Building confidence, gaining strength. After an encouraging debut in the Tour of Langkawi in Malaysia, where he recorded five top-20 stage finishes, Irish neo-pro Ciaran Power continues to impress in the Rapport Tour in South Africa.
The 23-year-old slipped into a 19-rider breakaway on last Saturday's opening stage, and while he lost contact with the leaders before the finish, the amassed lead was enough to ensure a high placing in the day's overall classification.
Power has continued to ride aggressively during the week as part of a concerted, and ultimately productive, team effort which should secure the Linda McCartney squad's participation in other events this spring. Last Sunday Marizio De Pasquale registered the team's first win of the season, following up with another victory bouquet two days later. Anglicised Italian Maximilian Sciandri then secured a hat-trick of stage wins for the vegetarian squad when he triumphed on Wednesday's 190 km to Montagu.
Power himself remains best placed overall of the McCartney sextet, currently lying in 22nd place, 26 minutes and four seconds adrift of overall leader Tobias Steinhauser of the Gerolsteiner team.
While it is early days in the career of the young Waterford rider, he will derive considerable encouragement from his performance amongst riders of the calibre of 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich, Italian champion Salvatore Commeso and Olympic gold medallist Pascal Richard.
Ireland's second professional, Morgan Power, was also in action this week, having made his debut on Monday in the Lloret de Mar race in Spain. The 1997 national champion intends using the next few weeks to regain race fitness after a winter spent training at home in Athlone, and has set his sights on riding a number of top events with his Tonissteiner team later in the spring.
With the Tour of Rhodes starting next Wednesday, there is also heightened activity on the amateur scene. On Monday the Irish team of Tommy Evans, Eugene Moriarty, Stephen O'Sullivan, David O'Loughlan, David McQuaid and Keith Gallagher - who is replacing an injured Bill Moore - travel to Greece for the five-day race. Four of those riders then travel to the Tour of Egypt (March 6th to 13th), with David McCann and Fergus McAuley replacing O'Loughlan and McQuaid in the second event.
Finally, with the domestic racing season fast approaching, Thermo King CC will next Saturday host a training race for juniors, seniors, women and veterans, starting at 11am on Monivea Road, Galway. Looking further ahead, entry forms are now available for the Gorey three-day race from Sam Darcy, 59 The Crescent, Millbrook Lawns, Dublin 22 (Phone 01-4514130).
