Deignan's race programme points towards place in the Tour de France

CYCLING:VUELTA A España stage-winner Philip Deignan has been given his provisional race programme for next year and is on the Cervélo Test Team's long list for the Tour de France.

The 26-year-old Letterkenny rider was at a team get-together last week in Switzerland and a number of topics were dealt with there, including the likely races the riders will do.

His stage win and excellent ninth overall in the Vuelta a España have marked him out as a strong Grand Tour rider and one of the most promising of the younger competitors on the team.

"The camp went well," he told The Irish Timesyesterday. "We didn't do training on the bikes as it was more about arranging things for next year. We had team meetings, medical tests, organised race programmes and got fitted out for clothing.

“My race programme will begin with the Vuelta a Murcia in March. I’ll then do the Volta a Catalunya, the Vuelta a Pais Vasco and the Ardennes Classics (Amstel Gold, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège). After a break, I’ll ride the Tour of California, the Dauphiné Libéré and I’m on the team’s long list for the Tour de France.”

While the final selection for Tour won’t take place until much closer to the race, Deignan’s race programme says much about his standing in the team. It’s a typical schedule of races for riders preparing for the Tour, and it is likely team leader Carlos Sastre will do many of the same events. “The team were obviously very happy with my season,” Deignan said. “Carlos will still be the main rider for the general classification so if I go to the Tour, my job will be to help him in the mountains.”

Sastre won the race last year. If Deignan gets to start his first Tour – and he should, all going well – he is satisfied to learn from the experience and build towards future editions of the race. That said, even if Sastre is going well, he may have a chance to chase a stage.

Things have changed a lot since last year, when he was wondering if he had a future in cycling following several seasons frustrated by bad luck, illness and injury. “I am much more confident now,” he admitted. “I have two Grand Tours in my legs from this season and that will stand to me.”

He and the team will get together for 12 days later this month. That training camp will be followed by one in the Algarve in January, following which he will move back to his base in Girona.

FIXTURES: Saturday-Sunday: Junior and under-23 training camp, Charleville, Co. Cork. Sunday: Connacht MTB league round 4, Shramoor, Newport, Co. Mayo.