THE British Cycling Federation have caused a surprise by selecting a young, inexperienced four man team for the FBD Milk Ras from May 18th to 26th. While Ian Mountain, Richard Hobby, Justin Clarke and Craig Gillman are all members of the British under 23 development squad they seem unlikely to be strong enough to register the first success by an Englishman in the event.
Scot Jamie McGahan was the overall Ras winner in 1983 and was second and third in the following years but when Dave Williams was runner up to Paul McQuaid last year it was the third time in a row for an Englishman to fill that position.
Neil Hoban was second to Eamon Byrne in 1993 and when Declan Lonergan won the following year Steve Farrell was second. Other Englishmen, Lee Davis and Matthew Stephens, were third in the last two years.
There will be other British teams in the line up and the British all round time trial champion Gethin Butler, who was third in the 1991 Ras, is making another attempt to take the honours.
Stage one of the nine day race is from Dublin to Kilkenny and after overnight stops in Millstreet, Nenagh, Castlebar, Letterkenny, Buncrana, Donegal and Newry the finish is again in Swords after a total of 828 miles.
