Sport

Fitzgerald with Festina set-up

Micheal Fitzgerald has accepted an invitation to join David McCann with the Festina nursery team at Pontivy in Brittany

By JIM MCARDLE
Fri Jan 23 1998 - 00:00

Micheal Fitzgerald has accepted an invitation to join David McCann with the Festina nursery team at Pontivy in Brittany. The offer is initially for a three-month probation period, but, like McCann, Fitzgerald will get an opportunity to take part in the top, early-season Mavic league races and other prestigious events. Fitzgerald (23), from Clonmel, has plenty of experience of Continental racing as he was with ACBB in Paris two years ago and finished up last season in Belgium. But this is a great opportunity for him to make it through to the top level with McCann.

Fitzgerald won the Junior Tour in 1992, and he took the Irish senior road race title in 1995 when he beat Stephen Maher in the sprint to the line at Wexford.

In that year's FBD Milk Ras, Fitzgerald held the leader's jersey at the end of the opening stage - he was only fifth into Killeshandra but earned sufficient bonus seconds in sprints along the way to take over. He was 24th overall after finishing second on the final stage in Swords.

Fitzgerald was a member of the Ireland team again in the 1996 Ras and won the last stage at Swords, but was only 41st overall. He fared much better last year as, after winning stage five into Killorglin, he was first again at Swords and headed the points classification. His overall placing was 12th.

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When with ACBB, Fitzgerald had two wins and some good placings, and last year, when he went with the Ireland team to the Ruban Granitier stage race in France, he was first and second on the stages on the last day to take second place in the points.

Fitzgerald went to a small professional team in Belgium, Saxon Tounisteirer, for the closing stages of last season and had hopes of going back there, but he said he is pleased to accept the Pontivy offer. The programme they have outlined for the squad, including both Irishmen, opens with races on February 28th and March 1st.

Fitzgerald was one of six named for the Ireland team to go to the Tour of Malaysia, from February 18th to March 1st. He may still go, as it could be good preparation for the early season races with the Pontivy squad. But McCann went to Malaysia last year and, like many other who were there, was ill for some time afterwards and he said he did not fully recover until August.