Eighth win of season for Cassidy

Philip Cassidy yesterday recovered from a four-second overnight deficit to beat national champion Tommy Evans in the Tour of Ulster. The 38-year-old was best in the morning 8.4 mile time-trial, then finished safely in the bunch in the afternoon 50-mile circuit race, which was won by Colm Bracken. It was Cassidy's eighth victory of the season. He goes into this month's FBD Milk Ras as the defending champion, and on the basis of recent performances is the man to beat. Meanwhile, Mark Scanlon, the 1998 world junior champion, yesterday provided further proof of his good form this season with a strong showing in stage seven of the pro-am Circuit des Mines. The 19-year-old finished fourth behind CC Etupes team-mate Raphael Jeune, and ahead of professional riders from teams such as Amore et Vita, Bonjour and Big Mat.

Fellow Irishman David McCann also performed strongly over the weekend. The 1996 Olympian was fourth behind world MTB cross country champion Christophe Dupouey in the Circuit de Mont Pujols, and registered placings of fourth, fourth and sixth in the Elan Varois stage race on the way to finishing second overall behind winner Cyril Sabonnadiere. as by competing in the Tour of the Guild from May 3rd-7th, and the Vuelta de Bisbee from May 12th-14th. Susan O'Mara finished fifth in the first round of the Women's Cycle Race Association (WCRA) series in Royston, North London. O'Mara was guesting on the Cottingham Couriers team.

TOUR OF ULSTER: Stage three (8.4 mile time trial, Monaghan) - 1, Philip Cassidy (Avonmore Navan) 8.4 miles in 17:58:79; 2, Tommy Evans (Clarke Contracts Nissan) at 19.43 sec; 3, Brian Kenneally (Cidona Carrick) at 39.61 sec; 4, Paul Healion (Usher Insulations IRC) at 41.69 sec; 5, Stephen O'Sullivan (Clarke Contracts Nissan) at 48.58 sec; 6, Andrew Roche (McKenna Fireplaces) at 49.11 sec. Stage four (Monaghan Circuit Race) - 1, Colm Bracken (Usher Insulation IRC) 50 miles in 1:55:11; 2, Aidan Crowley (Swords McNally) same time; 3, John Bann-Lavery (Ulster Cycling Fed) same time; 4, Eugene Moriarty (Stamullen Road Club) same time; 5, Evans, same time; 6, Paul Butler (Clarke Contracts Nissan) same time. Final standings: 1, Cassidy, 8:34:10; 2, Evans, at 16 sec; 3, O'Sullivan at 49 sec; 4, Patrick Moriarty (Les Jeunes Dublin Skip Hire) at 1:53; 5, Kenneally at 2:08; 6, Michael Mulcahy (Dan Morrissey) at 2:16. Category 2: John Horgan (Cork Road Club); Team classification: Clarke Contracts; Mountains: O'Sullivan.