CYCLING:THE CHANCES of Irish riders Nicolas Roche and Philip Deignan riding this year's Tour de France will depend on how they fare in the Tour of Switzerland, which begins tomorrow and runs until next Sunday.
Both of the riders are recovering from disruptions to their season, with Roche on the way back after suffering a torn hamstring and Deignan rebuilding form after a particularly severe bout of food poisoning.
The former showed that he is on track for selection by his Ag2r la Mondiale team when he finished fourth in last Sunday's GP Canton d'Argovie in Switzerland.
It was his first race in a month, yet he surprised himself and his team with his strong form.
His father, Stephen Roche, believes the enforced break from training and racing will stand to him. "Nicolas has been going well since the start of the year and I think he might have actually been a little stale just before he got injured," he told The Irish Times.
“I think this break will end up being the best thing possible for him.”
Deignan is less certain for the Tour, given that his recent preparation has been so disrupted. He showed signs of improving form in the Tour of California but was then forced to withdraw from the race after coming down with stomach problems.
He was unable to eat for several days and lost a lot of weight, and also had to take a week off training. “I was unable to do the Dauphiné Libéré as a result and so the team put me into the Tour of Switzerland instead,” he said yesterday. “I am still a long way off where I want to be, obviously, so I will see how I get through it.”
Deignan was announced yesterday as being one of the 12 riders on the Cervélo Test Team shortlist for the Tour. Nine of those will go, with sprinters Thor Hushovd and Heinrich Haussler being virtual guarantees, while 2008 Tour winner Carlos Sastre is still uncertain due to a herniated disk.
Deignan is himself unsure as to his chances, feeling that he needs to show a big improvement of form in Switzerland in order to earn a place. “I don’t want to say anything much yet, but I think there will be a fairly slim chance that I will be going. That’s going by what I am feeling at the moment.”
However if he manages to ride into form, he would be a strong ally for Sastre in the mountains.
Ireland’s other top pro Daniel Martin is thought very unlikely to compete in the Tour. He recently completed his first Giro d’Italia and his young age means that the Garmin Slipstream squad is almost certain to shy away from putting him into two consecutive Grand Tours. He is not scheduled to race in Switzerland. It is however hoped that he will join Deignan and Roche in the Irish road race championships in Sligo on June 27th.
FIXTURES: Today – John Holian Cup, Cross, Mayo. Starts 7.30. Saturday – Duane Delaney Memorial, Sundrive Road. Racing starts 11.30; Christy McManus memorial, Roundwood, starts 11am; Emma McMullan race, Hillsborough, starts noon; Currow TT, near Castleisland, starts 7.45 pm. Saturday- Sunday – DH NPD Rnd 6, Glen of Imaal. Sunday – Seán Nolan Meath Grand Prix, Navan. First races 11am; John Drumm Cup, Currow, first races at noon; Noel Teggart Memorial, Banbridge, starts noon; Wicklow 200, starts Shoreline Leisure Centre in Greystones from 6am.
