Seymour and Aiken to cross swords again

CYCLING:Fifteen wins from his last 16 starts: that's the superb record Robin Seymour is aiming to extend on Sunday when he lines out in the 2008 National Cyclocross championships in Dublin's Tymon Park.

The Wicklow man finished 22 seconds up on the 2005 champion Roger Aiken in Banbridge last January, Lewis Ferguson finishing a further three minutes and 20 seconds back.

Seymour won in Corcagh Park in late November; Aiken dominated the Ulster championships in Kilbroney Park on December 1st and won the Banbridge Academy race on December 15th.

A strong clash therefore looks on the cards for Sunday as Seymour strives to add to his 15 cyclo-cross titles and 14 consecutive mountainbike XC gold medals and Aiken seeks to reprise his giant-killing of three years ago.

It's likely those two will scrap it out for the title, leaving several others to vie for bronze.

The course offers a good blend of fast grass, technical singletrack, banks, steps and run-ups.

An exciting race is guaranteed, and spectators are welcome.

Ciarán Power has made the Olympic road race his big goal for the year. Last time round the Waterford professional was a superb 13th in Athens, taking that result in a bunch sprint despite having been away for several laps in a breakaway.

A blood-flow problem in a leg, since corrected, prevented his building on that result but he hopes to shine again in Beijing.

He will be helped by his move to the new Pezula team, which should give him and his coach Paddy Doran greater control over planning his training and racing.

"I'll try and get some form and results early on and take it from there," Power told The Irish Times this week.

"We start racing in South Africa, doing a new series of races there from the 2nd to the 7th of February. After that we will do the Giro del Capo and then the Tour of South Africa.

"The Olympics are definitely the big goal for the year. To get there I'll have to have a great first half of the season, but I plan on doing that anyway."

FIXTURES: Sunday: National cyclo-cross championships, Tymon Park. Underage races at 11.30, MTB event at noon. Main event at 1.30pm. Phone Dave Barry on 085-7192309 for more information.