Shane Stokes

The careers of two of Ireland's professional cyclists appear to have taken a step backwards with the news third division Team Endurasport squad will not be continuing in 2004. Former double Irish road-race champion David McCann and young hopeful Stephen Gallagher raced with the team last season and, while the set-up was a small one, they had access to some important races.

The team management had been looking for a secondary sponsor to ensure their future but have been unable to secure a deal. McCann is working out his options while Gallagher reports he is going to race in Belgium for the Asfra-Flanders team.

"I was disappointed with the way things turned out with Endurasport but was glad of the experience there last year," Gallagher said. "This season I will be riding for Asfra-Flanders, which has links to the pro team Flanders. When I contacted the pro team they were unfortunately already full, but they have offered me a place on their amateur team. I hope to get a place with them (the pro squad) at the end of this season or next year."

Like McCann, former professional David O'Loughlin is also expected to make an announcement shortly with regard to his choice of team for 2004. Both riders are on the provisional eight-man Olympic squad and so will have the opportunity to compete in international events with the Team Ireland set-up this year. They will be vying to land as many world-ranking points as possible in order to further their chances of selection for Athens.

Cycling Ireland released details of the selection criteria and the 2004 international programme at their pre-season meeting last Sunday. World-ranking points attained before June 27th will be the most important consideration in determining which two riders will line out in the Olympic road race, attracting an importance weighting of 50 per cent.

A new four-man Cycling Ireland Athens Planning Group will also have an input, taking exceptional performances in 2004 (30 per cent weighting), exceptional team work and individual rider attributes such as the ability to handle the heat and pollution of Athens into account when determining selection.

As things stand eight riders are on the provisional list of candidates: Ag2r professional Mark Scanlon, Navigators pro Ciarán Power, McCann, O'Loughlin, Philip Deignan, Denis Lynch, Tommy Evans and Brian Kenneally. Others such as Spanish-based pro Dermot Nally could force their way onto the squad by scoring well in world-ranking races.

Of the eight, Power and Scanlon will have first opportunity to land points when they line out in the six-day Tour Down Under, which starts on January 20th. O'Loughlin, McCann, Lynch, Deignan and Paul Griffin will get their season under way in the Team Ireland colours in Malaysia's 2.2-ranked Tour of Langkawi from February 6th-15th. The remaining two places on the team will be filled shortly.

The next two races on Cycling Ireland's international programme will be the Omloop van-Het Wassland and the Zesbergenpirjs Haveibere, both Belgian 1.5 events, on March 14th and 27th.