at ucdc@hotmail.com.

Finally, the organisers of the Shay Elliot memorial race are confident that this year's edition will feature one of the strongest fields ever. The Bray Wheelers event has been upgraded to the UCI international calendar this season and as a result they expect to attract many overseas competitors for the 1.5 ranked event on April 28th.

FIXTURES

Sunday - Lacey Cup, Tralee. Senior 1,2,3 riders, junior, veterans and women (handicap will be applied). Starts 12 noon, sign-on from 10.30 at the Earl of Desmond Hotel.