Mark Scanlon's great triumph in the World Junior Championship at Valkenburg in Holland last Saturday provides a timely boost for Irish cycling and big groups are expected to gather on Sunday for National Bike Day with just over 200 leisure spins planned at venues throughout the country.
FIC development officer Dermot Dignam and Paddy Griffin, who has responsibility for leisure cycling, have put a lot of work into organising the day's activities and although Scanlon is committed to attending an evening function in Galway, he is expected to lead the spin at Sligo. Having followed Scanlon's career from the schoolboy ranks I knew he was exceptional and regarded him as the best prospect since Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche. He started racing as an 11-year-old and was Irish champion at under-16 at Tuam in 1996. He was junior 25 miles time trial champion last year and this season has swept all before him on the way to being top junior in the world.
I thought he would have done much better than 22nd of the 69 in the World Junior Time Trial Championship last week and hoped for a top 10 placing from a field of 171 on Saturday, so for him to carry off the world road race title was a very pleasant surprise.
The obvious route now for Scanlon is a place with one of the top trade teams, but he has said he will not rush into any decision and will take a break from cycling for a few weeks before starting training again.
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