SUNDAY is the closing date for entries for the FBD Milk Ras from May 17th to 25th, but the organiser, Dermot Dignam, admitted yesterday that just a trickle of applications had come in during the week.
Dignam has a clause on the entry forms. The entry fee is £20 for those received before April 13th but for any in next week, up to the 20th, an increase to £30 will apply and no entries will be accepted after Sunday week.
The locals are the biggest offenders regarding late entries as clubs and county boards are very dilatory in finalising teams and Dignam does not intend going to any of the races over the weekend to try and entice any Ras hopefuls.
In addition to the Ireland selection and the usual county sides - all teams are of five riders this year - Dignam said the British Federation is sending a team and there will be the usual British regional and club squads as well.
Stephen Roche has confirmed that his old Paris club, ACBB, will be represented for the first time. Roche, winner of the 1979 Ras, was with ACBB before his highly successful professional career and he has negotiated to have them in the line-up.
It has also been agreed that in recognition of ACBB giving opportunities to riders from many countries, including Ireland - Shay Elliott was first to sign up for them in 1953 - there will be two non-Frenchmen included in their selection.
Paul Griffin, Brian Kenneally, Aidan Crowley and Robert Whelan are with ACBB this season and Griffin, last year's most prolific winner on the home scene, is most likely to be included for the Ras with one of their men from Poland.
Dignam said he will have a Dutch team in the race and also one from the Philippines while negotiations are continuing to have other Continentals too.
First category licence holders are excluded from tomorrow's Christy McManus memorial race at Bray but they have the Beggan Trophy event at Bohermeen on Sunday as well as the Tour of the Sperrins at Cookstown while there is an additional fixture, the Kay Stratton memorial at Blarney.
The Tour of Ulster on May 3rd, 4th and 5th is the next stage race for home based riders and it will provide good Ras preparation.
There are some changes to the route this year and the first stage of 81 miles starts and finishes in Fintona and goes through Clogher, Emyvale, Aughnacloy, Castlecaulfield and Pomeroy.
The scene then switches to Enniskillen where the Sunday morning time trial is over 5.3 miles with an afternoon 73 miles taking in Derrylinn, Belturbet, Clones, Carnmore and Fivemiletown to finish at Chanterhill, Enniskillen. The Monday final stage is over another loop of 80 miles including Derrygonnelly, Garrison, Belcoo, Blacklion, Swanlinbar and the Marble Arch climb with the finish back in Enniskillen.
. World champion Manuela Machado is determined to stand in the way of Britain's Liz McColgan in her challenge for a second successive London Marathon title on Sunday - and her compatriot Antonio Pinto is hoping to make it a Portuguese double.
Machado, who finished second in her only other visit to London in 1995, has set her sights on smashing her personal best and adding the London title to her already impressive collection.
