Seymour's dominance set to continue

Robin Seymour attempts to win the cyclo-cross championship for the eighth time in a row at Craigavon on Sunday

Robin Seymour attempts to win the cyclo-cross championship for the eighth time in a row at Craigavon on Sunday. Nobody has dominated any aspect of Irish cycling like Seymour has done and his superiority on the rough, offroad scene is emphasised by his record of successes in the last five years in the mountain bike championship as well. And there does not appear to be any threat to him continuing the impressive sequence.

Sunday's Apollo club promotion was listed to be held at Lurgan Park but it has been switched to the Craigavon sports centre again. It will be a different course to last year but the venue and terrain is all the same to Seymour, he just powers his way to the front and leaves the opposition in his wake.

Joe McCall, Alastair Martin, Aidan McDonald and Robert Lamont may be the closest challengers but yet another Seymour success is the expected outcome.

The Leinster league events listed in the fixtures booklet for December were included in error and will not be held but the hamper race goes ahead for the 28th time at Carrick-on-Suir on Sunday week with Sean Kelly making his customary appearance. Mark Scanlon will also be taking part and it provides him with his only chance to wear the world champion's rainbow jersey in competition.

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Scanlon has signed a one-year contract with the Dutch Rabobank amateur squad and he will be based at Eindhoven next season.

Although there was a poor attendance at the annual general meeting of the FIC in Malahide last Saturday - of 122 registered clubs only 43 were represented by 66 delegates - there was a vote of 58 for and only three against changing the name to the Irish Cycling Federation.

The crux over Pat McQuaid's leadership as president, or lack of it, was resolved. In his address he said that because of business commitments he had not sufficient time to devote to the tasks required and it was decided that a chairman of the executive board be appointed. Dermot Dignam fills the new role and he will preside at meetings and have full responsibility for the day to day running of the ICF.

For the final year of McQuaid's term as president he will concentrate on working for the federation on the international front.

The veterans association have their annual dinner and distribution of prizes at the Springfield Hotel, Leixlip, tomorrow (2.0). The officers elected the the a.g.m. were: chairman, Mick Manley; secretary, Donal O'Connell; treasurer, Willie Lawlor; road race secretary, Peter Schweppe; time trial secretary, Liam Keenan; PRO, Mick Mullen.