His morale boosted by his first professional victory in the FBD Milk Rás, Ciarán Power has returned to New Jersey to begin a battery of tough races with his Navigators pro team. First up is the prestigious First Union series, a trio of events which begin on June 4th and climax five days later with the open US Pro Championships. Power will then contest the Tour de Beauce in Quebec (June 17th-23rd) before returning home for the Irish road race championships.
The Waterford rider took 35 world ranking points in the Rás and has now amassed 77 this year; taking 70 more should be enough to lift him into the world's top 400 riders and earn him a place in the World Championship road race this autumn.
Power's form was hampered last season by injury and misfortune, but his move to America has agreed with him. "I am very motivated this year. The Navigators team is great and everything is working out very well."
Jamie Popham finished best of the Irish last weekend in the second round of the British National Downhill MTB (mountain bike) series. The Fiat LCV Racing rider was a fine fourth in the youth category, with Ben Reid eighth, while in the veterans race.
A five-man Irish team, Jim Cassidy, Denis Mc Carthy, Karl Gallagher, Alan Slevin and Tosh Lavery, will compete this weekend in the three-race International Police Cycling Gala in Cornhorn in the Netherlands.
