Roche, Deignan, Martin for Tour de France 2010

Slideshowbob

Looking at the Irish pro tour riders and their teams it would seem to me that all three will probably be riding the Tour next year.

Should be interestin for Irish supporters - with 3 riders like that there's a great chance of a stage win!?

Zipp101

Don't count your chickens before they hatch...
I'd like to see Deignan do it.
Even 1 would be grand for me.

full gas

all going to plan all 3 should start , an other great ride by dan today 8 th in lombardy ,will be interesting to see him trying to hang on , on the pave ,but its a long way to july , fingers crossed !!

Dura Ace

Interview with Deignan from the Donegal Democrat

http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalsport/Philip-Deignan-Now-for-Le.5794869.jp

Few would begrudge Philip Deignan a well-earned break after his memorable season in the saddle, and this week Alan Foley spoke to the Letterkenny man who was the toast of the sport in this country this year
The morning after Philip Deignan's win at Avila in the 18th stage of the Vuelta a España, his back was almost bruising from the congratulatory pats collected from his companions in the peloton as they headed for more mountains and La Granja Real Fabrica de Cristales.

For the 26-year-old, who had celebrated his birthday during that same race, it was the highlight of a year that has been his most impressive to date, since he opted to professional at the outset of 2005 with the Ag2R Prévoyance team. In the most gruelling sport of them all, the few weeks at home in Letterkenny that he is currently enjoying, is a deserved siesta.

"I'm delighted to be home for a while and am just catching up with my family and friends," he said this week. "It's been a long, hard year, but one that I certainly enjoyed. Cycling is pretty demanding. I've raced something like 90 days this year, as well as clocking up something like 35,000 kilometres between training and races. Of course there's the physical side of it, but when you compete there's just so many tactics going on – it's a bit like a constant game of chess – so it's so it's nice to totally relax for a few weeks.

Deignan will spend the next three weeks at home, resting mind and body, before linking up with his Cervelo Test Team companions for training camps in the Costa del Sol and then in the Portuguese Algarve. He will return to Donegal at Christmas for a fortnight, before the serious work gets underway again in January. So, in the coming weeks, it might just be possible to catch a glimpse of him on the roads around Letterkenny, as he puts in a few light kilometres.

"It would be tough training here in that weather all the time," he joked in his hometown on Tuesday evening. "As I said, it's great to be home, but from a professional cycling perspective, with most of the events taking place on mainland Europe, it would just be impossible. We're based in Girona, which is just outside of Barcelona. It's fine there and I'm really looking forward to getting going again next season.

"Looking back, I suppose the win in Spain really made the season for me. In terms of being a cyclist, it made people take notice of me more and things have been a little different for me since. There's no such thing as a bad cyclist, because of how tough the game is, and it was nice to get notice. The last few years have been hard for me, with illness and injury, but something like that makes everything worthwhile."

The significance of Deignan's win in Spain swelled when he learned from his manager Andrew McQuaid that same September evening he wore an unbreakable smile, that he was the first Irishman to win a stage in one of the three Grand Tours – the Vuelta, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France – since Stephen Roche in the 1992 Tour at La Bourboule.

Should he never sit on a bicycle saddle again, Deignan's name will be mentioned alongside those of legendary Irish cyclists like Roche, Sean Kelly, Martin Earley and Shay Elliott, who have achieved that feat. But he's not willing to let the dust settle just yet.

The former school-goer at St Eunan's College, who delivered milk with his father Gerry to save for his first racing bicycle, is already looking ahead to 2010. Having posted two finishes apiece in the Giro and the Vuelta to his bedpost thus far, the Tour de France is the highest of all of his priorities.
"I feel I'm ready for it now," he continued. "I've competed in both the other Grand Tours twice and am aware of what it takes. There's more media coverage of the Tour, of course, but as an actual cycle race, it's pretty much the same thing. It's a tough slog for three weeks and a lot of things can happen, but competing in the Tour next season is definitely my aim right now.
"It's been a dream of mine since I first became interested in cycling, when I was about 14. I took the bus to Dublin to see the prologue of the 1998 Tour and stood on O'Connell Street, peering through the crowds. I was instantly taken aback at the size of the whole thing. It was huge. It was the first time I'd been to an international race and there were thousands of people and so much colour. That day, I just thought cycling was for me, so now I really hope the Tour is for me."

Cycling certainly was for Philip Deignan, who only five summers ago was racing in Paddy Delap's annual Sligo to Letterkenny charity cycle to raise money for cancer services, as an amateur. In his first four seasons as a professional, he realised just how demanding the gig is; but he might have still thought he was ready to scale the heights.
The excellent season he has just concluded has proved to him, and everyone else, that he certainly can.

Bunnyhopper

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2009/12/24/team-garmin-transitions-announces-2010-roster

Dan Martin is amongst the riders. He's listed as GB not IRL, for some reason - anyone know why? I know he was a British champion at some stage but I thought he'd declared for Ireland.

emtroche

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2009/12/24/team-garmin-transitions-announces-2010-roster

Dan Martin is amongst the riders. He's listed as GB not IRL, for some reason - anyone know why? I know he was a British champion at some stage but I thought he'd declared for Ireland.

They've changed it. He's IRL now.

Slideshowbob

Good to see Ger Cromwell is on the ball!! :rolleyes:

http://twitter.com/irishcycling/status/11316087688

Captain Havoc

All three are at 100/1, I think all three have shortened from around 150/1 a couple of months ago.

Dura Ace

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Good to see Ger Cromwell is on the ball!! :rolleyes:

http://twitter.com/irishcycling/status/11316087688

ASO did just announce the invited teams yesterday......

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-organiser-announces-22-teams-for-2010-race

Slideshowbob

Dura Ace wrote: »

ASO did just announce the invited teams yesterday......

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-organiser-announces-22-teams-for-2010-race

One team is an automatic invite, the other 2 where always likely to get an invite - sure they were there last year.