Sky’s the limit as Philip Deignan travels to Australia with new team for season openers

Irish pro Philip Deignan has travelled to Australia in advance of his first race with Team Sky, and will continue his preparation for the Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide.

The Donegal rider took his biggest result in 2009 when he won a stage and finished ninth overall in the Vuelta a España. He had a couple of lean seasons after that due to illness and injury, but returned to a high level of form last year and posted a run of results which eventually culminated in his Sky contract.

These included overall victory in the Tour of the Gila, second overall in the Tour de Beauce plus top 10 finishes in the Tour of Utah, Tour of California and USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Moving to Sky means that he will once again be part of a UCI WorldTour team, and is believed to be in the running for its Giro d’Italia squad.

That race begins in Belfast on May 9th and will spend three days in Ireland. Compatriots Nicolas Roche (Tinkoff Saxo) and Dan Martin (Garmin Sharp) have already confirmed that they will take part, and are expected to lead those teams.

Won stages
Each won stages in Grand Tours in 2013, with Martin taking stage nine of the Tour de France and Roche netting stage two of the Vuelta a España.

Other Irish riders such as Martyn Irvine (UnitedHealthcare) and Sam Bennett (NetApp Endura) are hoping that their squads are given wildcards for the Giro and that they too will be able to take part.

Deignan’s Santos Tour Down Under campaign will begin on January 21st, although he is likely to line out in the warm-up People’s Choice Classic event two days earlier.

In other news, Felix English became the first Irish rider to compete internationally in 2014 with a fine performance in Australia yesterday. The Rapha Condor JLT competitor finished second on the opening stage of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic in Geelong, sprinting in just behind the winner Zakkari Dempster (SASI).

Many professionals were behind the former national criterium champion.

English competes with the Continental/semi-pro Rapha Condor JLT team. The 21-year- old is aiming to secure a full pro contract for 2015.