Deignan back racing next weekend

By Shane Stokes

Irish professional Philip Deignan will return to racing in the GP Cholet on the 19th of this month, almost seven weeks after he broke his collarbone. The AG2R Prévoyance rider crashed during his first race of the season, the GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise in France on January 31st, but has almost recovered.

"My form is getting better now," he said this week. "I had two weeks off completely and then did ten days training on the turbo [indoor trainer]. I have been back on the road for two weeks now, doing rides of up to two and a half hours."

"I start racing again on the 19th in the GP Cholet. I will then do the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi Bartali in Italy from the 21st to the 25th. Depending on how I am doing, I will either do the Tour de Pays Basque or the Circuit de la Sarthe. I probably won't be going great for the first few races so I will use them as training."

Despite a knee injury at the same time last year, Deignan had a good debut season in the pro ranks. He rode strongly in a number of races, won the Tour du Doubs and then placed fifth in the European championships and ninth in the Under 23 road race champs in Madrid last September.