CYCLING: With just four days to go until the start of the Donnelly Junior Tour, riders from Ireland and overseas are making final preparations for what should be a fascinating battle. Shane Stokes reports.
Running from Tuesday next until Sunday, the international stage race has attracted a fine line-up this year, with three squads from France, three from the Netherlands, two from South Africa and a team from the USA all travelling. Also making the journey are several squads from Britain, including the English and Welsh national teams.
As was the case last year, the Donnelly Junior Tour will be based mainly in Waterford. The stage one time-trial covers a hilly one-mile course in the city and three of the five road-race stages will start and finish in the area. Carrick-on-Suir hosts what is likely to be the most decisive stage, a mountainous 54-mile stage on Friday, while the following day, the riders will tackle a 55-mile stage in and around Clonmel. The Junior Tour will conclude with a two lap, 50-mile race which finishes at the GPO in Waterford city.
With such a strong foreign contingent entered for the race, Irish hopes will be pinned on a number of strong riders. Theo Hardwick will lead the Irish junior team and given his strong third place last year and excellent form this season, he is the most likely to succeed of the home competitors.
Meanwhile, the next round of the Cycling Ireland Classic League is taking place this weekend in Listowel. The league points on offer plus the excellent €1100 prize fund should guarantee a strong turn-out for the Gene Moriarty Cup, which will take place over seven laps of a 10- mile circuit. Favourites for the event include Ofoto Lombardi professional David O'Loughlin and in-form Cidona Carrick rider Brian Kenneally, who is hoping to take an unprecedented third win. Many of the field will then travel to Kilrush for the following day's Crotty Cup.
Underage competitors have their own event this weekend, with the Westwood Homes Kerry Youth Tour taking place in Killorglin. The race will feature visiting teams from Britain, Sweden, South Africa and The Netherlands, who together with the Irish riders will fight it out over four stages.
There are also a number of other races around the country, making this one of the busiest weekends for Irish cycling.
M DONNELLY JUNIOR TOUR 2003; Stage 1 (10-mile time trial, Waterford, Tuesday, August 5th): First rider starts 6.30 p.m. GPO on the Quay, Waterford. Finish at Garda station, Patrick Street. Stage 2 (60 miles, Waterford-Dungarvan-Waterford (Regional College sports centre), Wednesday, August 6th; starts 12 noon. Stage 3 (64 miles:Waterford-Thomastown-Waterford (GPO), Thursday, August 7th; starts 12 noon. Stage 4 (54 miles: Carrick-on-Suir circuit (three laps), Friday, August 8th; starts 12 noon. Stage 5 (55 miles: Clonmel-Lismore-Clonmel (Presentation Convent), Saturday August 9th; starts 12 noon. Stage 6 (50.2 miles:Waterford-Fiddown-Waterford (two laps), finish at GPO, Sunday, August 10th; starts 12 noon.
FIXTURES
Today to Sunday : FPM 3-Day (Newry), Stage 1 starts 6.30. Saturday - Monday: Westwood Homes Kerry Youth Tour, Killorglin. Stage 1 starts 2 p.m.; Mount Nugent GP, Mount Nugent. Starts 7 p.m. Northern Ireland Cross-country championships, Glenarm Forest. Starts noon.
Sunday: Gene Moriarty Cup (Classic League Event), Listowel; starts 1 p.m; Lough Glynn Carnival race, Lough Glynn; starts 1 p.m.; Munster MTB championships, Killarney; Crotty Cup, Kilrush; starts 12.30.
