FROM a record entry of 187 the 45th FBD Milk Ras will have its biggest line-up when the opening stage gets under way tomorrow from Dublin to Roscommon. Organiser Dermot Dignam said he had indications of some withdrawals but he still expects to have in excess of 170 starters.
The record of 147 was set in 1994 and equalled in `95 while in 1993 there were most finishers, 118 from 140 that set out.
The Ireland team of Peter Daly, Leslie McKay, Bill Moore, Tommy Evans and Ciaran Power tops the list but they have tough opposition with five-man selections representing Holland, France, Britain, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, Japan, Scotland and Wales.
There is a Scotland West side and three England regional combinations but some other English squads are particularly strong too, especially Stoke. Also included are Perth, Yorkshire, Twickenham, Southend, Lincolnshire and Hampshire.
Then there are 17 county teams - Antrim, Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Cork-Kanturk, Dublin-Finglas, Dublin-Tallaght, Dublin-IRC, Dublin-North, Dublin-Sorrento, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Tipperary, Wexford and Wicklow.
Daly from Kilkenny, winner of the Irish championship last July, was sixth in last year's Ras and is back from his new club in France, St Quentin, aiming to do much better.
It is a strong Ireland combination with Daly, Evans and Power the most obvious potential winners and if they work well together they can maintain the tight Irish grip one the Ras title.
Holland, managed by Gert-Jan Theunisse, include the reigning Olympic mountain bike champion, Bart Brentjens - the Dutch won with Fons Steuten in 1976. Paul Griffin from Tralee rides with the ACBB squad representing France.
Jeff Wright, King of the Mountains for the last two years and also points winner last year, is back again riding with a strong England NE selection while Ray Eden, who headed the points classification in 1995, returns with Yorkshire.
Antrim, Dublin-Sorrento, Wicklow, Tipperary, Kerry, Limerick and Carlow are the most likely county sides to collect a share of the prize fund of £9,145 but most hopes rest on the Ireland quintet to repel the invaders and take the winner's cheque of £600.
Stage one tomorrow is neutralised from the GPO to Leixlip with bonus sprints at Kinnegad, Mullingar and Bunmahon so whoever is first into The Square, Roscommon, after the opening 77 miles may not collect the first yellow jersey for stage two on Sunday to Clifden.
After that the stages are to Lisdoonvarna, Tralee, around the Ring of Kerry to Killorglin, Bandon, Tramore and Carlow. The time trial there on the final morning, Sunday week, of 11 miles finishing with the climb at The Butts, could prove decisive and then the finale in Swords that afternoon is over a tight new circuit of less than a mile. That will be a total of 782 miles in 10 stages.
