Irish cyclist Philip Deignan showed his strong climbing ability once more today when he placed 19th on the penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain, moving to 17th overall. The 20 year old crested the uphill finish at Celtic Manor in Wales some 13 seconds behind race leader Mauricio Ardila (Chocolade Jacques), who outsprinted Relax-Bodysol rider Fernandez Moreno to win the stage.
While Deignan fell short of breaking into the top ten overall as he had hoped, the performance is still a highly encouraging one for the Letterkenny cyclist. Deignan is the only amateur rider in the top 30 and also one of the youngest in the race, his performances this week reflecting his massive potential in the sport. He will be turning pro with the Ag2R Prevoyance team next season and looks set for a top level career.
Tim Cassidy, another 20 year old, was next best of the Ireland team in 35th place. He is now in the same position overall and, like Deignan, looks set for a strong performance in the under 23 world championships in Verona next month. The Tour of Britain ends tomorrow with a 90 minute criterium (street race) in Westminster.
