CYCLING/Column: Completing an intensive block of racing in his first year as a professional, defending champion Mark Scanlon is returning home to Sligo to defend the Irish Road Race championship title he took last year.
The 22-year-old has had a huge volume of racing with his Ag2r squad, most recently finishing the Tour of Switzerland on Wednesday, and provided he recovers from that race in time he should be a big force this Sunday.
"Mark has done five tours in six weeks, and so is very tired at the moment," said his coach Padraig Marrey yesterday.
"If he can recover in time, though, he will be very strong. Mark will certainly be determined to do a good ride in his home town, and should have a huge amount of support there."
Last year's silver medallist Ciarán Power has also flown back to Ireland and is hoping to go one place better this time round.
Confidence boosted by two stage wins in the FBD Milk Rás and similar success in the Nature Valley Grand Prix on the competitive US circuit, he is likely to be Scanlon's biggest obstacle.
Other professionals who will race are David O'Loughlin (Ofoto Lombardi Sports) and the 2000/01 champion David McCann, now racing for Team Endurasport.
French-based riders Tommy Evans and Denis Lynch are both riding for Totalcycling.com and along with their regular VC La Pomme team mates Philip Deignan and Paidi O'Brien, should be prominent on the day.
The promoting Éire Óg team have chosen a tough course for the race and one which should result in a deserving champion. Slightly under nine miles in length, the riders will cover twelve laps of the circuit, with two miles of this running through Sligo town itself.
There are two hills for the riders to deal with each time around, a two mile drag on the Manorhamilton road and then a steep 400 metre hill which ends just two and a half miles from the start/finish line and could serve as a springboard for a late attack.
"We are hoping for a good turnout of spectators," confirmed race director Daire Mooney. "This will be the first real opportunity in a long time for people in the area to see Mark race, and so there should be a lot of interest."
Meanwhile, The Apollo Cycling Team will promote round three of the Irish Mountain Bike Series at Big Wood, between Newry and Warrenpoint, this Sunday.
The course is situated alongside the main Newry-Warrenpoint dual carriageway. For more information contact Myles at (048) 38348627.
FIXTURES: Sunday: All-Ireland road race championships, Sligo. (Entries accepted on the day); Cycling Ireland XC NPS mountainbike race, Big Wood, Co Down; IVCA 42 mile CP, Clane. Starts 10 a.m.
