Irish impress at international level

Ciaran Power is on a break from competition, Morgan Fox and Mark Scanlon are sidelined through illness and injury, but elsewhere, Irish cyclists continue to achieve encouraging international results.

Two years ago Aidan Duff was tipped for the top by Stephen Roche, but the expected professional contract failed to materialise. The Dundrum cyclist, however, has returned to top form this year and, after winning a stage in the recent Tour of Dordogne, he topped the classification in the Tour de Deux-Sevres event last weekend. Duff won the opening stage, was placed fourth in the time trial and successfully defended the yellow jersey until the race conclusion on Sunday.

Also in the thick of the action was promising 22-year-old David O'Loughlin, who finished an excellent ninth in last weekend's under-23 world cup race in Bassano Montegrappa in Italy. Both riders, along with Paul Healion, David McQuaid, Keith Gallagher and Michael McNena line out for the Irish squad in the 2.5 ranked Tour of Mazovia in Poland from July 27th to July 30th.

McQuaid, Gallagher, Healion and O'Loughlin then compete in the European Under-23 championships there from August 3rd to August 5th, with a realistic expectation of a strong performance. This marks a particularly busy time for Irish teams; after a long absence from the national squad, the talented but erratic Brian Kenneally joins Tommy Evans, Paddy Moriarty, Eugene Moriarty and Olympic-bound David McCann in the green jersey for the 1.6 ranked Tour of the Cotswolds on July 30th.

One week later, the Havant Grand Prix is on the agenda. The two Moriartys, Kenneally and Stephen O'Sullivan line out for the Portsmouth race, while McCann and Evans will contest the Tour of Guadeloupe in the colours of VC Perpignan.

Meanwhile, the Donegal three-day, one of the highlights on the calendar for under-18 and Senior Two riders, sets off today and among the ranks is an Ireland junior quartet of Tim Cassidy, Sean Lacy, Michael Dennehy and Philip Duignan.