PHILIP DEIGNAN WAS in competitive action for the first time in 2016 at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in Italy yesterday.
The first day of action in eastern Italy was broken into two sub-stages, with Deignan of Team Sky 130th overall, some two minutes and 45 seconds behind the leader after Stage 1B, Russia’s Artur Ershov of the Gazprom-RusVelo team.
Yesterday afternoon’s team time trial, which was Stage 1B, held an interesting format whereby each team lined up with split squads of four riders, for a total of 50 teams out of the starting house.
Deignan, David Lopez, Daniel van Poppel and Alex Peters finished in eighth, 19 seconds down on the triumphant Gazprom RusVelo, with the other four-man outfit from Team Sky – Sebastian Henao, Mikel Landa, Gianni Moscon and Xabier Zandio – just two seconds further behind in 10th for the stage.
Gazprom RusVelo, the Russian team, won the 13.3km event in 15:15, beating American team Rally Cycling and Unieuro.
On Stage 1A, Manuel Belletti (Southeast-Venezuela) was first home. After a 95.9km stage in Gatteo, the Italian won the bunch sprint to the finish line in Gatteo, beating compatriots Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) and Mattia Gavazzi (Amore & Vita).
Letterkenny native Deignan, who broke his elbow whilst training in Mallorca in December, came home safely in 128th place, just 39 seconds behind the stage winner before the time bonuses were taken into account.
The race continues till Sunday.
