Seymour set to take title

ROBINS SEYMOUR makes the long trip tomorrow from his Wicklow home at Sugarloaf to Ballymoney, Antrim, for the cyclo cross championship looking all set to take the title for the sixth time in a row.

When the entries closed last Sunday, the organiser, Wallace McNaul, of Team Route, had just 21, with Barry Monaghan, Richie McCauley and John Pennefather not included. Seymour's main rivals are now likely to be recent winners Michael Carroll and Paul Giles and last year's junior champion Ross Blavney.

Monaghan and McCauley have been second and third for the last two years but they did not comply with the new regulations of entering in advance on the official championship entry form. None, of Monaghan's Newry club mates - are entered either so they forfeit the team title - Kilcullen can go one better this time.

Seymour had a win in a handicap event at Dungannon on Saturday, when Carroll was third, with Giles fifth. He was 17th in the London Open Championship on a fast, hilly course at Croyden on Sunday.

Seymour's first championship success was at Ennis in 1991 and he followed up at Cookstown, then twice at Ballymoney and extended his record at Rostrevor last year. To emphasise his off road superiority he has also carried off the mountain bike championship for the last three years.

McNaul has done some research on the cyclo cross championship and be compiled a list of Winners since 1980. Alastair Irvine was successful then at Bangor and his brother, Gerald, won the following year. Raphael Kimmage was champion at Dollymount in 1982 and retained the title at Belvoir Park but Gerald Irvine proved best again at Bangor.

Joe Barr then had the first of three wins in a row in the Phoenix Park and it was then the turn of Mark Kane (Rostrevor) and Alastair Martin (Ennis) before Seymour's reign started there a year later.

There is no junior title race this time. McNaul's schedule is for training over the course at 10.30 am., with a supporting event at 11.20 a.m. this is just an outing for non FIC licence holders. The championship is timed for 12.30 p.m. It will be over 12 laps of a circuit of just a mile in the Leslie Hill Estate.