This page is (obviously) about the Irish Abroad in "them thar foreign parts". The Irish team are going to have to gain at least 150 more UCI points, if they want to qualify for the Olympics in Sydney next year. Rabobank will be pressurizing the ICF to gain those vital points, as they will want Mark Scanlon going Down Under next year. So far, the stage races pencilled in the ICF calender (apparently) are:
The one day races are :
Below are the results and information on some of the afore mentioned international races. I only have info on a small few, but I'm working on the rest.
| Tour of Tasmania---Results | ||
| Prologue | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 38 | Morgan Fox | + 1:14 |
| 45 | Dermot Finnegan | + 1:22 |
| 38 | Michael Fitzgerald | + 1:54 |
| G.C. After Stage 1 | ||
| 37 | Morgan Fox | + 1:48 |
| 46 | Dermot Finnegan | + 1:58 |
| 59 | Michael Fitzgerald | + 2:27 |
| Stage 2 | ||
| 49 | Morgan Fox | + 24:08 |
| 51 | Dermot Finnegan | + 24:08 |
| 61 | Michael Fitzgerald | + 51:23 |
| G.C. After Stage 2 | ||
| 45 | Morgan Fox | + 24:59 |
| 47 | Dermot Finnegan | + 25:09 |
| 61 | Michael Fitzgerald | + 52:53 |
| G.C. After Stage 3 | ||
| 42 | Morgan Fox | +53:54 |
| 45 | Dermot Finnegan | +58:09 |
| 49 | Michael Fitzgerald | +1:25:53 |
| Stage 4 | ||
| 5 | Morgan Fox | +0:02 |
| 13 | Michael Fitzgerald | +0:12 |
| 49 | Dermot Finnegan | +8:53 |
In the final stage, a criterium, Morgan Fox was in the leading group, up until the final corner, where he crashed with another rider. He still managed to get up and finish 5th.
The Irish team in Greece (24th - 27th February) under Joe Barr, were as follows :
| Tour of Rhodes --- Results | ||
| Stage 1 --- Genardi - Rhodes (134 km) | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 1 | A. Kaspret (Austria) | 3:25:16 |
| 14 | David O'Loughlin | @ 1:20 |
| 17 | David McQuaid | @ 1:43 |
| 18 | Ray Clarke | @ 1:52 |
| 21 | Ciaran Power | @ 2:50 |
| 78 | Stephen Gallagher | @ 4:14 |
| 84 | Kieran McMahon | @ 6:53 |
| Stage 2 --- Rhodes - Psinthos - Rhodes (125 km) | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 1 | M. Skelsa (Denmark) | 3:14:05 |
| 6 | Ciaran Power | @ 0:21 |
| 22 | Ray Clarke | @ 2:50 |
| 24 | Dave O'Loughlin | @ 5:22 |
| 32 | David Mc'Quaid | same time |
| 33 | Stephen Gallagher | same time |
| DNF | Kieran McMahon | n/a |
| Stage 3 --- Kremasti - Rhodes (132km) | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 1 | Ray Clarke | 3:04:50 |
| ?? | Ciaran Power | @ 0:14 |
| 43 | David Mc'Quaid | same time |
| 52 | Dave O'Loughlin | same time |
| 88 | Stephen Gallagher | @ 9:54 |
| Stage 3 --- Killithies - Rhodes (143km) | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 1 | B. Christensen (Germany) | 3:32:05 |
| 10 | Ciaran Power | same time |
| 18 | Ray Clarke | same time |
| 34 | Dave O'Loughlin | same time |
| 64 | Stephen Gallagher | same time |
| 70 | David Mc'Quaid | same time |
| Tour of Rhodes --- General Classification | ||
| After Stage 2 | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 1 | A. Kaspret | 6:39:13 |
| 7 | Ciaran Power | @ 3:31 |
| 18 | Dave O'Loughlin | @ 7:04 |
| 19 | Ray Clarke | @ 7:24 |
| 20 | David Mc'Quaid | @ 7:29 |
| 54 | Stephen Gallagher | @ 10:03 |
| After Stage 3 | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 1 | A. Kaspret | 9:44:17 |
| 7 | Ciaran Power | @ 3:31 |
| 17 | Dave O'Loughlin | @ 7:04 |
| 18 | Ray Clarke | @ 7:05 |
| 19 | David Mc'Quaid | @ 7:29 |
| 65 | Stephen Gallagher | @ 19:59 |
| Final GC (After Stage 4) | ||
| Pos. | Rider | Time |
| 1 | A. Kaspret | 13:14:22 |
| 7 | Ciaran Power | @ 3:31 |
| 17 | Dave O'Loughlin | @ 7:04 |
| 18 | Ray Clarke | @ 7:05 |
| 19 | David Mc'Quaid | @ 7:29 |
| 65 | Stephen Gallagher | @ 19:59 |
This race turned out to be a bit of a fiasco. On the time-trial, there was trafiic on the road, and no road markings. There was no photo finish on any of the stages. Ciaran Power, was doing well, winning stage 7, and coming 6th overall, but in the last stage, a team time trial, the Irish lost over 10 minutes, relegating Power down to 18 position overall.
