DEIGNAN CONFIRMED FOR GIRO D’ITALIABy Shane StokesApr 29, 2009, © Shane Stokes Irish professional Philip Deignan has been confirmed as part of the Cervélo Test Team lineup for the Tour of Italy, which starts in Venice on Saturday May 9th. Deignan’s main goal will be to help the 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre as he bids for a podium finish in the race. However, according to directeur sportif Jean-Paul van Poppel, there is a chance thatThe DeignanFour mayMasters alsoCycling haveClub someare freedomhoping to go for a stage victory. “We are goingorganise for a top result inbike the general classificationride with the leaderPhilip and Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre,” said Van Poppel, himself a former top professional. “He will get support from the entire team to reach a top three place inhold the GC. “Another target is a stage win during the 100th anniversary edition of the Giro. With Simon Gerrans, who won a stage last year in the Tour de France and who has shown great performances this spring, the team has areception goodfor candidatehim to win a stage. We also have Philip Deignan and Hayden Roulston as potential stage winners.”Deignan’s selection follows a solid spring with the new team. He finished fifth on a mountain stage in the Vuelta a Castilla y León and took a fine seventh overall. He was also 11th in the Tour de Langkawi and 8th in the Giro del Mendrisiotto. Last Sunday he finished 44th in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He has previously competed in two Grand Tours; the 2007 Vuelta a Espana and the 2008 Tour of Italy. He was 79th in the Giro d’Italiacelebrate andhis placedgreat 71stachievement inat the Tour of Spain. The latter race also saw him place tenth, twelfth and sixteenth on stages. The Cervélo team is likely to play a more attacking role thanSpain, waswhen initially envisaged, due to the fact that it will line out without its star sprinter, Thor Hushovd. He originally had plannedhe toreturns ridefrom the race but, following a strong Spring Classics campaign, heWorld hasChampionships. More decidedinfo to rest and recover for the Tour de France. follow.

“I had a hard classic season and need a good break,” he stated. “After that, I will startTo buildingKeep up my shape slowly for my next big goal, the Tour de France. For the Giro, I would havehad to be ready right from the beginning of the race, but I haven’t hadto-date enoughwith timePhilip toclick prepare.”here

The Cervélo Test Team for the Giro d’Italia is as follows:

Philip Deignan (Ireland), Simon Gerrans (Australia), Volodymir Gustov (Ukraine), Jeremy Hunt (Great Britain), Ted King (USA), Ignatas Konovalovas (Lituania), Serge Pauwels (Belgium), Hayden Roulston (New Zealand), Carlos Sastre (Spain).