CYCLING: Young Philip Deignan provided further confirmation of his prodigious talent when he rode strongly against some of the world's top professionals on yesterday's mountainous second stage of the Tour of Britain.
The 20-year-old Irish amateur was one of the aggressors on Holme Moss, the penultimate climb of the 172.3-kilometre stage from Leeds to Sheffield. Mixing it with the likes of José Azevedo, Pavel Padrnos and José Luis Rubiera (all from Lance Armstrong's victorious US Postal Tour de France team), former World Cup winner Michele Bartoli (Team CSC) and 2002 Tour of Italy champion Paolo Savoldelli (T-Mobile), the Letterkenny rider made the crucial split on the category-one climb.
This group divided again on the final ascent of Snake Pass when Rubiera and Savoldelli set off in pursuit of race leader Eric Leblancher (Credit Agricole) and chasers Ben Day (Mr Bookmaker.
com) plus Chris Baldwin (Navigators Insurance). And while Deignan slipped back slightly, he still finished in the 22-man group sprinting for eighth place on the stage.
First place went to Mauricio Ardila of the Chocolade Jacques team, the little Colombian jumping away from the front group inside the final 500 metres. He reached the line in Sheffield one second clear of Nick Nuyens (Quick.Step-Davitamon) and Savoldelli, and took over the yellow jersey from deposed race leader Stefano Zanini, Nuyen's team-mate. Deignan crossed the line ten seconds later in 20th place and is now in the same position overall.
"I was happy with the way the stage went," he said afterwards. "I was climbing well and it was good to be mixing with the big professionals. It is good for my morale. There isn't as many climbs later in the week but I will do what I can to move up in the general classification before the race ends on Sunday."
Waterford's Ciarán Power (Navigators Insurance) was hoping for a strong ride after his excellent 13th place in the Olympic road race last month, but he and his team-mate Kirk O'Bee crashed while approaching the start of Holme Moss, and while both were able to chase back on, they missed any chance of joining the crucial split.
Power was disappointed but philosophical.
"I have just a few scratches, that's all," he said. "I was feeling fine up to that point. Myself and Kirk were moving up in the bunch when a rider slammed on. The guy in front of me swung across and took myself and Kirk out. It's disappointing to miss out but that's bike racing. I have the rest of the week to have a go and maybe, having lost time, I will get a bit more leeway to go on the attack."
Three of Deignan's Grant Thornton Team Ireland team-mates finished alongside Power in the main field, 13½ minutes down on the stage winner.
Tim Cassidy (20) also rode strongly on Holme Moss but cracked slightly before the top, just missing the crucial split. His group was mopped up by that of David McCann, David O'Loughlin and Power on the run-in to the finish but the ride shows that, like Deignan, Cassidy can expect to go well in the under-23 world championships in Verona next month.
The remaining two members of the team, Páidí O'Brien and Tommy Evans, finished farther back.
The Tour of Britain continues today with a mainly flat leg from Bakewell to Nottingham.
