Philip Deignan looks to have suffered a disappointing end to a fantastic season with reports from the Tour of Britain that he has broken his collarbone on today's TT stage 3.
By Gavin McLoughlin
Philip Deignan’s participation in the World Championships looks lost after the Irishman reportedly suffered a broken collarbone on stage 3 of the Tour of Britain today, Tuesday.
The Unitedhealthcare rider came off his bike during the 16-kilometre individual time-trial.
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Thereafter, Deignan’s teammate Marc de Maar tweeted that the Irishman appeared to have suffered a break.
Such an injury would be a disappointing blow for the Donegal rider, who will ride for Team Sky next year off the back of an excellent 2013 season that saw him claim the overall victory at the Tour of Gila, second overall at the Tour of Beauce and top ten overall finishes at the Tours of Utah and California.
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But with the off-season just around the corner, he would have time to recover before taking his place in the ranks of the British squad.
He has been selected along with Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin to ride the World Road Race Championships on Sunday week – with a fourth man still to be named. And his form of late was regarded as a major factor in strengthening Martin’s chances of winning the title on a hilly course where Deignan could be of real assistance to Martin and Roche.
If the break is confirmed it would be the end of Deignan’s season, a disappointment for him personally and a blow to Ireland’s chances at the worlds.
Stickybottle would like to stress that at the time of writing the rider has a suspected break, but that was not confirmed at the time of writing.
