O'Brien provides lift for Kelly team

CYCLING: The Seán Kelly-ACLVB M Donnelly Racing Team are heading into the final two months of the season with morale strong following Paídi O'Brien's fine seventh in the 1.1-ranked Druivenkoers Overijse in Belgium on Wednesday.

Team directeur sportif Kurt Bogaerts was very pleased with O'Brien's placing. "It is the best result for us to date, for sure," he said yesterday. "Paídi was sprinting for the win so that was also a first for us."

The Seán Kelly team was one of two Irish squads who made history this year by taking out licences as continental teams and, consequently, the riders have lined up against some of the strongest professionals in the sport. It has been a tough jump in standard but Bogaerts feels a corner has now been turned.

"We have been doing these races all year and while we found them tough early on, there is good progression now."

Meanwhile, Nicolas Roche has signed a deal to race with the Credit Agricole team in 2007 and 2008. The 22-year-old son of Stephen Roche is in the second year of his pro contract with Cofidis and has posted some good results this year, including fourth on a stage and fourth overall in Paris-Corrèze. Roche will continue his preparations for the Tour de l'Avenir by lining out in the ProTour-ranked GP Ouest France in Plouay tomorrow.

Siobhán Dervan will ride the women's race there tomorrow, having placed 18th overall in the Trophee d'Or race this week. She finished on the same time as the ninth-placed rider.

In other women's cycling news, it was announced this week ABM Construction will sponsor Ireland's largest women-only cycling event, Rás na mBan. The race will run on September 9th-10th and over 75 Irish and overseas riders are expected to take part. Those interested should contact Valerie Considine at 086 3825842.

Promising Irish climber Philip Deignan has finally made his return to competition following a frustrating couple of months for the AG2R Prévoyance rider. He suffered a broken collarbone at the start of the season and was then sidelined with glandular fever. He is building form in the Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne.

Paul Griffin took two stages and second overall in the King of the Mountains competition in the Surrey League five-day, which finished on Tuesday.

Finally, among the fixtures being held this weekend is the concluding races in the Terry Dolan Irish track championships, namely the sprint events, plus the national time trial championships near Derry on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Pádraig Marrey will tomorrow attempt to break the Mizen Head to Fair Head 380-mile distance record set by Paul O'Donoghue last month.

All 189 riders in the Tour of Spain, which starts tomorrow in Malaga, passed health checks yesterday. Blood tests, carried out before all major Tours by cycling's governing body, the International Cycling Union, revealed no anomalies for the riders from the 21 teams.

WEEKEND FIXTURES: Tomorrow: Track racing at Sundrive Road, Crumlin. Includes final events from Terry Dolan National Championships, starts 10am. Kevin McInerney Memorial, Dunlavin, starts 2pm. Michael Mooney Memorial Cup, Collooney, Sligo, starts 3pm. Saturday-Monday: Bobby Crilly Three-Day, Dundrod. Stage one starts 10am. Sunday: National TT championships, starts Derry-Letterkenny road, starts noon. Markievicz Cup, Collooney, Sligo, starts 2pm. Ulster XC Championships, Tievnadarragh Forest, near Ballynahinch. First races at 11.30am.