Deignan's pain continues in Spain
Alan Foley
Letterkenny cyclist Philip Deignan’s struggles in the saddle continued when he dropped to 162th place overall in the Vuelta a Espaa after finishing Tuesday’s fourth stage between Malaga and Valdepenas de Jaen in 186th.
The 26-year-old was 19 minutes and 46 seconds off the pace on the day and his frustrating season, which has been blighted by illness and injury, shows no signs of receeding after he was recently diagnosed with another virus.
He is now 40 minutes and 42 seconds off the pace in the general classification. Twelve months ago, the Cervelo Test Team rider won a stage in the Grand Tour event and finished in an excellent ninth place overall.
Spaniard Igor Anton of team Euskaltel-Euskadi launched a late attack to win the 183.8-kilometre ride from Malaga in a time of five hours and 29 seconds. Second place went to Italian Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas-Doimo, who was a second behind Anton, with Slovakian Peter Velits of HTC-Columbia third, Katusha's Spanish rider Joaquin Rodriguez fourth and then Gilbert.
Philippe Gilbert of Belgium remained the overall lead while Ireland’s other entrant in the race, Nicolas Roche, climbed to 11th overall after finishing eighth on Tuesday.
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Weather for Donegal
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
