It was Mark Scanlon first and the rest nowhere in the 28th edition of the Hamper Race at Carrick-on-Suir yesterday. Wearing his world junior champion's rainbow jersey, Scanlon left his rivals trailing with a powerful display, and on the finishing circuit of half-a-mile he twice lapped the runner-up, the reigning Irish senior champion, Ray Clarke.

Scanlon, who joins the Dutch RaboBank team at Eindhoven next month, said he has not been training very hard. "I have only been getting out a few times again in the last couple of weeks, but I have been watching my diet very closely and I am only two pounds above my best racing weight."

When the racing really started Scanlon, Clarke, Micheal Fitzgerald and Brian Kenneally broke away on the first of five laps of five miles, and they gained a lead of 35 seconds on a group of 15, including Sean Kelly, with the rest well strung out behind.

As Scanlon and Clarke set out on the final section of 10 laps of half-a-mile in the town, their lead was over two minutes. But Scanlon surged ahead and Clarke could not match him. Clarke was lapped on the fifth time around and Scanlan passed him again on the last lap.