McConvey a strong bet

CYCLING:HAVING BEING based abroad this season and ridden many high-quality races, Connor McConvey looks like a strong bet to win this weekend's national mountain bike championship at the Dunmore Mountain venue.

The Belfast rider started this year with the Felt International team and transferred to Focus De-Brink Ten Tusscher after the former ran into financial trouble. Third in last year’s championship, his programme of World Cup racing makes him the most likely victor tomorrow.

Absent from the lineup is Robin Seymour, who last year took an astonishing 15th consecutive title. While he has been racing this season, he has called it a day as far as the nationals are concerned.

“I made a pledge to myself last year I wouldn’t ride the nationals and try to continue the record,” he said. “Fifteen wins straight is enough, I think, and maybe it’s time to let someone else shine.

“Of course this will throw up the suggestion I’m worried this year about being beaten. But to be honest, I recently had my best ride in the UK for about three years, finishing second behind Liam Killeen,”

Seymour said that while he is racing and training less than before, he feels he is going better than he was last year.

However that doesn’t prompt any second thoughts. “With the pressure of the nationals, so little to win and so much to lose, I found I just was not enjoying the championship any more,” he said. “In fact that and Beijing were the only races I didn’t enjoy last year.”

In other news, national champion Charles Prendergast vaulted into the yellow jersey of the M Donnelly Junior Tour yesterday, moving from 14th overnight when he won the third stage of the race.

The Stena Ireland rider had started the day 54 seconds behind Matt Bailey (BCF West Midlands) but soloed to a fine victory, hitting the line in Castlebar 22 seconds ahead of Dominic Schils (Lotto Interbike Olympia) and JC Nel (South Africa).

The stage travelled to Achill Island, where Perry Bowater (BCF West Midlands) was first to the top of the category one climb. Prendergast was increasingly aggressive and eventually struck out alone, showing his strength.

His win saw him take a one- second lead over Schils, with Robbert de Greef (Tempo BMV Veldhoven 1) a further 12 seconds back in third. Bowater is best first year junior, while Schils and Joren Segers (Hand in Hand Baal) lead the points and mountains.

The race continues today with a 107km race from Castlebar to Ballycastle.

Fixtures:Friday-Sunday: National track championships, Sundrive Road. First races today at 6pm. Saturday: National mountainbike XC championships, Dunmore Mountain, near Ballinahinch. Ballivor GP, Ballivor. Sunday: Age-related DMS championships, Kentstown, start 9.15am. Super 6 TT league, Woodgreen, starts 10am. Donal Crowley/Kay Stratton Memorial, Blarney. First race 11am. Brian McNamara Memorial, Tuam, starts 2pm.