The cyclo-cross championship has been saved by the Apollo club and will be promoted at Craigavon on Saturday, December 13th. The event was listed for that date in the FIC Handbook but no promoting club or venue were stated and with no offers in to organise it up to last month, it seemed likely that no title would be at stake for 1997.

However, the Apollo club from Lurgan, whose secretary Myles McCorry challenges Pat McQuaid for the FIC presidency at the annual general meeting on November 29th, have come to the rescue and the championship will be decided at the Craigavon Watersport Centre, starting at one o'clock. There will be just one race, although juniors and veterans can compete with the seniors. Entries will be accepted on the day. Dermot Dignam's plans to bring the FBD Milk Ras to Belfast next year have been abandoned and he is planning a new route with Ulster excluded.

Even before this year's Ras ended, Dignam said he was hoping to include Belfast in 1998. An opening stage from Dublin to Belfast on Saturday, May 16th, was the first consideration and then the possibility of starting in Belfast, with a stage to Derry, was examined but did not meet with the necessary approval.

The new plans are not sufficiently advanced for Dignam to reveal much but he said: "The start will be in Dublin again and we will go west and then down into the deep south."

While some stage-end towns have been pencilled in, Dignam would only hint at taking in counties Sligo, Mayo and Clare before going on to west Cork.

He added there would be a stage end in the south-east, with the second last stage through the Wicklow mountains. Taking in some of the route the Tour de France will cover in July was considered but Dignam said: "The Tour goes over the Wicklow Gap but we will be including three major climbs on the second last day."

Although the finish was in Swords in recent years, Dignam said that was not the definite location for Sunday, May 24th. "Swords will be considered again and we will be having discussions with all those involved in the area but the finish has not been decided yet."

Dignam added that there has been a good demand for tickets for the FIC Champions Night function in Malahide on Saturday, November 29th. They are available at the FIC office. The veterans' association have their dinner and prize presentation at Springfield, Leixlip, on Sunday afternoon, December 7th.

The Leinster branch of the FIC have a coaching-training weekend arranged for December 6th and 7th, conducted by Mark Kiely.