Downey sprints to a junior Irish record

CYCLING NEWS:SEAN DOWNEY had a strong performance on day two of the European track championships in Pruskow, Poland, placing a fine 13th in the three-kilometre individual pursuit.

Marcus Christie had earlier broken the Irish junior record of three minutes 38 seconds when he clocked three minutes 35.702. This was smashed 20 minutes later by Downey, who posted a fine time of 3:27.560, over 10 seconds better than the old mark.

Downey and Sam Bennett will today line out in the heat of the points race.

Meanwhile, having placed fifth, ninth and 11th on stages of the second Grand Tour of his career, Nicolas Roche is 32nd overall after seven days of the Vuelta a España. The 24-year-old is three minutes 26 seconds behind overall leader Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis.

Roche was 65th in Wednesday's stage five time trial, a 42.5 kilometre race in and around Ciudad Real. He completed the course in three minutes 23 seconds behind the winner Levi Leipheimer.

He was then 45th on yesterday's sixth stage to Toledo, ending the mainly flat, 150.1-kilometre leg six minutes behind stage winner Paolo Bettini of Quick Step.

The Crédit Agricole rider is also 13th in the points classification. The Vuelta a España continues tomorrow with the first mountain stage.

Elsewhere in Europe, Philip Deignan finished 61st on yesterday's sixth stage of the Deutschland Tour. Jussi Veikkanen (Française des Jeux) won an 11-man sprint to take the victory.

Ag2r La Mondiale rider Deignan came home in a large group two minutes and seven seconds behind the breakaway. Columbia rider Linus Gerdemann continues to lead overall.

In other news, Irish road race champion Daniel Martin will hope to make up for the disappointment of pulling out of the Tour of Ireland when he lines out in the Tour of Britain on Sunday.

The 22-year-old has performed superbly in his first professional season, but came down with a stomach virus prior to the Irish tour.

Martin will line out with his Garmin Chipotle team in the eight-day race.

Also riding are the An Post M Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly squad, which was a fine sixth in the teams classification in the Tour of Ireland.

It is the last major stage race of 2008 for the riders, and they hope to go out on a high note. Páidí O'Brien and Stephen Gallagher are the Irish riders in the selection.

FIXTURES

Saturday -Leinster time trial championships, N2 (two miles north of Carrickmacross). Starts 11 am. Ulster XCO, Craigavon Watersports Centre. Youth cycling league, Ballinrobe racecourse. Starts 10.30am. Charleville two-day. Contact Brian Jordan on 087-2493544

Sunday -Irish veteran championships - Ulster RR champs, Dundrod. Events start at 10am. Leinster RR champs, Ravensdale. Starts 1pm. IVCA Sanyo Cup, Batterstown. Starts 10am. Team TT league, Sligo. Starts 11am. Charleville two-day.