Irish preparations on track

CYCLING: Cycling Ireland's high performance manager, Frank Campbell, is happy with the preparation of the Irish squad prior to today's start of the Manchester Track World Cup.

David O'Loughlin, Ciarán Power, Dermot Nally, Paul Healion and Louise Moriarty have been working hard in recent days at the Newport and Manchester velodromes.

Although relatively new to track racing, O'Loughlin was fifth in the individual pursuit at the Los Angeles World Cup, qualifying for next month's World Championships. He goes in that discipline today while Power will also ride the scratch race.

"There are more teams and more riders here than any other World Cup this year," said Campbell yesterday.

"Some of the world's top pursuit riders are here - Bradley McGee, Bradley Wiggins, all the top guys. But I would still like to think David will finish in the top 10 and improve on his Irish record, which is probably the big thing for us."

Campbell says if O'Loughlin can continue to progress, he should post a time in the region of four minutes 25 seconds, five seconds inside his Irish record.

He feels that because riders are new to the team pursuit, expectations are uncertain. Again, a good time is the target.

"We have set a benchmark of somewhere in the region of four minutes 20 seconds for the team pursuit, which they have already done in training in Newport. That would put us in a reasonable position time-wise."

Moriarty will ride the women's pursuit tomorrow. Campbell is hopeful she can break the Irish record by about five seconds.

"She has been training very hard in Newport and producing some very good times. It's too late in terms of points for her to qualify for the worlds but as is the case with the others, it's all about building experience."

O'Loughlin will also ride the points race tomorrow and Campbell says that if he performs well, he has a chance of doing two disciplines in the worlds in Palma.

Meanwhile, many riders will get their road racing season underway this weekend with the Lacey Cup in Tralee.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

Saturday: MTB XCO squad camp, Foy Centre, Carlingford.

Saturday and Sunday: Youth training camp, Castlebar.

Sunday: Lacey Cup, Tralee. Phone Cian Hogan for details at 086 1968287. MTB XCO winter league round 5, Craigavon Watersports Centre. Connacht RR series round three. Sign on in Father Sammon Community Centre, Monivea, Co, Galway.

Races start at noon.