CYCLING: Defending champion Ciarán Power has returned from racing in America for next week's FBD Milk Rás, and is confident that he should be in good shape for the eight-day tour.
"I should certainly be in the same form as last year, once I recover from recent races," he said. "Going into the Tour of Georgia last month, I was absolutely flying. I felt very good there and did a lot of hard work for the team to try to keep Henk Vogels in the yellow jersey."
Power's Navigators squad rode a series of criteriums after that, and while the intensive period of effort left him quite drained, he feels it was the ideal work-out.
"It is perfect, really. It is similar to doing a big training block, and should bring my form along nicely."
The 1998 and 2002 winner will race on the Irish team alongside joint leader David O'Loughlin, who was impressive in Georgia. They will need to be in the best shape possible, given the strength of the foreign opposition in this year's race. The Britain squad and the professional Bianchi Scandinavia team both look to be big dangers, and so, too, the 15 other foreign professional, national and regional teams confirmed.
Power will be among the riders testing their legs in this Sunday's Noel Hammond Memorial Classic League race in Ballyboghal. The senior 1 and 2 race takes in seven laps of the tough, 12-mile circuit, with the entrants in the supporting Kieran Hammond Memorial event to complete five laps.
Meanwhile, a smaller-than usual Irish MTB team will compete in an E1 cross country event in Greece this weekend. Robin Seymour and Richie McCauley will be aiming to secure world-ranking points in the Kissavos Cup in Anatoli.
Downhill riders had a good showing last weekend in the opening round of the British National Points Series in Combe Sydenham, North Somerset. The promising Jamie Popham beat the rest of the 55-rider field to become the first Irish junior to win a British NPS event, while Ben Reid was sixth. Glyn O'Brien was 10th in the elite race and Pat Maginn placed sixth in the veterans' competition.
Finally, Philip Deignan rode strongly in the recent under-23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, finishing 25th in the 180km World Cup race. Denis Lynch was a similarly encouraging 27th.
SATURDAY: West Coast Wheelers races, Galway. Underage TT noon, underage criterium 3pm. Senior/junior/veteran/women's criterium 7.0pm. Northern Ireland MTB XC league round two, Ballykelly, noon.
SUNDAY: Noel Hammond/Kiernan Hammond Memorial races, Ballyboghal, 11.30. Cycling Ireland Downhill NPS round two, Waterford, noon. IVCA DMS, Milltown, Newbridge, 10am.
