CyclingBen Reid will line out tomorrow aiming for a top ride in the World Mountainbike Championships in Les Gets, France. The junior downhill rider qualified fourth yesterday and is very much in the running for a medal. Last year, Reid finished 11th in the championship in Lugano, Switzerland, despite a crash during his run.
He finished less than half a second outside the top 10 and would have been higher in the rankings had he not had that spill.
Reid will be joined in the junior race by Jamie Popham and Greg O'Keeffe, with the former also hoping for a medal-winning ride. Popham was a disappointed 16th in the world championships last year but showed his class with a fine fifth place in the European championships two weeks earlier. He equalled that placing in the European championships this year and is capable of a medal. However, Popham has not fully recovered from a broken ankle and may be short of his customary speed in the race.
Of the other Irish on the squad, John Lawlor, Glyn O'Brien, Colin Ross, Andy Smith and Andrew Yoong will ride the elite downhill contest. Irish Olympians Robin Seymour and Jenny McCauley plus Irish women's champion Tarja Owens will line out in the elite cross-country events on Sunday, while under-23 Lewis Ferguson and juniors Barry Nolan and Andrew McCullough compete today.
Medals are also up for grabs at home, with the Irish time-trial championships taking place in Killorglin tomorrow. Defending champion David O'Loughlin and FBD Milk Rás winner David McCann competed in the Tour of Britain last week and will start as joint favourites for the title.
Entrants have an addition motivation to do well with the first two set to go on to ride the time trial at the elite world championships in Verona, Italy, at the end of the month.
A place at the worlds is also on offer for the women's time trial, provided the winning speed is within a certain percentage of the men's standard.
Finally, the first UCI meeting to be held in Ireland took place in Dublin yesterday. Hosted by Cycling Ireland, the road commission met to finalise the new continental and under-23 calendars for 2005 plus the events for the women's World Cup. The meeting continues today and is fronted by road commission president Pat McQuaid, who is tipped to take over from Hein Verbruggen in the top slot as UCI president at the end of next year.
Fixtures: Saturday - Irish time trial championships, Killorglin. Racing starts at 12.30. Sunday - Connacht Hill Climb championships, Tourmakeady, Co Mayo. Racing starts at noon, contact Noel Gibbons at 087-7870055. Ulster veteran's road race championship, Nutts Corner. Handicapped event, open to all UCI licence holders resident in Ulster. Racing starts at 10 a.m. Matthew Corcoran memorial, Naas - cancelled.
