Power pushing for Athens

Cycling National Road Race Championships previewThis Sunday's National Road Race championships (104 miles) in Sligo will be the year's most important Irish one-day for two distinct reasons. Besides deciding who will wear the national champion's jersey for the next 12 months, the contest will also act as the final chance to influence the selectors before they name the riders for the Olympic road race in August.

With one of those two places set to go to Ag2R Prévoyance professional Mark Scanlon, the pressure has increased on the other Athens hopefuls.

Each of the Olympic contenders has shown excellent form of late. Ciarán Power took 40 world-ranking points from the GP Cycliste de Beauce in Canada last weekend, winning a stage and finishing 10th overall. David O'Loughlin was fifth against several top professional teams in the 1.5-ranked Brussels-Ingooigem race on Wednesday.

FBD Milk Rás-winner David McCann won two stages in the 2.5-ranked Tour of Korea earlier this month, while 20-year-old Philip Deignan bounced back from a bad crash to take two third places on stages of the recent under-26 Tour of Italy.

These riders will be the favourites on Sunday and will seek to enhance their selection prospects with a win, but the other returning internationals will also have a big say.

VC La Pomme Marseille riders Nicolas Roche, Páidí O'Brien, Tim Cassidy and last year's runner-up, Denis Lynch, will be a big threat, while Flanders pro Stephen Gallagher is also hoping to perform well. Spanish-based pro Dermot Nally is a possible starter.

On the domestic front, Tommy Evans and Conor Murphy have been riding strongly of late. So too Paul Griffin, although the tragic death of his friend and team-mate Kieran McMahon on Monday means his participation is uncertain.

A strong turnout is similarly expected for the women's championship. Illness means Geraldine Gill will miss the chance to take a seventh consecutive title. In her absence, last year's silver medallist, Colette Swift, looks to have a great chance.

Other riders such as Siobhan Dervan, Trudy Brown, Mary Boyd, Roisin Kennedy and Orla Hendron have shown their good form in international races this year, while Louise Moriarty took three gold medals at last week's All-Ireland track championships. Siobhan Jacob has also been going well.

Both races will take place on the same, near-nine-mile circuit as last year. The route takes the riders through Sligo town for two of these miles and then over wind-exposed roads. There are two main climbs on each lap, a long drag out the Manorhamilton road and the shorter, far steeper ascent of Tully Hill.

The men will clash over 12 laps while the women will slug it out over five.

FIXTURES: Saturday: Underage road racing, Collooney Co Sligo. Starts noon. Senior 3, junior and veteran race at 2.30 p.m.

Sunday: National Road Race Championships, Sligo. Sign on at Sligo Institute of Technology from 10.30 a.m. Starts 1 p.m. (For more details contact Daire at 0876792414). Underage commission national league finals (provincial qualifiers only), Athlone. Starts noon. IVCA Founders 50, Summerhill. Starts 9.30 am.