Scanlon shapes up for world title bid

MARK SCANLON will go to the line this morning as one of the medal favourites for the U23 race at the world cycling championships in Belgium and, according to Ciaran McKenna who put the plan in place for this year’s bid, he is in the best shape of his life.

Hundreds of Irish people will line the route in Brussels to support the young Sligo man, who finished 13th in Tuesday's time trial.

"There is a full planeload due in this evening," McKenna said. "We have not had excitement like this since the days of Kelly and Roche. It is just unbelievable."

Conditions are perfect for Scanlon's medal bid cold but dry and just a very slight wind.

" I don't think conditions will bother Mark at all. He is in the shape of his life," McKenna said of the rider who won the 1998 world junior title in Valkenburg in torrential rain.

"Confidence is pretty high," McKenna said. "He had a super ride in the time trial. Obviously he would have liked to have finished higher up but it should be remembered that this was a time trial course and all of those ahead of him were time trial specialists."

Today he will face them all on equal terms and he will have the backing of a team prepared to give their all. Denis Lynch from Kanturk Credit Union is the most improved cyclist in the country. Dermot Nally, the national U23 champion, has been cycling with Maltinti Lompadari in Italy while Gary McQuaid and Philip Duignan have also been riding on the Continent through the Team Ireland scheme.

"This is undoubtedly the best prepared world championship team ever," McKenna said. "They have been cycling up to last weekend whereas, in the past, they might not have raced for six months beforehand.

He said the relatively flat route could result in a bunch finish, not something the Irish would want.

"Technically it could be a bit difficult," he said. "But the objective will be to get Mark into the leading group two laps from the finish preferably a breakaway group. He will start getting into the moves and, as the race progresses, he will get stronger.

The team was still awaiting the final start list but are expecting the usual strong challenge from the Italians and the Russians.

"The French are not the force they were but now you have the Swedes, the Danes, the East Europeans and the Australians as well as the Belgians and the Dutch. The one thing we would not like is to see the sprinters hanging on for a bunch finish. Our team will be going out there and doing all in their power to split the field.