CYCLING:RETURNING TO the race with the intention of improving on their display last year, the Greek-registered Heraklion-Nessebar line-up was yesterday confirmed for this year's FBD Insurance Rás event.
Last year, Martin Grashev was second in the best young rider classification as well as fifth on stage two, while Bogdan Stoytchev was third on stage four. Both of those are coming back, as are Georgi Georgiev and Spas Gyurov.
They are the current national champions for road race and stage race respectively. The all-Bulgarian quintet is completed by Ivaylo Gabrovski, winner of the 2008 Tour of Bulgaria and this year’s 1.2-ranked GP Sharm El Sheikh.
“Our goals in 2009 are to have a rider place in the top three of the final general classification, take a stage victory, win the white jersey for best young rider and finish as one of the top-six teams,” said team manager Georgi Stefanov.
The squad joins Germany Kuota Indeland, Denmark Designa Køkken and Austria Arbo KTM Junkers as the confirmed international entrants.
More will be announced in the run-up to the race, which begins in precisely one month’s time in Kilcullen.
To off-road racing, and Belfast’s Connor McConvey is preparing for the second round of the UCI MTB World Cup which will be held in Offenburg next weekend.
Last Saturday the cross-country competitor finished as fourth under-23 rider at the opening round in South Africa, and was satisfied with his performance.
“It was a really good race, goal achieved,” he said. “It’s a bit of a relief that I have proved to myself that everything over the winter has worked and I have moved up a level,” said McConvey.
However, another promising young Irish rider has this week announced his intention to retire from international track racing.
Last summer Sam Bennett won the European junior points race in Poland but, disappointed that he was not awarded international level-carding, he has decided that he cannot continue in that discipline.
The financial constraints plus his college commitments mean that he will now concentrate only on road racing.
FIXTURES: Saturday:John Beggs Memorial, Dromore. Starts noon. Monie Nolan races, Balscadden. First races at 2.30. Sunday:Stamullen Grand Prix, sign on at Gormanstown College. Main races start at 12.30. Bann Valley Classic, starts 2pm. IVCA 80k, Batterstown. Starts 9.15am. Mayo League race, Srah community centre. Starts 10.30 am.
