Irish trio to be tested

CYCLING:NICOLAS ROCHE, Philip Deignan and Daniel Martin will face important tests in the next nine days, with three spring Classics on the agenda. Ag2r La Mondiale rider Roche and Deignan (Cervélo Test Team) will compete in the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, taking on the world's best riders in the hilly, 257-kilometre event.

They will then be joined by Martin (Garmin Transitions) in La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday week.

All three are good climbers and have the potential to do well, although Deignan and Martin would prefer the climbs to be even longer. Roche is a punchier rider and this, his good finishing ability, plus the strong form he has shown this season means he is probably the one most likely to chase a top result.

That said, Martin and Deignan are showing improving form and should ride strongly.

Deignan said yesterday he is increasingly happy with how he is feeling.

“I rode the Circuit the la Sarthe last week and I started feeling a little bit better,” he told The Irish Times, referring to the race in which he took 10th and 12th on stages. “Then I did Flèche Brabançonne on Wednesday – it was a pretty hard race, but I feel like I am getting better every few days. So I am looking forward to Amstel, Flèche and Liege.”

The Letterkenny rider is aiming to ride his first Tour de France this year. The selection for that race will depend on how he and the other Cervélo Test Team riders perform in the run-up to the race. After the spring Classics, Deignan will do the Tour of California and the Dauphiné Libéré.

In other news, the identity of the fifth international team for this year’s FBD Rás has been announced. A decade after Julian Winn became the only Welshman to win the prestigious race, five compatriots will head to Ireland aiming to chase the yellow jersey in the 2.2-ranked contest.

Team manager Gareth Sheppard has revealed six names, from which the final selection of five riders will be made. The squad will most likely be led by Dale Appleby, a 23-year-old who is taking time away from the pro Raleigh team to once again ride the Rás. He finished 12th in 2008 and was the winner of the best young rider classification. With two more years under his belt, he could well be in the running for the overall win.

The remaining five riders are American-based Paul Esposti (37), former European junior scratch race champion Matt Rowe (21), Rhys Lloyd (21), Jon Mould (19) and Huw Wilson.

“The aim will be to compete for the overall, while hopefully picking up a couple of stage wins along the way,” said Sheppard.

FIXTURES– Friday:Brendan Carroll Memorial, Pilltown, 7.30pm. Saturday:Pat Monie Nolan Memorial, Balscadden. Underage 11.30, other races 12.30. Beggs/McGreevy Memorial, Dromore, noon. Sunday:Stamullen GP, 12.30. Tommy Sheehan Memorial, Carrick-on-Suir, 1pm. Bann Valley Classic, Portglenone, 2pm.