Northwest MTB-J2P rider Mark Scanlon on his way to taking fifth at the Cross Country (XC) National championships in Roscrea last weekend. The man they call 'Scanners' has climbed the XC ladder very quickly and is currently one of Ireland's top riders in the discipline (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
An interesting name amongst the results at the National XC MTB Championships in Roscrea, Tipperary, was former world junior road race champion Mark Scanlon.
The Sligo man finished fifth in the Masters 35-39 years event, 4:16 behind winner Alfie Wallace of Epic MTB-Expert Cycles.
Wallace was 56 seconds ahead of second-place Geoffrey Robinson (Bray Wheelers) and 1:51 clear of third place Damien Duggan (Chain Reaction Cycles).
And behind them, representing the Northwest MTB-J2P team from Sligo, was the familiar face of one of Ireland’s most talented riders.
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While the Sligo man’s plans for the rest of the season and beyond are unclear, his participation in any form of racing will be welcomed by the cycling community.
Winning the world junior title in Holland in 1998. The Irish man won the road title from Italian Filippo Pozzato and Eduard Kiwischow of Russia. Pozzato had already taken bronze in the time trial which was won by Fabian Cancellara by just two seconds from Torsten Hiekmann (Photo: Sirotti)
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Scanlon was a top junior rider, winning a huge number of races at home and abroad before the world title in 1998.
He initially turned pro for Rabobank and later rode for Ag2r for four seasons to the end of 2006.
He signed for US-based Toyota-United in 2007 but never raced in the squad's colours after deciding to stop competing.
He was national road champion three times; twice as an elite rider and once as a junior.
Scanlon represented Ireland in the Athens Olympics and rode the Tour de France in 2004.
Masters 35-39 years
- Alfie Wallace EPIC MTB / Expert Cycles 01:32:40
- Geoffrey Robinson Bray Wheelers 01:33:36
- Damien Duggan Chain Reaction Cycles 01:34:31
- Gene Ryan Scott Donnybrook Landscape 01:34:32
- Mark Scanlon Northwest MTB 01:36:56
- Ronan O’Sullivan Team Giant Dublin 01:38:44
- Anthony Finn Killarney Cycling Club 01:38:58
- Sean Scullion Island Wheelers 01:40:35
- Andrew McCabe Deenside Wheelers 01:40:44
- Derrick Evans South-East Road Club 01:43:12
- Johnny McRoberts Maryland Wheelers 01:46:10
- Nigel Gibson Carn Wheelers 01:47:47
- Brian McCarthy MBCC 01:49:13
- Brian Kellett Lakeland 01:52:21
- Adrian Finnegan Xmtb McConvey Cycles 01:55:15
- Peter Loscher MTB Assoc of Dublin 02:00:00
- Neil Martin Connemara MTB 02:07:41
- Edward Duggan Killarney Cycling Club 02:14:30
- Gerard Ferrity Island Wheelers -1 lap
- Dave Gaffney MTB Assoc of Dublin -1 lap
- Mark Williams Killarney Cycling Club -1 lap
- Charlie McEntee -1 lap
- Fran Kearns Connemara MTB -1 lap
- DNF Stuart Galloway Team WORC
- DNF Michael Cummins UCD Cycling Club
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