HAVING missed out on selection to the Island Games cycling team, Chris Spence probably won’t be eligible for Jersey’s Commonwealth Games team travelling to Melbourne for the 2006 Games either.

The main reason Spence (36) – a British Cycling Federation Elite rider – was left out of the team for Shetland was because he was not a member of either of Jersey’s two cycling clubs, one of the criteria for selection laid down in the Jersey Cycling Association’s (JCA) constitution.

And it looks as though that same rule will knock Spence out of the Commonwealths as the JCA is cycling’s representative body affiliated to the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey.

CGAJ president Martin Hebden said that, as far as the Association is concerned, if athletes achieve the required standard, they deserve to compete for their Island.

‘But,’ Hebden said, ‘the CGAJ can’t interfere if something in the constitution of a sport’s governing body makes an athlete ineligible.’ Spence said: ‘I hoped that common sense would prevail in the Island Games selection and I’m bitterly disappointed to have been left out.

But I do wish lots of luck to the team that’s going to Shetland, there are some very good cyclists in the team.’ ‘Meanwhile I’ll continue to race in the UK and achieve the standards required for Melbourne.

I really don’t like these politics in my sport.

I just hope that matters can be resolved as soon as possible.’