There IS no place for the 1996 winner David McCann in the Ireland team for the Manx International over three laps of the 37 3/4 miles TT circuit in the Isle of Man on Friday, June 26th. National team director Richie Beatty has decided on Tommy Evans, Ciaran Power, Paul Griffin and Andy Roche.
McCann's plans are uncertain. He said he may be going back to France but he could still be in the Manx race with the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games squad or there is the possibility of him riding again there as an individual, like when he won two years ago.
Mark Scanlon goes in the two-lap Viking Trophy race and with him will be Spanish based junior champion Dermot Nally. They will all be back for the championship races at Collon the following Sunday. The regular FIC meeting arranged for tomorrow has been extended because of a lengthy agenda and will get under way this evening. The contentious matters which caused concern in recent weeks and led to threats of resignations are expected to be discussed and resolved satisfactorily. After last Sunday's Mayo Grand Prix at Castlebar Evans from Banbridge is back in the leader's jersey in the Callcard Classic League going into the fifth of 10 events to count, the Noel Teggart memorial on his local circuit at Banbridge on Sunday.
Evans was the first leader of the league when he won at Carlow and Kieran MacMahon's success at Ballyboughal left him level with Evans but then Mick O'Donnell took over when he won at Bray. Evans's points total went to 31 after Castlebar with O'Donnell his closest rival still on 20 but O'Donnell misses Banbridge as he heads an Irish team with David McQuaid, David O'Loughlin and Paddy Moriarty in a two-day race in Scotland tomorrow and Sunday. Moriarty replaces original selection John Grant, who withdrew.
MacMahon has 19 points, with Griffin next on 16 and Neil Teggart, whose father Sunday's race commemorates, is equal fifth with Brian Kenneally on 15 points. Next in order then are David Hourigan 14, Moriarty 13, Power, Philip Cassidy, Bill Moore and Michael McNena on 12 and then Eddie O'Donoghue and Mark Kiernan 11. In the four league races so far a total of 26 men have collected points. After winning all three races in the junior league Scanlon is out on his own on 45 points - according to my records Sunday's Castlebar success was the Sligo 17-year-old's 18th first place this season. Thomas Hogan is second in the league with 23 points followed by David Kenneally on 18 and Shane Prendergast 17.
A full field of 110 is expected for the Dublin Wheelers five-day Tour of Fingal next week, sponsored again by Dublin Bus.
The first stage time trial on Monday evening is at Howth again, just over a mile to the summit, with Ballymun the venue for Tuesday evening's start and finish.
The circuit on Wednesday is at Clonee and as Swords cannot be included because of extensive road works in the town, it's back to Ballymun on Thursday. The old style Dublin city centre finale is no longer feasible and Friday's final stage will be in the Phoenix Park again.
Even though there are more than 500 entries in for the Veterans Association's Wicklow 200 and 100 kilometres Wicklow Challenge on Sunday (7.0am) entries will still be accepted on the starting line at Milltown.
