Rás chief puts the brakes on Italian Olympic team visit

THE organiser of the FBD Insurance Rás has had to turn down a request from the Italian Cycling Federation to have their Olympic track team included in the line-up for this year’s showpiece which gets under way on Sunday week.

Dermot Dignam, who has been sole organiser of the race for almost 30 years, admitted yesterday that he would have loved to have been able to accommodate a team of that calibre but pointed out it was just not possible.

“It is not that we would not have room for them in the peloton he said — we have had up to 200 riders in the past — but I felt that their inclusion would upset the balance of the race,” he said.

“The object this year was to have a good balance of professional teams, international teams, regional teams and county teams and I feel we have succeeded in doing that.

“To include a team as strong as the Italian Olympic team, I feel, would upset that balance. Having said that, we are honoured by the request.”

He was speaking as he completed the line-up for the event with the confirmation of a second British professional team — Plowman Craven — who were voted Britain’s favourite team in a recent poll in Cycling Weekly magazine.

Plowman Craven will be led by Simon Richardson and includes Alex Higham, Tom Barras, Craig MacClean and Evan Oliphant, some of whom have previous knowledge of the race.

In the past a Polish team would send shockwaves throughout the peloton but, while Dignam tipped the Polish Olympic team to turn in a big performance over the week he said the Irish challenge could not be dismissed.

“We have not won this race since David McCann’s victory in 2004 but this year I think we have a great chance of keeping the title at home,” Dignam said.

“For the first time there are two Irish professional teams in the race and Ciaran Power who has already won the race twice would have to be fancied on current form. In fact the Pezula team is very strong and David O’Loughlin is looking for a first win.

“Páidí O’Brien from the An Post team had a great Rás last year while his team mate, Mark Cassidy, was also well up on classification until he was forced to retire with a virus on the penultimate day. David McCann is back with a very strong Irish team that includes Brian Kenneally who won two stages last year.”

One of the most coveted awards in any major tour is the White Jersey for the best young rider classification and that category will again be sponsored by the Irish Sports Council.

The race is being sponsored for the 25th year by FBD Insurance and at yesterday’s launch many tributes were paid to Philip Fitzsimons, the chief executive, whose untimely death took place recently. A keen sportsman — he played inter-county football for Cavan — he was involved in the sponsorship from the start and will be sadly missed.

The race gets under way on Sunday week and will have stage finishes in Ballinamore, Claremorris, Lisdoonvarna, Tralee, Skibbereen, Clonmel and Roundwood before the finish in Skerries on May 25.