Funding boosts under-23 team

The Sports Council have eased the financial problems of the Irish Cycling Federation (ICF) by making funds available for teams to represent Ireland in the world championship road races at under-23 and junior level at Verona in Italy on October 8th and 9th.

Meanwhile, as Mark Scanlon will not be going with the Irish team to the European under-23 championship at Lisbon on Sunday week Ross Blayney of Ards has been chosen to accompany David O'Loughlin, Dermot Nally, Derek Finnegan, Paul Healion and David McQuaid.

Scanlon has resumed training with his Dutch team Rabobank after a spell out of action with a strained right knee. He will be home in Sligo tomorrow for a family get-together and he intends taking part in the under-23 championship to be promoted by St Finbarr's over a Cork circuit on August 22nd. He may also contest a few other events on the home scene before returning to Holland on the 23rd.

Following Pat McQuaid's announcement that the Junior Tour would not go ahead because he was unable to get sponsorship, Philip Cassidy initiated a move to save the event which has been held since 1978. Alice Sherratt and Cassidy head the organising committee and it will be from Tuesday, August 17th to Sunday 22nd.

As in the early days of the Joe McCormack promotion the visiting riders will be based at the King's Hospital School with the stages at convenient venues, the first four in the evenings.

It starts with a prologue time trial at Clonee on the Tuesday (7.0) on the 1.8 miles circuit over the two bridges. Then there will be 6.30 starts on the circuit behind Dublin Airport down to the Nag's Head and back on Wednesday (46 miles); Dunboyne to Summerhill and back on Thursday (48 miles), with Friday's stage four at Stamullen over six laps of the 12-mile circuit there.

The Saturday stage five starts at Bray (11.0) and after going through Ashford, Glenealy, Rathdrum and Laragh it finishes on the old championship course at Roundwood (68 miles). The final stage on Sunday, August 22nd (11.0) is over 65 miles from Brittas to Dunlavin and back. An Ireland selection will head the line-up with teams from England, Scotland and Holland also competing.

First category licence holders are excluded from the McKinley three-day race at Warrenpoint over the weekend but they have the Crotty Cup. at Kilrush on Sunday Cassidy goes for his Navan club's Klondyke Cup at Robinstown.