Cycling World Road Championships and local newsThe Irish riders competing in the elite world championship time trial yesterday in Salzburg finished in the second half of the field, with David O'Loughlin finishing 30th and David McCann placing 39th.
The race was won by Fabian Cancellara, the Swiss rider beating medallists Dave Zabriskie (USA) and Tour of Spain winner Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) by over a minute in the 50.83 kilometre test.
Both Irish riders would have been hoping to finish higher in the standings. McCann was a fine 15th in the same race two years ago and showed good form in winning the recent Tour of Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the sole female rider on the Irish squad will compete in the elite women's road race tomorrow. National road race champion Siobhan Dervan has shown good form of late and will be hoping to perform well in the six-lap, 132.6 kilometre event.
Also wearing the green jersey on Saturday are under-23 riders Ryan Connor, Paídi O'Brien, Mark Cassidy and Daniel Martin. Their event is 176.8 kilometres and will see the world's top young riders scrap it out on the selective course.
The Irish campaign will end on Sunday with the elite road race. Favourites for the 265.2 kilometre event include Vinokourov, Tour of Spain runner-up Alejandro Valverde (Spain), Olympic champion Paolo Bettini and Italian compatriot Danilo di Luca.
Irish hopes will be rest on McCann, Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan. The latter two showed strong form in the recent Tour de l'Avenir.
To off-road racing and the Irish marathon cross country championships will be held tomorrow at Carlingford in Co Louth. Multiple Irish MTB champion Robin Seymour will start the 50-kilometre race as the hot favourite, especially after his final-round win and overall victory in the British marathon series on Sunday.
It has been announced Andy Potts has temporarily taken over as chairman of Cycling Ireland's off-road commission, following the resignation of Richie Byrne. Eamon Lawlor is the new vice-president. There has been much tension around the commission this season, something Potts commented on this week.
"It has been a somewhat difficult year for the commission, as most will know," he said. "I may only be chairman for a month or so, but I would hope to guide the off-road commission through the Cycling Ireland agm and Off-Road agm in a totally positive manner."
WORLD ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS (Salzburg): Elite men's individual time trial: 1, F Cancellara (Switz) 50.83 kilometres in 1 hour 11.75 secs (50.664 km/h); 2, D Zabriskie (US) at 1 min 29.97 secs; 3, A Vinokurov (Kazakhstan) at 1 min 49.72 secs; 4, B Bach Vandborg (Den) at 1 min 53.10 secs; 5, S Lang (Ger) at 2 mins 8.85 secs; 6, V Kiryienka (Belarus) at 2 mins 13.65 secs. Others: 30, O'Loughlin (Ire) at 5 mins 2.61 secs; 39, D McCann (Ire) at 6 mins 1.39 secs.
