Cycling: Robin Seymour will attempt to extend a remarkable winning sequence when he lines out in the Irish national cyclo-cross championships in Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor, Co Down, tomorrow.
The Wicklow rider has won the title for the past 13 years and this haul, together with his 11 cross-country and one downhill mountainbike golds, makes him one of the most dominant competitors in Irish sport. That record ensures that Seymour is favourite for tomorrow's race, although a rare defeat last weekend at the hands of Banbridge rider Roger Aiken shows that nothing is guaranteed.
Seymour and Aiken's clash came in the third round of the Northern Ireland cyclo-cross league last Sunday. The latter got clear of his big rival before the halfway point and reached the line one minute and 47 seconds clear.
"I didn't feel great last week, to be honest," said Seymour yesterday, "and Roger was going quite well. I was a bit run down but I have done things properly this week, in terms of training and recovery. So hopefully I'll be fresher on Saturday."
In other news, the Ag2R team of Mark Scanlon and neo-pro Philip Deignan will next season be forced to rely on wild-card concessions to gain entry to many of cycling's top events, including the Tour de France and the Classics. The French team has been faced with the disappointing news that they have been passed over by cycling's world governing body, the UCI, in the granting of licences for the new ProTour series in 2005.
As expected, the UCI excluded the scandal-plagued Phonak team from the ProTour line-up, the Swiss squad paying the price for three high-profile doping cases in recent months. However, expectations that Ag2R would fill the vacant slot have not materialised, with the UCI deciding to stick with 19 teams for 2005.
One consolation is that team manager Vincent Lavenu says he has been given assurances by the organisers of the Tour de France they will be granted a wild card place in 2005.
Finally, entries are closing soon for the Cycling Ireland national training camp for juniors and women to be held in Cong, Co Mayo, on the weekend of December 11th and 12th. Taking place at the Quiet Man Hostel, the weekend will include training spins, coaching talks and training program advice. The closing date is Tuesday, December 7th, with more information available from Cycling Ireland at 01 8551522.
