Scanlon replans

Cycling ColumnAlthough he was originally down as a possible starter in the Tour of Spain on August 26th, there has been a change of plan for Mark Scanlon.

The Sligoman will now compete in the Eneco Tour of Benelux from August 16th-23rd, lining out alongside world champion Tom Boonen. Scanlon will be hoping the race days he has accumulated recently will pay off. He finished 133rd overall in the Tour of Germany on Wednesday, 44 minutes, 12 seconds behind winner Jens Voigt (Team CSC).

Meanwhile Denis Dunworth (Killorglin CU CC) and Thomas Martin (Clann Éireann) got the Irish campaign under way yesterday at the junior world championship in Spa, Belgium, in the time trial event.

Dunworth was 39th, three minutes, six seconds off the winning time of Marcel Kittel (Germany), while Martin was 63rd. Isaac Speirs (Navan Road Club), Diarmuid Cronin (South Dublin CC) and Stephen Halpin (McNally Swords CC) will line out in the road race on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Mark Cassidy was the best finisher of the Seán Kelly-ACLVB M. Donnelly Racing Team in the Tour de l'Ain this week, finishing 65th in the 2.1-ranked French event. AG2R Prévoyance rider Cyril Dessel won oveall, while Cassidy's team-mates Paídí O'Brien and Ryan Connor were 77th and 79th respectively.

The Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group squad compete in the 1.1-ranked Sparkassen Giro in Germany on Sunday. The Irish line-up is Morgan Fox, Conor Murphy, John Dempsey, Paul Healion, Simon Kelly and Philip Finegan, while the participants are expected to include Erik Zabel, Robbie McEwen and Alessandro Petacchi.

Louise Moriarty was 28th in Sunday's Holland Hills Classic, a 1.2-world ranked event, which was won by Theresa Senff (AA Drink Trade Team).

Finally, Joe Barr's attempt at the Mizen Head to Fair Head record this weekend has been postponed due to weather conditions.

WEEKEND FIXTURES: Today: Lurgan Criterium, starts 7.15pm. Tomorrow: Sundrive Track Racing, Eamonn Ceannt Park, starts 11am; Kilnaleck Festival Race, starts 6.30 pm. Tomorrow - Sunday: Ballinrobe two-day, stage one starts at 3pm. Sunday: Brendan Campbell Memorial, Donore. Starts 1pm; MTB XC NPS league race, Castlewellan, Down. Underage races at 11.30, other events at 1.30pm; Tour of Armagh, starts from Craigavon Watersports Centre at noon.