Tour of Gila winner crashes during Tour of Britain time trial, Cycling Ireland delays worlds selection decision
Irish climber Philip Deignan’s hopes of a strong Tour of Britain evaporated today in a crash, and it appears his chances of riding in the 2013 elite world road race championships have also come to an end.
The UnitedHealthcare rider hit the deck approximately four kilometres from the end of the Tour of Britain time trial, causing him to go over the handlebars and suffer a shoulder injury.
A non finisher in that TT, Deignan was brought to hospital where x-rays indicated that he had suffered a fractured collarbone.
According to team spokesman Wesley Mallette, the full picture will be determined in the next two days. “Philip will be examined tomorrow morning, Wednesday, September 18, at a hospital near Manchester, and is scheduled for surgery on Thursday morning, September 19,” he said.
It was not yet clear how serious the fracture is. The team has not confirmed at this point in time if he is out of the worlds or not.
Riders have finished Grand Tours with fractured collarbones, although that depends entirely on the nature of the break. Deignan’s chances of riding in Florence seem slim, and would likely hinge on the fracture being a hairline crack that could be supported through surgery.
Deignan had previously been selected as one of three named riders for the worlds, joining Nicolas Roche (Saxo Tinkoff) and Dan Martin (Garmin Sharp) on the squad. He has shown strong form this season and would have been a valued addition to the team.
Cycling Ireland had been due to announce the fourth and final slot on the team today but have now held off on the decision due to Deignan’s injury. Three riders had been in the running for that berth; Champion System rider Matt Brammeier, Cofidis stagiaire Philip Lavery and An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly rider Sam Bennett, who finished second on yesterday’s stage two of the Tour of Britain.
Cycling Ireland CEO Geoff Liffey told VeloNation that didn’t want to comment on what Deignan’s injury would mean in terms of selection, but if he is indeed out of the worlds, it means that two rather than one slot will be determined this week.
Deignan has had a strong season, winning the Tour of the Gila in May, placed third on a stage and ninth overall in the Tour of California and netting second in the Tour de Beauce.
More recently, he placed sixth overall in the Tour of Utah and was tenth in the USA Pro Challenge.
He has inked a two year deal to compete with Team Sky, and will thus return to the WorldTour in 2014.