Here is the Irish team that was there:
| Tour of Egypt Stages | |||
| Date : | Stage : | Route : | Distance : |
| Friday 5th | 1 | Badr City --- Prologue | 8 km |
| Saturday 6th | 2 | Nweba - Taba - Nweba | 140 km |
| Sunday 7th | 3 | Nweba - Taba - Nakab - Nweba | 210 km |
| Monday 8th | 4 | Nweba- Saint Catherine - Dahab | 140 km |
| Tuesday 9th | 5a | Dahab --- I.T.T. | 35 km |
| Tuesday 9th | 5b | Dahab --- Criterium | 60 km |
| Wednesday 10th | 6 | Dahab - Sharm El Sheik | 135 km |
| Thursday 11th | 7 | Sharm El Sheik - Sharm El Sheik | 200 km |
| Friday 12th | 8 | Team Time Trial | 50 km |
| Prologue --- Results | ||
| Position | Rider | Time |
| 1. | Khaled Saad --- Egypt | 11:39 |
| 10. | Ciaran Power | @ 0:24 |
| 44 | Aidan Duff | @ 1:08 |
| 46 | Michael McNena | @ 1:10 |
| 61 | Paul Griffin | @ 1:28 |
| 67 | Eugene Moriarty | @ 1:36 |
| 93 | Michael Fitzgerald | @ 2:49 |
| Stage 2 --- Results | ||
| 1. | Ahir Elnady --- Egypt | 3:35:16 |
| 4. | Michael Fitzgerald | @ 1:15 |
| 16 | Ciaran Power | same time |
| 50 | Michael McNena | same time |
| 51 | Paul Griffin | same time |
| 56 | Aidan Duff | @ 5:58 |
| 64 | Eugene Moriarty | @ 9:30 |
| Stage 3 --- Results | ||
| 1. | Brkovic Miko --- Yugoslavia | 5:43:32 |
| 2. | Ciaran Power | same time |
| 6. | Paul Griffin | same time |
| 7. | Eugene Moriarty | same time |
| 7. | Michael McNena | same time |
| 82. | Michael Fitzgerald | @ 33:09 |
| DNF | Aidan Duff (due to food poisoning - Tutankhamen's Revenge ???) | n/a |
| Stage 4 --- Results | ||
| 1. | S. Khaled --- Egypt | 2:32:45 |
| 11. | Ciaran Power | same time |
| ? | Eugene Moriarty | same time |
| ? | Michael McNena | same time |
| ? | Paul Griffin | same time |
| ? | Michael Fitzgerald | same time |
| Stage 5a (TT) --- Results | ||
| 1. | A. Mohomad --- Egypt | 42:20 |
| 13. | Ciaran Power | @ 2:20 |
| 45. | Eugene Moriarty | @ 5:34 |
| 55. | Michael McNena | @ 6:34 |
| 70. | Paul Griffin | @ 8:37 |
| 72. | Michael Fitzgerald | @ 8:46 |
| Stage 7 --- Results | ||
| 1. | Ciaran Power | ? |
| GC After Stage 5a | ||
| 1. | Ahir Elnady --- Egypt | 11:45:42 |
| 6. | Ciaran Power | @ 3:10 |
| ? | Michael McNena | ? |
| ? | Paul Griffin | ? |
| ? | Eugene Moriarty | ? |
| ? | Michael Fitzgerald | ? |
This is a one day race held in England on April 11th. This year, the CCF is sending a team to it, comprising of: Frank Barrett, Simon Kelly (both of Thermo King) and Dave O'Loughlin, who has left for a Belgian club. The Irish team comprises of Stephen O'Sullivan, Eugene Moriarty, Ciaran Power, Michael Fitzgerald, Brian Kenneally and Michael McNena. The route comprised of 9 laps of an 11-mile circuit, strangely enough totally 106 miles. There were 115 starters, 9 of whom were Irish.
