WHILE Declan Lonergan and Philip Collins have qualified for the Olympic points and pursuit events on the track at Atlanta, the situation is not so clear cut for the mountain bike race, but the national team director Alastair MacLennan is to make a decision on who will go with Martin Earley after he has seen the third event in the World Cup series at St Wendel in Germany on Sunday.

Earley qualified Ireland as one of the 25 nations with two places in the new Olympic event when he was 27th in the world championship at Kirchzarten in Germany last October. So, Earley was an automatic selection and Alastair Martin, who was 72nd that day, was provisionally selected but his place has been under threat from Robin Seymour, who has been Irish mountain bike and cyclo cross champion for the last three years.

MacLennan maintains it is not a head to head between Martin and Seymour on Sunday. He said: "There is very little between them but Martin is the man in possession and Seymour would have to produce a phenomenal performance to earn selection."

In the world championship last year a broken chain ruined Seymour's chance and, after carrying out the necessary repairs, he struggled on but was eventually lapped. Then this season Martin was 10th in an event at Margam in Wales, with Seymour 12th, but in the first World Cup race at Lisbun Seymour was 58th with Martin 81st. Last Sunday at Houffalizein Belgium, where Earley finished 42th, Seymour was 77th and Martin, was forced to pull out soon after the start with a broken gear mechanism.

There is still over three months to go to the Olympic race on July 30th but MacLennan wants to finalise selection this weekend and even though he does not agree, it would surely be the best way to resolve the tight situation if Martin and Seymour were to just fight it out for the place on Sunday.

The Irish team of Collins, Micheal Fitzgerald, Peter Daly, Leslie McKay, Mark Hutton and Ciaran Power are involved in the three day Tour of the Vendee Region in France, which got under way yesterday, but MacLennan had to make changes to the selection that goes on to the Ruban Granitier in Brittany, which starts on Monday.

Following the withdrawal of Eamon Byrne, Vendee based Aidan Duff also pulled out - he wants to concentrate on preparing for the new European road race championship in the Isle of Man in June by contesting the top French one day events.

MacLennan has drafted in Paul Butler, who is riding with the French squad, Corbeille, and Brian Kenneally, who has taken Byrne's place at ACBB in Paris. They team up with Fitzgerald, Daly, McKay and Hutton, so four members of the Carrick Cidona club Fitzgerald, Daly, Butler and Kenneally - are included in an Irish team of six.

Yesterday MacLennan announced the Irish selection for the four day Tour of Lancashire, which starts in Manchester next Thursday, so it clashes with the Tour of Ulster. Chosen are Shane Baker, David Peelo, Paul Griffin, Tommy Evans, Barry Monaghan and Michael O'Reilly. Richie Beatty is manager.

The Noel Hammond memorial race at Newtownmountkennedy on Sunday (11.0) is the second event to count in the classic league. Although listed for only first and second category men, third category can also join in. It is over three laps of 25 miles taking in Glen of the Downs, the Long Hill, Roundwood, down the Devil's Glen and Ashford.

In the opening league race at Carlow, Griffin won from Peelo, with Dave McCall third, and they will be renewing rivalry. Griffin has chalked up six wins this season but Peelo has also continued to show good form and he is due a win in this Orwell Wheelers promotion after prominent placings in recent years.

Ras Chiarrai goes ahead at Killorglin but the Castlereagh Grand Prix has been postponed to May 11th.