Philip Deignan was back in action for Team Sky at the Settimana Coppi et Bartali in Italy this week; seem here on the front of the peloton on stage 2 (Photo: Sirotti)
By Gerard Cromwell
Philip Deignan was forced out of his comeback race the Settimana Coppi e Bartali yesterday when he was hit by illness on Friday morning.
Deignan had made a solid return to the Sky squad this week after breaking his collarbone in mid-February; the Letterkenny pro helping the team snatch the opening three stages of the five-stage, four-day Italian race.
Some solid riding by Deignan on the main climb of the day on stage three helped launch teammate Pete Kennaugh to stage victory and he took over the race lead from stage one winner Ben Swift.
Deignan however was forced onto the sidelines before the start of yesterday’s penultimate stage and could only watch as the Manxman managed to retain the leader’s jersey to the end today.
Advertisement
“I had stomach problems yesterday morning and had difficulty rolling out of bed, never mind riding the stage,” said Deignan today.
Related News
While he missed the final two stages, the former Vuelta a Espana stage winner is sure to recover quickly and can take heart from the fact that his collarbone seems to have held up better than he anticipated during the race.
“It’s a lot better than I expected. The shoulder isn’t giving me any problems. I was able to do a good chunk of riding for the guys on Friday and it’s great when they can finish it off like that.”
With his collarbone having passed the test, a day or two off the bike should see him fully recovered and focussed on a place on the start line for the Giro d’Italia when the race starts in Belfast on May 9th.
“I’m still really optimistic about being there,” he said.
“I think once I get over the sickness, this race will bring me on a lot and I still have enough time to get fit for the Giro.”
Topics
