CYCLING: Martin Munroe lines out today aiming for a good ride in the junior world time trial championships in Vienna, Austria, conscious that this represents the most important 30 minutes of his season.
The second-year junior takes on the world's best under-18 riders in the mainly flat, 21 kilometre race against the clock.
Although Munroe had a disappointing display in the track pursuit earlier in the week, he'll be hoping to recreate the kind of form which saw him take time-trial victories in the Tour de Paco in France earlier this year and, more recently, in the prologue of the M Donnelly Junior Tour of Ireland.
On Sunday Ciarán Cassidy, Ciaran Kelly, Maurice O'Brien and Seán Rock will compete in the road-race championships, slugging it out over nine laps of a lumpy 14 kilometre circuit.
Kelly was in superb condition earlier in the season, taking several good international victories.
However, he had a drop in form due to the highly-intensive training and racing programme he underwent while staying at the UCI World Cycling Centre this spring.
If he can get back to the impressive highs of March and April he has a strong chance of a high finish.
O'Brien, Cassidy and Rock have all shown promising form this year and they too will begin the 126-kilometre event determined to ride well.
Irish MTB champions Robin Seymour and Tarja Owens had an excellent performance on the fourth stage of the mountainbike TransRockies Challenge in Canada, finishing 37 minutes and five seconds ahead of their main rivals in the Open Mixed category, Blair Saunders and Marg Fedyna (Team Adidas Roll-Up-The).
The 61.5-kilometre stage was run off in atrocious brutal weather conditions, with freezing rain and thick mud on the single-track trails making the going very difficult.
However, this clearly suited the Irish duo better than most, with Seymour and Owens dominating the open mixed category and retaking the lead from Saunders and Fedyna by a margin of 31 minutes and 37 seconds.
The race continues with what is seen as the the queen stage of the TransRockies Challenge, a 108 kilometre slog from Sandy McNabb to Bragg Creek.
The riders will face over 2,300 metres of climbing, including 50 kilometres of singletrack and an ascent to over 2,100 metres on Powderface Ridge.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Roche finished 76th in Wednesday's concluding time trial of the Eneco Tour of Benelux, recording a time three minutes and 38 seconds off that of victorious Team CSC rider Bobby Julich.
First year professional Roche (Cofidis) finished 89th overall, 36 minutes and 38 seconds behind Julich. He was 30th in the best young rider classification.
Meanwhile, to track racing, and Malcolm Goggin will aim to set a national record for the Outdoor 500 Metres Standing Start at the Family Fun Day in aid of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children this Sunday.
The Murphy and Gunn rider will make his attempt at 1.30pm, with a programme of underage, junior and senior racing taking place beforehand.
• For further information and sponsorship cards, contact Kathy Cullinan on 087 2345687.
CYCLING LEINSTER TEAM
(Junior Tour of Wales, August 27th-29th):
Shaun Rock, Stephen Halpin (both McNally Swords C.C), Isaac Speirs (Avonmore Navan R.C), Dermot Cronin (Usher IRC) Experienced manager required - contact JP Hilliard at 086 8366288 (evenings) for details.
