Deignan to make his bid for Irish title in Ulster
Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club has confirmed another big World Tour name to the Nationals start line this coming weekend. Donegal man Philip Deignan, riding for Team Sky, has confirmed he will be making the journey to Omagh in his bid to become Irish champion in his native province of Ulster.
Philip Deignan became the first Irishman to ride for Team Sky in 2014 and immediately established himself as a key member of the squad. Now in his 11th year as a pro, Phil has amassed an enviable stage race record including eight Grand Tour appearances and a host of impressive results. His career highlight came on the 18th stage of the 2009 Vuelta a Espana when he battled to a hard-fought win, and that result helped him claim a top-10 overall finish in the process.
Since then the climbing specialist has achieved further victories at the Tours of the Gila, California, Utah, and the USA Pro Challenge, and will be looking to add to that tally in 2015.
Deignan, who comes from Letterkenny, started out cycling at 14yrs old on a steel Peugeot bicycle that he got for Christmas. When asked about what he has learned from cycling, he said it has given him a “sense of discipline as well as the ability to sample many different cultures around the world”. The Irish man is no stranger to tough racing and when asked about when keeps him going when he is on the limit “That thought that if you don’t give up, anything’s possible. After a race, you have to know you gave everything”.
The Senior & U23 Men Road Race Championship will start in Omagh at 10:30am on Sunday 28th June, completing 105miles over 7 laps of an exciting course in the Tyrone county town.
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