There was not much of a boost for the Irish at the world championships at Valkenburg in Holland with Mark Scanlon 22nd in the junior time trial on Wednesday and Dermot Nally 37th but things may change today when Ciaran Power, Michael McNena, Aidan Duff and David O'Loughlin contest the under-23 road race. They have all been racing in France so are well prepared. After winning the FBD Milk Ras in May, Power returned to France and then came home again in August to take the under-23 championship which McNena had won last year.

McNena was second overall in the Tour of Hokkaido in Japan last month and Duff has been in most of the top events in France with his team there, Vendee U. When he came home for the road race championship at Collon at the end of June - but finished ninth with O'Loughlin a place ahead of him - Duff had the consolation of winning successive races at Newry, Tallaght, Bray and Dundrum.

Today the Irish quartet tackle 10 laps of the tough 17.2 kilometres Valkenburg circuit against the best under-23 men in the world.

Tomorrow is Scanlon's 18th birthday and he is in action again with Nally and also Shane Prendergast, Stephen Gallagher and David Kenneally in the junior road race over seven laps. As the most prolific Irish winner this year, hopes are high that Scanlon can get into contention and obtain a good, high placing.

On Wednesday Scanlon's time of 31:42 for the 23 kilometres was two minutes and three seconds slower than the winner, Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland and left the young Sligoman 22nd of the 69 starters. The best of the women did 31:51 for the same course.

The last time the championships were held in Valkenburg was 1979 when there were just road races for professionals, amateurs and women.

Stephen Roche was winner of the Ras that year, when it was known as the Health Race, and he was a member of the Irish team in the amateur event. Sean Kelly was ninth in the professional race which was won by Dutchman Jan Raas from Dietrich Thurau (Germany) and Jean-Rene Bernaudeau (France).