McCann and Irvine going well in China

CYCLING:ALTHOUGH THE focus is currently on Nicolas Roche in the Tour de France, the racing season continues for other Irish riders elsewhere. David McCann and Martyn Irvine (Giant Kenda), competing in the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China, were 47th and 84th on yesterday's 103-kilometre stage to Qilian, finishing in the same time as bunch sprint winner Yuriy Metlushenko (Ukraine).

McCann is best placed of the duo, and sits 36th overall with three days remaining. He’s four minutes seven seconds off the lead, with Irvine back in 129th.

Irish road race champion Matt Brammeier has been racing in the Tour of Austria. Yesterday’s fifth stage took the peloton to Schladming, where Ian Stannard (Sky Procycling) won a four-man sprint to the line. Brammeier rolled in as part of the main bunch 49 seconds later. He is 109th overall in the event, which also ends on Sunday.

Elsewhere, seven Irish riders are making final preparations for next week’s European Under-23 and junior championships in Offida, Italy.

National Under-23 champion Sam Bennett and silver medallist Philip Lavery are taking a break from their An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly team to ride the under-23 races, along with Seán Downey, Felix English and Conor Dunne. Ryan Mullen will compete in the junior events, while Ciara Mulholland goes in the junior women’s races.

Former pro Neil Martin will act as manager.

Mark Rohan and Colin Lynch will cap off great seasons when they compete in the final leg of the Paracycling World Cup in Montreal this weekend. They lead their H1 (handcycle) and C2 (leg amputee) classifications, with Rohan having won both the road race and time trial in the two previous World Cups in Sydney and Segovia. He is guaranteed to win the overall series, and goes to Montreal with that in mind.

Lynch won the time trial and was second in the road race in the first of those World Cups. He was then second in the race against the clock in Segovia and 13th in the road race. Overall victory is possible, but he needs to put in a strong showing in Canada.

The fact both are travelling to Baie-Comeau is a triumph in itself for Paracycling Ireland, as it is pushed to raise funds to cover the trip. The strong achievements of both riders is encouraging, and bodes well for the campaign to qualify riders for the Paralympics.

* An elderly driver is facing manslaughter charges over the death of Australian cycling star Carly Hibberd. Brisbane-based Hibberd, 26, was training with an Italian professional team north of Milan when she was struck by a car on Wednesday. Italian police yesterday revealed a 70-year-old woman had turned left in front of the cyclist in Lurate Caccivio.