With the Tour de France starting in Dublin a week later than usual next July because of the World Cup finals in France many other principal cycling events dates are to change too but the FBD Milk Ras goes ahead in its now established May slot.
Although the new Tour of Britain will be from May 23rd to 31st Ras organiser Dermot Dignam is not changing to avoid a clash and stays with May 16th to 24th.
Dignam said yesterday: "There is no reason whatsoever for us to alter our date. I understand there will be two or maybe three British teams in the revived tour in Britain, that means the top 10 or maybe 18 riders over there, depending on the numbers in each team, so I won't be inviting a GB selection here for the Ras, I wouldn't settle for their fourth rate squad. We will, however, have the usual regional and club sides and plans are already under way to get some strong British combinations for the Ras."
The Sunday before the Tour de France has become the regular date for national championships but the 1998 Irish title will be decided on the previous week, June 28th.
A big cycle ride over the route for stage one of the Tour is being planned for July 5th and an application is in already from Carrick-onSuir to promote all four Irish road race championships. Although it was the venue this year it is likely to be sanctioned again.
It is proposed to have the veterans and womens' events at Carrick on Saturday, June 27th with the seniors and juniors in action the following day.
The Tour of Italy next year will be from May 16th to June 7th; the Tour de France starts in Dublin on July 11th with the finish, as usual, in Paris on August 2nd and then the Tour of Spain is from September 5th to 27th.
The World Road Championships will be at Valkenburg, in the Netherlands from October 6th to 11th - the last time they were held there was in 1979.
This year's Irish CycloCross Championship may not be held. It was listed for December 13th with the promoters and venue to be announced but no club has expressed an interest in staging the event.
Wallace McNaul of Team Route holds the usual cyclocross handicap event at Leslie Hill Farm, Ballymoney, tomorrow. The club promoted the championship there last year and also in 1993 and '94 - in 1995 it was held at Rostrevor - but unless Tony Allen receives an offer at FIC headquarters in the next week or so from a club to stage the championship it will not be held this year.
Tomorrow's Ballymoney event will be for 40 minutes over a circuit of just over a kilometre, starting at 12.30 and only cyclo-cross bikes can be used. There will also be a race at noon for under-12s.
Another cyclo-cross race is listed for a course at the Curragh on Sunday week.
