Gallagher for lead role in Taiwan

CYCLING: Stephen Gallagher has continued his strong debut season with the Giant Asia team, moving up to second overall in the Tour de Taiwan yesterday and securing likely team leadership for the final two days of the 2.2-ranked event.

Gallagher started the day 10th in the general classification but rode strongly on the 138.6km stage at Liyu Lake, coming home in a group sprinting for third place behind the day's winner Kirk O'Bee (Health Net Maxxis). Gallagher's group were 13 seconds behind the American.

The Northern Ireland rider is 39 seconds behind O'Bee in the overall standings, and four minutes, three seconds ahead of the next rider, overnight leader Robert McLachlan (Drapac Porsche). He also continues to lead the King of the Mountains classification.

Compatriot and team-mate David McCann missed the crucial move and finished as part of the main bunch six minutes, 12 seconds behind. He consequently dropped from third to seventh overall.

Meanwhile, just over a month after he broke his collarbone, after falling during the GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise in France on January 31st, AG2R Prévoyance rider Philip Deignan has confirmed he will return to racing shortly.

"My form is getting better now," he said this week. "I start racing again on the 19th in the GP Cholet. I will then do the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi Bartali in Italy from the 21st to the 25th. Depending on how I am doing, I will either do the Tour de Pays Basque or the Circuit de la Sarthe."

Deignan also had time off the bike last spring after a fall in the Tour of the Mediterranean led to a knee injury. The Letterkenny rider returned to have a solid season, winning the Tour du Doubs, placing fifth in the European championships and ninth in the under-23 road race championship in Madrid last September.

Meanwhile Deignan's team-mate Mark Scanlon placed 106th on yesterday's second stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy. He finished three minutes, 29 seconds behind overall leader Paolo Bettini (Quick Step). Bettini leads Erik Zabel overall by eight seconds. Scanlon is 100th, four minutes, 32 seconds back.

FIXTURES: Tomorrow: Cross Country Youth Spring League, Castle Park, Bangor. Starts noon. Women's training spin, leaves from the Papal Cross, Phoenix Park, at 10am. Sunday: Traders Cup, Dundalk. Starts 1pm. Mick Cahill Memorial, Banteer. Starts 1pm. McCann Cup, Seskinore. Starts 1pm. Plush winter DH League, Big Wood. Starts noon. MTB/Cyclo Cross League, round five, Moorehall Woods, Co Mayo. Starts 1pm.