Cycling Column:With the road race season concluded, action has shifted to the off-road discipline of cyclo-cross. Tomorrow the second event of this autumn will be held, with riders lining out in Larne on a fast-flowing circuit based at the Seacourt Community centre.
XMTB rider Connor McConvey won a close tussle with several other riders to take last Sunday's opening race in Lurgan Park. At the end of over 45 minutes of flat-out, technical racing, he hit the line 32 seconds ahead of Lewis Ferguson (Team BHB) and a further second up on Philip Roche (Team WORC).
National champion Robin Seymour did not take part.
Seymour and McConvey will miss tomorrow's race as they are competing in the Alanya International MTB Cup in Turkey on Sunday. The riders are aiming to add to their world ranking points and improve their chances of qualifying a second bike for next year's Beijing Olympics. Ireland have already secured one slot, but another could be secured depending on how the country fares in the final events of 2007.
Cycling Ireland (CI) held their agm last Saturday, when details of a much healthier financial situation than was the case several years ago were announced. A surplus of €142,069 was recorded for 2006, due in part to a tight rein-in on expenditure plus the income achieved through grants and affiliation fees.
CI executive director Declan Byrne said membership grew to 4,451 in 2007, with 159 clubs being affiliated. Much of the growth is due to the amalgamation of the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation with Cycling Ulster, and it is the highest level since the federation came into existence.
The emphasis must now be on recruiting more young members. One factor which may help in this is the likely construction of an indoor velodrome in the North within the next few years. Three bids are being considered for the building of the indoor track, with Belfast, Newry and Newcastle the venues in the running.
Meanwhile, resurfacing work on the outdoor track at Sundrive Road will finally be completed next spring, along with the construction of a cycling school at the venue. A capital grant of €400,00 has been secured for the construction of a 1.2km circuit at Corcaigh Park, while elsewhere a downhill MTB course plus a series of Irish on- and off-road trails are also in development.
Saturday: Cyclo-cross race, Seacourt Community Centre, Larne. First races at 11.30.
Sunday: Connacht MTB League, Moorehall, Co Mayo, noon. Kevin King Memorial Leisure Tour, Drogheda, from Thatch Bar at 10am.
