CYCLING NEWS ROUND-UP: HAVING BEEN confirmed this week as part of the Garmin Slipstream team for this year's Tour de France, Dan Martin will be unable to defend his national road race title in Dunboyne on Sunday.
The 22-year-old will make his debut Tour the following weekend, and said it’s too complicated to take part in both events.
“It’s not a case of me deciding not to go, it’s more a case I can’t get back here in time,” he told The Irish Times. Flight times get him back to the team base in Girona too late to take part in Garmin’s team time trial session on Monday.
“Obviously I am gutted because I would love to defend the title, and also because one of my dreams was to ride the Tour in the national champion’s jersey.”
His first cousin, Nicolas Roche, is hoping to also get the nod for the Tour, but he will be able to contest Sunday’s 168-kilometre championship. The Ag2r La Mondiale rider has a best placing of fourth, but that is misleading; he was arguably the strongest rider in 2007 but attacked far too early and was caught before the end. Given the level of competition he has done this year, his aggressive style and his fast finish, he is the favourite for Sunday.
His chances will be enhanced by the absence of Philip Deignan (Cervélo Test Team).
However, numerical advantage will help the An Post M Donnelly Grant Thornton Seán Kelly riders to take the fight to him; the team includes triple former champion David O’Loughlin plus Páidí O’Brien, who finished runner-up the past two years and took bronze in 2006.
The five-man team will be completed by Ronan McLaughlin, 2007 under-23 champion Mark Cassidy and 2008 FBD Rás winner Stephen Gallagher.
Others to watch are former champion David McCann and Paul Healion, who won the national criterium championships at the Stephen Roche GP on Wednesday. He and Simon Williams broke early on and stayed away until the end.
Tomorrow sees the veterans and women’s championships take place, again in Dunboyne. Martin O’Loughlin (Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers) is aiming for his third consecutive win, while Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) is seeking her fourth successive title. Her greatest opposition is likely to come from 2008 time-trial champion Olivia Dillon, who has been riding strongly in the US.
Sunday’s junior event will see another good tussle with Marcus Christie (Usher IRC) the favourite after winning the Rás Dhun na nGall and the Newry three-day. Last year’s champion, Sam Bennett, (Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers) and Tour of Ulster victor Seán Downey (Banbridge) are among those who will clash for the under-23 medals.
FIXTURES: Tomorrow: Veterans' and Women's road race championships, Dunboyne, both start at noon; Connacht Youth League, starts 10am, Ballinrobe racecourse. Sunday: Elite/under-23 and junior road race championships, Dunboyne, both noon; IVCA age standard CP, starts 9.15am from Batterstown.
** The closing date for entries for the An Post Meath Heritage Cycle Tour of Meath has been extended to July 3rd. (046 9067337.
