CYCLING: Young Irish professional Mark Scanlon yesterday slipped out of the yellow jersey he had worn since winning Tuesday's opening stage of the Tour of Denmark, coming home as part of the main bunch one minute and 24 seconds behind the stage winner, Johan Museuuw.
The stage saw a large breakaway group gain time on the peloton, with Michael Skelde (Team fakta) placing ninth on the stage, one minute and three seconds behind Museuuw and jumping into yellow from second overall.
Scanlon is still in contention in fourth place, 19 seconds back, and will aim for a solid ride in this morning's 100-kilometre road race and the 15.7-kilometre afternoon time trial. The 22-year-old continues to lead the points classification and is second in the best young rider standings.
In other news, one of the most important international races for Ireland's young riders takes place this Sunday in Athens.
Philip Deignan, Denis Lynch, Brian Ahern, John O'Shea, Andrew McQuaid and Nicholas Roche will line out as the Hibernian Team Ireland squad in the European championships, to be held on the same course as next year's Olympic road race.
Olympic MTB hopefuls Robin Seymour, Tarja Owens and Jenny McCauley will ride the European MTB marathon championships in Graz this Sunday, and then go on to contest the shorter European cross-country championships in the same area next weekend.
A team comprising Colin Ross, John Lawlor, Glyn O'Brien, Will Corry and Andrew Yoong (elite), Jamie Popham, Ben Reid, Andy Smith and Greg O'Keefe (juniors) and Michelle McCartney (women's race) will also travel, lining out in the downhill.
Some of these will warm up this weekend in the fourth round of the British mountainbike series in Innerleithen. Popham is leading the junior series.
Many of these riders had a rare opportunity to compete against world number three Steve Peat last weekend at the Bray Credit Union Downhill Challenge.
As expected Peat was the clear winner, over seven seconds quicker than his team-mate Mark Beaumont, with Glyn O'Brien (Touch Network Solutions) just over a second farther back.
FIXTURES
Today: Lurgan Criterium, starts 7 p.m. Tomorrow: Irish underage track championships, Orangefield, Belfast. Starts 10.30 a.m.
Sunday: Jim O'Leary Memorial Race, Cork. Starts noon. Brendan Campbell memorial, Donore. Underage race starts noon, main event at 2 p.m. Tour of Kilmore, Belmullet. Starts 1 p.m. Cycling Ireland NPS round 4, Butter Mountain, Brittas.
Starts noon, contact Mick at 01 4519202 for details.
