THE FIC president Pat McQuaid was in Paris last weekend for the World cyclo cross championship and he attended various top level meetings on European and world affairs. Although his application to promote one of the Grundig series World Cup mountain bike races next year was unsuccessful he will try again and he has also made a bid to stage the 1997 European road race championship.

McQuaid said there were 22 requests in for eight events in the mountain bike series. Against such formidable competition from well established promoters it would have been a big surprise if one of the races went to Ireland at the first attempt but McQuaid said he would persist and apply again for the following year.

The Isle of Man is the venue for the first European road race championship in June and it seems unlikely that the Irish federation would be given the event next year in preference to a Continental location but McQuaid has lodged an application.

To host the start of the Tour de France has been on McQuaid's list of priorities for some time and his request for the event to come here in 1998 is, he said still an ongoing project."

To have the World road race championship fought out on Irish roads is something else McQuaid has been working on and he also has hopes for that in the not too distant future. "It is still a possibility, we have to keep knocking on the door if we are to get any of these big events."

McQuaid has received a letter of resignation from FIC Board member John Joe Daly from Listowel and efforts will be made at the board meeting in Dublin tomorrow to fill the vacancy.

Day was chairman of the committee with responsibility for the development of under age competition and McQuaid said that it will be a priority to co opt somebody to carry out this important role. Brendan Donoghue of Orwell Wheelers, who was narrowly defeated by Tommy Campbell in the ballot for chairman of the coaching committee is an obvious candidate.

Donoghue was included by Dermot Dignam on his development committee.

When the national team director Alasdair MacLennan was making exhaustive efforts last week to select a team of six for the Tour of Malaysia. Paul McQuaid did not come in for consideration as he had not replied to MacLennan's questionnaire regarding his plans for the season.

McQuaid, 27, winner of the FBD Milk Ras last year, has not retired but he is taking a year away from racing to set up a business venture.