Cycling: Mark Scanlon seeks to build on his encouraging ride in the Milan San Remo Classic last month when he lines out in the second round of cycling's World Cup, the Tour of Flanders, on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Ag2R rider will be one of the youngest competitors but is aiming to ride well in the gruelling 257-kilometre Classic, which is peppered with cobbles and short, steep climbs.
Defending champion Peter Van Petegem (Lotto-Domo) and fellow Belgians Johan Museeuw (Quick.Step-Davitamon) and Frank Vandenbroucke (Fassa Bortolo) are seen as the chief favourites for the race. Museeuw's team-mate Paulo Bettini and Milan-San Remo victor Oscar Freire (Rabobank) should also figure strongly.
This weekend, several other Irish internationals will be in action in world-ranked events. Ciarán Power's Navigators Insurance team will be amongst the riders disputing the Route Adélie de Vitré today and then Sunday's GP de la Ville de Rennes.
Closer to home, riders from the Totalcycling.com, Cidona Carrick Wheelers and Usher IRC will compete in the 1.5-ranked Archer Grand Prix in England on Sunday. The first of these teams includes last year's winner David O'Loughlin and Tommy Evans, with another regular Irish international, David McCann, guesting with Cidona for the day.
Elsewhere in the UK that day, Mark Nestor will lead a strong junior squad in the Martyn Ashfield Classic Junior road race, the first round of the Peter Buckley series. Maurice O'Brien, Eoin White and Marcus Treacy complete the Hibernian Team Ireland squad for the 70-mile event.
Entries, due in this Monday for the Shay Elliot Memorial road race, have been extended by a week due to the disruption of the postal strike. More information is available from Gillian Martin at 01-2864461.
