Cycling Round-upThe build-up towards the Athens 2004 mountainbike event begins in earnest this weekend when an Irish team lines out in the pre-Olympic event on the Games course. Robin Seymour, Tarja Owens and Jenny McCauley will ride the E1 race this Sunday, with many of the top international names expected to turn up.
Olympic team manager Martin O'Loughlin and team coach Martin Earley also departed yesterday for the Greek capital. They will use the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the course.
The three riders will next week line out in Madrid, the venue for the first of three consecutive World Cup weekends crucial to the Olympic hopes of Owens and McCauley.
One place has been secured for the women's MTB event in Athens. And that place will go to whichever rider takes the highest total of world ranking points from the three races. Madrid will be followed by Houffalise in Belgium and Fort William in Scotland.
Meanwhile, FBD Milk Rás organiser Dermot Dignam has revealed the identity of another powerful foreign team for this year's race. The professional Slovenia Team Perutnina Ptuj squad will line out at the start on May 23rd, led by Valter Bonca, who was second last year in the Slovenian national road-race and time-trial championships.
His team-mate Mitja Mahjoric is another to watch, having won the 2.5-ranked Tour of Slovenia in 2003. Miran Kelner was seventh in the 1.3-ranked GP Krka, while Igor Kranjec and Massimo Demarin will also be threats.
Dignam yesterday released the start list for the race, with a field of 144 riders confirmed to take part. These include the Thornton's Recycling Team Ireland squad of David O'Loughlin, David McCann, Tommy Evans, Denis Lynch and Eugene Moriarty. O'Loughlin and McCann showed their good form by taking first and sixth in the Lincoln Grand Prix last Sunday.
FIXTURES: Saturday: Barry Murphy Memorial, Monaghan, noon, underage at 10 am; McArdle Cup, Knockbridge, 11.0 am.
Sunday: Kelly Pharmacy GP, Dungarvan, noon; Coombes Connor Memorial, Drogheda, 1.0 pm, underage 11 am; Lakeland underage event, Enniskillen 2.0 pm; IVCA 45 DMS, Newbridge, 10.0 am.
