Opportunity for youth

JIMMY CARLING will not be able to defend his Mountain Bike Tour of Guernsey title. The teenager, who won the expert class in last year's event, is away riding in the UK during the tour along with some of the other well-known locals.

But that only serves to leave the door open for other competitors to come to the fore during the popular event, according to the organiser.

'Quite a few of the top riders are away racing in England so there is a good opportunity for the up-and-coming riders to take the honours,' said Pierre Paul.

'I believe Nick Mann, Rob Smart and Stuart Le Tissier are among those who might be away so it gives the younger riders who are hoping to make their mark, Tobyn Horton and people like that, a chance to shine.

'Entries so far have been reasonably good. With the weather being unpredictable at the moment, people might be waiting to see the forecast, but as is the case with events such as this, you usually get a spate of last-minute entries.'

There are six categories in the de Beauvoir (CI) Financial Consultants-sponsored tour, with each having its own leader's jersey during the week.

The minimum age of a rider is 12, with the categories being under-14, under-16, sport, ladies, experts and veterans.

Points are awarded depending on a rider's finishing position in a race. One point is given to the first-placed, three to the second and five for third. Thereafter riders will get one additional point.

Anyone who fails to complete a stage will receive one more point than the last-placed rider in that category, while one who misses a stage will have two more points than the back-marker.

Over the week, the competitors will be put through their paces over differing and challenging races.

'We have a good variety of pretty testing courses,' said Paul.

'Some of the courses are long, which will suit the endurance riders. Some of the shorter courses are for those who have got different skills; for example there is a downhill event which will suit those who do it regularly - some pure cross-country people do not like it.'

There are some intense events and also some particularly exciting ones, which include a visit to the motocross track in Torteval that will see the riders going over several big jumps.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Paul expects the week to be action-packed.

'We have got yellow jerseys for the leaders like in the Tour de France and we will probably have a few crashes like they do as well,' he said.

'If a rider suffers a puncture or a mechanical failure, their chances of winning it are probably gone.

'In recent years I can only remember one person suffering such a setback and still winning and that was Bob Duquemin.

'He got a puncture on the first or second stage and lost a couple of minutes but over the rest of the week he managed to claw it back.

'Of course, you have to be super fit to do that,' added Paul.