CYCLING:WITH THE countdown continuing to the Olympic Games road race, Nicolas Roche showed the benefits of the intensive French training camp he and Philip Deignan completed earlier in July when he rode strongly in the Tour de Wallonie this week.
Roche finished a fine seventh overall in the 2.HC-ranked race, netting stage placings of fourth, 12th and 15th along the way. His consistency saw him end the race just 42 seconds behind the winner Sergei Ivanov of Astana, and just 19 seconds off the time of third-placed rider Paolo Bettini.
The latter is the defending world and Olympic champion, so Roche will be satisfied with his performance.
He and Deignan will now travel to China and take part in training there, adjusting to the climate prior to the Olympic road race on Saturday week.
Meanwhile, junior rider Thomas Lavery has been showing very good form in Belgium. Last Saturday he won the king of the mountains title in the Het Volk junior classic, then went on to finish fourth in the Harze Course de Côte Belgian Cup race on Tuesday.
The Tempo BMV rider was fifth in an evening criterium on Wednesday, narrowly avoiding a crash at the finish. He will compete again in Belgium this weekend and then ride the Tour of Antwerp next week.
Also in action on the Continent this weekend are a four-woman Irish development team, who will compete in two races in Usqurt in north Holland. Heather Wilson (Maryland Wheelers), Kate Rudd (MyHome.ie), Heather Boyle (Ravens) and Sarah Piner (Lakeside Wheelers) will line out in a 128km classic race tomorrow, then on Sunday they will ride a nine kilometre time trial plus a 60km afternoon criterium. Jenny McCauley will manage the squad.
Later this month, Rudd, Boyle, Francine Meehan and Róisín Kennedy will compete in a senior race in Paderborn, Germany. The event runs on August 30th and 31st. An Irish junior team of Elaine Cawley, Rachel Withers and Jessica Laird will also race there, lining out in an age-group event.
The national team for the Rás na mBan will be announced in a fortnight.
In other news, last weekend saw the running of the national track championship over two days at the Sundrive Road velodrome. Gold medal winners included sprint victors Michael Mulcahy (senior men, Cycling Pursuits), Louise Moriarty (senior women, UCD), Aaron Buggle (junior, South Dublin CC) and the pairing of Michael Delaney and Dave Peelo (Tandem Cycling Ireland). Paul Healion (South Dublin CC) won the pursuit, while Moriarty, Buggle and Delaney/Peelo won the women's, junior and tandem titles.
Full details in SPORTS ROUND-UP
51-year-old Alan McCormack turned back the clock in mid-July when he sprinted to victory in the Longmont senior criterium championships in Colorado.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: Madigan GP, Carrickfergus, 11am. Festival race, Mountnugent, 6.30pm.
Saturday - Monday: Suir Valley Three-day, Clonmel. Stage one starts at 1pm. Kerry Youth Tour, Killorglin. Contact 064 44396.
Sunday: IVCA Age standard championships, Batterstown, 9.15am. Bellewstown Grand Prix, noon. Dave Kane TT league, Letterkenny/Burt Road, noon.
