(Photo D. Crawford)
Philip Deignan may have been disappointed not to take victory in stage three of the Tour of Beijing on Friday, but he says he’s happy with his “consistent season” and is looking forward to moving to Unitedhealthcare next year.
The 27-year-old’s ride on the queen stage in Beijing, where he attacked up the last climb and forced the winning escape, provided a glimpse of his world class climbing ability.
He is yet to recapture the form that saw him take a stage in the Vuelta in 2009, but Deignan says he is happy with his current form and is very much looking forward to next year.
“I think it’s been OK, it’s been fairly steady and consistent,” he said of his 2011 season with RadioShack.
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“I got a lot of good races in and was able to do some good work for the team. To get a strong season without sickness, for me that’s important; without having injuries or any problems.”
“It’s been rare that I’ve been able to get through a season without a problem but this season has been pretty good; so I think it should help me for next year. I should be able to progress and be a lot stronger next year.”
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Deignan rode on a one-year contract with RadioShack this year and when the team announced it was to merge with Leopard Trek a lot of riders from both squads found themselves out in the cold.
While Deignan was one of those riders, he says he enjoyed his time with RadioShack.
“I definitely learned a lot. There are so many good riders that I’ve raced with this year; I took a lot from that, learned from that. We’ll take that on to next year. It’s going to be a different set-up next year with me being more in a team leadership role, so it’s going to be exciting.”
He said his transfer to Unitedhealthcare would see him take on more responsibility, particularly in stage races.
“I think I’m at a stage now, this year I’m going to be 28, so I think it’s a good age (to take on a team leader role).”
Speaking to reporters at the Tour of Beijing, Deignan said his new role would bring opportunities to get results.
“Hopefully in the races that suit me I can go for good GC results; just to try in every race from the start of the year.”
He said his full 2012 race programme had not been set out yet and he was unsure if his new team would get an invite to a Grand Tour. Nonetheless, he had been very impressed with the Unitedhealthcare set-up when meeting with the team in the US in recent months.
“I met them at the Tour of Colorado. They had some interesting plans for the future with some good races and a good structure with coaching. I think this team is going to grow. They are well organised and a good group of riders.”
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