Roche targets stage win

CyclingNicolas Roche has targeting a stage win in the prestigious Tour de l'Avenir, which began yesterday in Charleroi, Belgium.

The 22-year-old Cofidis rider has shown good form, placing fourth on a stage and finishing fourth overall in the Paris-Corrèze race last month. Last Sunday he rode well in the tough GP Ouest France in Plouay.

"I hope to do well in the Tour de l'Avenir," he said yesterday. "I've been told told that our team leader is Maxime Monfort, so my role is a bit different now. I will go for a stage win . . . I have been waiting for this race all year."

Yesterday Roche finished in a group 104 seconds behind the stage winner, Mickaël Delage (Française des Jeux). He was 31st at the line.

The other Irishman in the race, Philip Deignan, suffered glandular fever earlier this season and had a tough time of it yesterday, coming home 12 minutes and 38 seconds down, in 121st place.

Meanwhile Irish road-race champion Siobhán Dervan looks a candidate for world championship selection thanks to several strong rides on the continent. In the Expert Holland Ladies Tour this week she placed 38th of 121 finishers on Tuesday's second stage, 20 seconds behind the winner, Ina Yoko Teutenberg (T-Mobile).

At home, entries are building for the ABM Construction Rás na mBan, an international race to be run next weekend. The contact is Valerie Considine at 086 3825842.

Western Lakes rider Padraig Marrey completed an epic ride last Sunday, breaking the 380-mile Mizen Head to Fair Head record. Backed by Murphy and Gunn, Marrey completed the distance in 17 hours and 48 minutes, beating the 18:37 posted by Paul O'Donoghue in July, and said he might next target the Dublin-Galway record.

FIXTURES

Saturday: Beechmount Cup, Kilmessan, 6pm. Epic Blast Downhill, contact Richie Byrne at 087 6376065. Track racing, Sundrive Road, Kimmage, 11am. Ards Hill Climb, 11am, contact Bronagh Kirk at 048 91468990. Connacht MTB league, Westport House, 1pm. Limerick hill championships, 7pm, contact Liam Collins on 061 307178. Saturday, Sunday: Adare Woodlands Two Day, 4pm. Sunday: Collins Christle Memorial, Kilmessan, 1.30pm. Ulster road championships, Nutts Corner, 10am.