Last year, Scott Hamilton completed a clean sweep of all three time-trial championships, but although he has taken the 10 and 25-miles titles again this season, he will not be contesting Sunday's 50-miles event, promoted by the Phoenix club in Belfast.
In June, Hamilton was fastest in the 25-miles TT with 53:13, with Tommy Evans and Simon Coughlan second and third and in the 10-miles event a month later, the order was the same at the finish with Hamilton best in 20:26.
However, Hamilton has joined Philip Collins in a French team near Toulouse and on Sunday, he takes part in the Grand Prix of France time trial. The following week, Hamilton goes in the under-23 section of the Grand Prix de Nations around Lac de Madine and on September 28th, he is to team up with Collins in a two-up time trial, Duo Normond.
In Hamilton's absence on Sunday, the 50 TT championship is open, although Dave McCall had a good recent win in 1:54:43. In addition to Evans and Coughlan, Ian Chivers and David Peelo must also come into the reckoning for the medals.
The Irish team of Raymond Clarke, Morgan Fox, Leslie McKay, Padraig Quinn and Andy Roche are in the Tour of Hokkaido in Japan next week, starting on Sunday. Meanwhile, Dermot Dignam is already planning the route for next year's FBD Milk Ras, but when I put it to him that because of the Tour de France starting here he should start the Ras in France he just sighed and said he wished he had sponsors to cover such a venture.
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