WHILE THE fifth of eight events in the classic league series is at Naas on Sunday with Isle of Man winner and Olympic hope David McCann heading the line-up - the attention of even the fringe cycling enthusiasts will be focused on the Tour de France for the next three weeks.
The great race gets under way tomorrow afternoon with the prologue time trial over 9.4 kilometres at Hertogenbosh in the Netherlands and most attention will be on Miguel Indurain as he attempts an unprecedented sixth win in-a-row.
Last year the big Spaniard equalled the record of five successes held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault. But he went one better than that trio as he has been undefeated in the Tour since 1991. Indurain seems to be even better prepared this year as he has already recorded victories in the Tour of Asturias (May 14th-19th) and the Dauphine Libere (June 2nd-9th).
Frenchman Laurent Jalabert looked a likely threat to Indurain's supremacy but he suffered what could be a demoralising reverse when he could not - hold Indurain on the Col d'Izoard in the Dauphine. He retired the next day on the final stage when almost four minutes behind Indurain, Richard Virenque and Tony Rominger.
Rominger is again regarded as the one likely to topple Indurain, but he is 35 and only two men have won the Tour at that age or older Indurain will be going through his customary birthday celebration during the Tour - he will be 32 on July 16th, the day the race heads into the Pyrenees after the Alps and Massif Central - so he could have a firm grip on the yellow jersey by then and the stage the next day is into his own Navarre region in Spain.
Another Frenchman, Virenque, is favourite to be king of the mountains again and he will be closely marked by Indurain, so he is not likely to build up any big advantage on the climbs. Giro winner Pavel Tonkov, Piotr Ugromov, Evgeny Berzin and the world champion Abraham Olano have outside chances but a sixth in-a-row for Indurain is the expected outcome.
Although Indurain's Banesto team does not appear to be as strong as usual - there is no team time trial this year - the awesome power of Indurain will be in evidence again in the mountains. He will be minutes better than hiss challengers in the 60-kilometre time trial on the second last day through the vineyards between Bordeaux and Saint Emilion. There is also the mountain time trial up to Val d'Isere tomorrow week to show his supremacy.
After wins in the last two league events, at Bray and Banbridge, McCann goes to the Matt Corcoran memorial at Naas in second place, behind Ras winner Tommy Evans (33 points to 30 with Paul Griffin next on 26 and then David Peelo, who has 25.
When McCann clinched the Olympic place with his impressive Isle of Man victory he said he needed good, hard racing before going to Atlanta so he can be expected to make it tough for his rivals over Sunday's 100 miles course.
Pat McQuaid expects a line-ups in the region of 100 for the Credit Union Junior Tour which starts in Limerick on August 4th and finishes in Cork on the 11th after overnight stops at Tralee, Killorglin, Bantry, Macroom, Kanturk and Dungarvan.
After last year's success with Anthony Aspell there will be another strong British team, they go on to the world junior championship race in Slovenia the following week.
The Ireland selection has not been finalised yet and Belgium, will have a team in again, as will Scotland and Wales, while at least one American squad is expected.
While fields in junior races have been small again this season McQuaid reckons he will have about 40 in Irish club selections with a similar amount from England, so another keenly contested week's racing is assured.
