NO DECISION has been reached yet about an Irish start to the Tour de France in July, 1997, but Pat McQuaid, president of the Federation of Irish Cyclists, said he is still hopeful that the organisers will agree to bring the great race here.

Government backing for the very costly operation is required and last week McQuaid, Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc and some other top Tour officials had a meeting with the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Enda Kenny.

McQuaid said he was pleased with the outcome. "The meeting went satisfactorily, nothing happened to kill off our hopes. It is still an ongoing project and hopefully there will be a decision in our favour."

The plan is to have a Saturday prologue time-trial over a closed Dublin city centre course of about seven kilometres and two stages of more than 100 miles before everyone is transported back to France, probably from Cork to Roscoff.

The annual general meeting of the FIC will be on November 30th and December 1st and before that McQuaid, in his capacity as FIC president, has arranged for a seminar in Athlone on October 19th. The 10 FIC Board members will attend with the officials of the six regional committees and he maintains they will not just be drawing up plans for next year but for Irish cycling in the future,"

Sunday is a hi g day for the McQuaid, clan as the race commemorating Jim McQuaid will be held in the Phoenix Park, A programme of under-age events gets under way on the triangular circuit at, the Ordnance Survey at 9.30 with the senior race over 45 miles at 11 o'clock,

The second last event in the Mid Eastern Region's league is down for decision tomorrow over a north Co Dublin circuit at the rear of the airport. Keith Bannon has a commanding lead. He has 42 points to 25 for Colm Bracken, with Willie Byrne, who is now racing in Belgium, on 22.