Even though the new cycling season does not start until February 28th at Navan there will be a team representing Ireland in the Langkawi Tour in Malaysia from February 3rd to 14th and another selection goes to a race in Greece from February 24th to 27th.

Because of fitness problems and availability national team director Richie Beatty has had difficulties selecting two six-man teams but he has managed to finalise them. Dermot Finnegan, who went to train and race in Australia in November with Morgan Fox, goes on to Malaysia along with Michael Fitzgerald who joined him in Australia after Christmas. The others named are Aidan Duff, Michael McNena, Paul Griffin and David McCann. The manager for that assignment is Ian Chivers.

Fox was also chosen for Malaysia, but he has to return from Australia to join his Belgian team at their training camp in Spain.

Ciaran Power was on Beatty's original list too but he was laid low with flu and forced to take it easy for a while. However, he is in the team going to Greece. That is an attractive trip, initiated by Stephen Roche, as there will be a week's training there before the four-day event and they stay on for three days afterwards.

With Power will be Ray Clarke, winner of the championship at Clane last year, David O'Loughlin, Kieran MacMahon, David McQuaid and Stephen Gallagher.

Beatty continues for another one-year term as part-time national team director and he has named Frankie Campbell as his assistant with the senior squad. Barry Monaghan stays on as junior manager.

At the ICF Board meeting last Saturday Ciaran McKenna and Tommy Campbell were ratified as PRO and chairman of the leisure affairs committee. In the ballot for the vacancy as head of the development committee, created by the resignation of Dermot Dignam, Paddy O'Callaghan beat Eamon Lawlor. O'Callaghan was also reappointed as vice-president to replace Dignam.

The president Pat McQuaid announced that as his outside work load will not be as heavy as expected he will be available to attend more meetings than seemed likely and there was no necessity to appoint a chairman to take responsibility for the day to day running of the federation. O'Callaghan and the secretary Jack Watson, who is also vice-president, can take over in McQuaid's absence.