SIXTEEN YEAR OLD Mark, Scanlon from Sligo, who is racing in his first season as a junior after dominating the competition at under age level, leads the three day race at Gorey going into today's final stage.
Paul Coen won Saturday's opening 70 miles from Blessington to Gorey with John Nolan second and Scanlon was ahead of the rest of the leading group of 15.
Then on yesterday morning's four mile time trial on the Enniscorthy road Scanlon was fastest, six seconds better than Andre Engeman and this put Scanlon in the lead by 10 seconds from David McQuaid.
On stage three over four laps of 15 miles at Gorey, Nolan and Sean Lally were clear approaching the finish but they were overhauled by the fast moving pack and Derek Finnegan of the Eastern Region led the charge at the end. However, there were no changes overall so Scanlon still has the leader's jersey for today's final stage to Brittas.
Tommy Evans of Banbridge, last year's FBD Milk Ras winner, was fastest in the 12 mile Tour of the North time trial at Ballyclare yesterday and he took over the lead going into today's fourth stage at Limavady.
Evans was 18 seconds faster than Andy Proffitt, who won the opening time trial on Friday evening, and Evans leads by 41 seconds from Proffitt with Ian Chivers next at a further three seconds.
Jason McIntyre (Edinburgh,) was first at the end of Saturday's 65 miles from Portadown and Frenchman Sebastian David took over the lead but that all changed yesterday with Evans fastest.
John Blackwell (Kanturk) leads the Southern Region three day race going into the final stage today from Killorglin back to Cork. Micheal Fitzgerald led the way on stage one on Saturday into Killorglin and in yesterday morning's hill climb time trial at Rossbeigh Barry Twohig and David Peelo dead heated with Karl Donnelly just a second behind.
The evening stage over a three miles circuit at Killorglin went to BlackWell, two seconds ahead of Brian Quinn with Ciaran Power at 31 seconds and Fitzgerald a further 23 seconds adrift and this put Blackwell at the head of the classification by five seconds from Quinn.
. Britain's Chris Boardman surrendered his Criterium International title to unheralded Spaniard Marcelino Garcia in Castres, France, yesterday. The Olympic bronze medallist lost over two minutes in the morning's climb, too much to make up in the afternoon's short time trial, although he did manage second place to finish 11th overall.
"I did not have any legs today. I'm far too off form," said Boardman, who had only six days of racing under his belt before the weekend. Boardman, the one hour world record holder, was still good enough to finish three seconds behind another Spaniard, Aitor Garmendia, in the 8km time trial.
Garcia surprised all the favourites by taking the title. As the top challengers watched each other in the morning's 80km mountain stage, ONCE team leader Laurent Jalabert asked Garcia to make a move.
The Oviedo rider responded by attacking at the start of the 12km climb to the Pic de Nore and finished with a one minute lead over Jalabert and two other leading contenders, Italian Marco Pantani and Frances Pascal Herve.
The advantage was more than enough for Garcia to remain overall leader after the time trial.