Ciaran Power finished 18th in the race, the highest of the Irish in a race which was won by Briton Chris Walker. Mike McNena was challenging for the first few laps, and succeeded in getting away with 6 others, but they failed to stay away, no thanks to the rest of the Irish team. Ciaran Power decided to chase the leading group and managed to stay ahead of the group, but still finished 5 minutes down on the leaders. Stephen O'Sullivan punctured and crashed, ending his hopes of finishing, while the other 3 Irish team members were unheard of for the race. As for the Connaught riders, the three did well, but again did not figure in the results.
The Lincoln Grand Prix was held on May 9th. The Irish team that went was:
Ciaran Power finished third, silencing any critics he still had regarding his form for
the Prutour. Power, a Latvian and a British rider got away from the group, and in the end had to sprint it out on a cobbled finishing stretch. The Latvian, Saulrus Ruskis won, with John Tanner, the Briton in second and Power third.
Philip Cassidy finished in the main bunch, while Tommy Evans and Eddie O'Donoghue both were eliminated after crashes. Michéal Fitzgerald punctured, which spoiled any chance he had.
The Irish team that went was:
Derek Finnegan won the first stage, and then the overall of this 3-stage event in Scotland. The others did not fair too bad either, with Lynch finishing twelvth.
| Stage 1 - 55 miles | |||
| 1. | D. Finnegan | Ireland | |
| 2. | Mark Lonie | Scotland | |
| 3. | A. Wright | Scotland | |
| 6. | Paul Healion | Ireland | |
| 29. | John Mannix | Ireland | |
| 32. | Denis Lynch | Ireland | |
| Stage 2 - 3.5 miles | |||
| 1. | J. Griffin | Wales | |
| 2. | W. Gibb | Johnstone Whls | |
| 3. | Mark Lonie | Scotland | |
| 5. | D. Finnegan | Ireland | |
| Stage 3 - 99 miles | |||
| 1. | P. Murdoch | Scotland | |
| 2. | G. Shepherd | Wales | |
| 3. | W. Gibb | Johnstone Whls | |
| 13. | D. Finnegan | Ireland | |
| Final Overall | |||
| 1. | D. Finnegan | Ireland | 8:21:06 |
| 2. | P. Murdoch | Scotland | @ 0:01 |
| 3. | G. Shepherd | Wales | @ 0:12 |
| 12. | D. Lynch | Ireland | @ 1:29 |
| 32. | P. Healion | Ireland | @ 11:14 |
| 41. | J. Mannix | Ireland | @ 14:29 |
The Manx International was held on June 25th. The Irish team that went was:
This 1.5 UCI race failed to see any great performances by an Irish rider, with Paddy Moriarty, not even a member of the Irish team, being the highest Irish finisher coming in 15th in the bunch.
McNena and Cassidy both lost contact with the main group by the end of the first of three laps. Evans lasted until halfway through the second, and Power was dropped during the third. It is possible, that with the Irish Road Race Championships on two days after this event, that the riders may have been saving themselves for the big race. Denis Lynch, however finished eigth in the Junior version of this race.