Four-time Irish road champion Matt Brammeier, far right, in the main escape of the day on stage 2 of the Tour de Yorkshire today.
By Brian Canty
Ireland’s Philip Deignan is still very much in the hunt to win the 2.1-ranked Tour de Yorkshire when the three-day event comes to a conclusion tomorrow.
The Team Sky rider came home in the main bunch on this afternoon’s second stage from Selby to York, thus remaining fifth overall, 16 seconds down on current race leader and teammate Lars Peter Nordhaug.
He had been down just 10 seconds at the start of the stage but when a gap opened in the bunch sprint right ahead of him into York today, he and the clutch of riders behind him lost six seconds.
However, Deignan is still well poised to strike for overall honours tomorrow where the riders tackle a gruelling 167-kilometre journey from Wakefield to Leeds.
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There’s over 3,000 metres of climbing and six climbs to negotiate, two of which average over 10 per cent gradient.
But the only fear for Deignan, who is a brilliant climber, is they may not be long enough to do significant damage.
Still, they both come in the latter half of the race and if Deignan replicates the form he had on Friday’s opening stage where he really animated proceedings he should be there or thereabouts to strike.
He, along with the four others who came to the line to contest the finish yesterday, hold a healthy 1’10” lead over most of the peloton.
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Philip Deignan looks to be in some really good form at the moment and will be part of Team Sky's offensive for tomorrow's final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire. With a really hilly stage to negotiate from Wakefield to Leeds the Irishman can be there or thereabouts.
Today’s stage saw four-time Irish national road race champion Matt Brammeier bare his teeth; the MTN-Quebeka man making up the eight-man break that escaped early on.
Along with Brammeier were Andrew Tennant (Team Wiggins), Bart De Backer (Giant Alpecin), Stijn Steels (Topsport), Giovanni Bernaudeau (Europcar), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis, Credit Solutions), Ivar Slik (Roompot) and Mark McNally (Madison Genesis).
They held an advantage over the peloton of around seven minutes at one stage but were slowly reeled in as the chase, led by Team Sky, IAM Cycling and LottoNL-Jumbo- began the chase in earnest.
McNally and De Backer struck out with around 30 kilometres to go, as Brammeier and company were reeled in.
Brammeier was in contention to win the Dimension Data Digital jersey for the most aggressive rider and received 28 per cent of the vote but it was McNally who won, garnering 36 per cent.
The former Irish champion ended the day 107th at 1:36.
Moreno Hofland (Team LottoNL-Jumbo) won the stage from Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) and Ramon Sinkeldam (Team Giant Alpecin) in third.
