Cycling ColumnAn increased emphasis on track racing in advance of next year's Olympic Games will see five Irish riders take part in the Manchester round of the UCI Track World Cup next weekend.
Last month national 4,000-metres record holder David O'Loughlin finished a fine fifth in the pursuit at the Los Angeles world cup, thus qualifying for the world championships at the end of March. The Mayo man will go in that discipline next Friday evening and will be hoping for a podium finish.
He will take part in the points race and will also join Dermot Nally, Paul Healion and Navigators Insurance team-mate Ciarán Power for the 4,000-metre team pursuit.
Power will compete in the scratch race, while sole Irish female entrant Louise Moriarty will line out in the points race and the 3,000-metre individual pursuit.
It is hoped the team will have strong Irish support, both from here and from the large ex-pat community. Tickets can be purchased via www.worldtrackcycling.com or by calling the ticket hotline on +44 (0) 871 2302621.
In related news, Moriarty will ride the season as part of the Global Racing Team, which will be based in Belgium. The squad is co-sponsored by WinningSolutions.ie, and in addition to her contract there, temporary guest slots will be available to other Irish riders during the season.
The increased strength of women's cycling here is reflected in the fact five riders will be linked to foreign teams this year. Apart from Moriarty, double road race champion Siobhán Dervan will once again compete for the Belgian Lotto-Belisol squad, while Jenny Fay, Julie O'Hagan and Jane Kilmartin will be part of the new Rapha/Condor set-up.
This is a huge achievement for Irish cycling and Cycling Ireland's women's commission.
Internationally, the number of UCI-registered women's teams has jumped from 28 to 42 this season, showing the growth in this area of the sport.
Elsewhere, two Irish professionals have been listed in the line-up for the prestigious Tour of California, a 2.HC eight-day event beginning this Sunday. Mark Scanlon will make his debut with his new team, Toyota-United Pro, while national road race champion David McCann will do the same with the Colavita Sutter Home squad.
Nicolas Roche is lying 53rd overall after three stages of the Tour of the Mediterranean. The Irish rider is one minute 55 seconds behind race leader Iván Gutiérrez (Caisse d'Epargne) heading into today's short but tough 98 kilometre stage from Greasque to the top of Mont Faron in Toulon.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Tomorrow: Leinster pre-season training (for all riders wishing to represent Leinster this year), starts 10am from Papal Cross in Phoenix Park.
Sunday: Sound Barrier Challenge, Wicklow (first group leaves Bray Wheelers clubhouse at 9.30, contact Mick on 087 6287128; MTB DH winter league round four, Cloon Wood, Wicklow, starts noon; MTB XCO winter league round four, Castle Park, Bangor; Connacht MTB league, Moorehall Wood, Co Mayo, first race at noon; Connacht road race series, round two, starts at Father Sammon community centre, Monivea, Co Galway at noon; Killarney MTB winter series round three, Lough Guitane Wood, starts noon.
