Scanlon ready for professional career to take off

MARK SCANLON is already back in France bracing himself for a new season and a new phase in his cycling career.

The 22-year-old Sligo man - world junior champion in 1998 - now has a permanent spot on the AG2R Prevoyance team and can’t wait to get going as a fully-fledged professional

And he won’t have too long to wait. On Saturday they jet off to Australia for the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under which runs from January 21 to January 26. He has been back in France since last week after spending some time at home and he has already got a win under his belt - beating fellow professionals Ciaran Power and David O’Loughlin among others in Mayo the weekend before last. “There were no hills and maybe the Christmas turkey was pushing the pedals,” he said. “But I am in pretty good shape all right. I kept it going over the winter.”