For the first time in over 35 years a cycle race will take place in Bellewstown when Stamullen M Donnelly Road Club promote the Bellewstown Grand Prix next Sunday.

What's more, no one could have known, when the 2008 Irish cycling calendar was being collated, what an important race this would turn out to be.

No sooner had the fixtures been agreed than Rob Cummins from Dublin's Wheelworx Bike Store approached the club with an offer of sponsorship. It was decided that Stamullen M Donnelly would run a Wheelworx-sponsored SuperLeague, to be held in conjunction with the club's five race promotions during the season.

As it happens, the Bellewstown Grand Prix will be the fourth leg of this league and Stamullen M Donnelly rider Robert Moore, riding on home turf, will be presented with the race leader's jersey by Rob Cummins on Sunday.

Kicking off at noon in Bellewstown, the race covers 11 laps of a 4.15-mile circuit, taking in Legganhall, travelling up to the crossroads, turning left and making its way to Lisdornan cross. It then makes a final left turn before returning to the start/finish area.

Only a handful of points separates the top 10 riders on the SuperLeague table. Robert Moore, Craig Sweetman and all the promoting club's leading lights will be trying to win this inaugural GP, not to mention Conor Campbell and Noel Kelly from Drogheda Wheelers and Navan Avonmore CC rider Colm Laverty, a former Meath Under-21 footballer and native of Bettystown.

Stamullen vice chairman Seamus Gough surprised and delighted club members by announcing that he would also provide support as sponsor for the Bellewstown GP.

By kind permission of the racecourse chairman and committee, sign-on will be in the racecourse enclosure. The race is expected to begin around 1.45pm, with prize presentations thereafter in the Bellewstown Inn. There will be food and refreshments and music by well-known group SNAZ.

The fifth and final leg of the Wheelworx SuperLeague will be held on Sunday August 17th when Stamullen promotes the Brendan Campbell Memorial in Donore.

The 10th annual three-day International Youth Tour takes place in Killorglin, Co Kerry, this weekend and rising Under-16 star Javan Nulty will be competing alongside Drogheda Wheelers' Benner Maguire as a member of the Leinster team.

Last week in Donore, Drogheda Wheelers promoted the second leg of the Mark Mullen Memorial Handicap League, with Craig Sweetman coming home ahead of teammate Robert Moore to give the Stamullen club a one-two success.

In the underage race, Ciaran Campbell from the promoting club scored another victory, with his twin brother Daragh in third place.

The final leg of this league will be held tomorrow (Thursday) at 7.30pm in Donore.

Stamullen M Donnelly Road Club made the long but ultimately successful journey to Castlecoote, Roscommon, for the Donamon GP last weekend.

Frank O'Connor got away as part of a three-man group, and with three miles remaining attacked again, earning an excellent victory. Craig Sweetman outsprinted the best of the bunch to take fourth place.

Benner Maguire from Drogheda Wheelers CC won the opening road race for Under-16 riders on Saturday at the Arklow two-day race for underage cyclists. Though Benner lost his overall lead on Sunday, he finished a very creditable second overall.

Robinstown on Sunday saw Stamullen's Alan Clogher come home in eighth place in the senior event of the Tommy Brady Memorial Race. In the Under-16 category Javan Nulty grabbed second, while Daragh and Ciaran Campbell of Drogheda Wheelers came home fourth and sixth respectively.