CYCLING TOUR OF IRELAND, STAGE ONE:ON A day when 23 riders marked themselves out as contenders for the final yellow jersey of the Tour of Ireland, Irish professional Philip Deignan staked his claim for leadership of the Cervélo Test Team when he finished an excellent fourth into Waterford.

The Letterkenny rider was part of an eight-man group which fought it out for the stage win, his group crossing the line one second behind the victorious British rider Russell Downing (Candi TV-Marshall’s Pasta).

It was confirmation of the strong form of the 25-year-old, who finished 10th overall in the recent Vuelta a Burgos in Spain and who will line out in the Vuelta a España this day week with aspirations of a good performance.

Alexander Kolobnev (Team Saxo Bank) and his team-mate Matti Breschel netted second and third in the sprint to the line, while defending race champion Marco Pinotti also made it into the break, finishing sixth.

American rider Lance Armstrong was part of the larger 24-man group which surged clear of the peloton on the day’s final climb, the second-category ascent of Inistioge, and which was split in two by the attacks inside the final 10 kilometres. He placed 23rd, his group conceding 16 seconds to Downing.

Deignan was happy with his performance, but admitted he did too much on the run-in toward the finish on Waterford’s crowded Quays. “I was in the original group of 24 and then with 10 kilometres remaining, attacks started to go on the main road,” he said. “Groups kept on going and coming back; eventually a group of seven of us got away with about four kilometres go to.”

Winning the stage would have been a hugely positive boost for Deignan and Irish cycling. It would also have been a fitting tribute on a day when the peloton observed a minute’s silence for Paul Healion, the rider who died last Sunday in a car accident.

However, the climbing specialist was up against riders who would normally be much quicker than him in the sprint.

And so it proved, although he did say afterwards he probably played it out a little incorrectly. “I think I was a bit too aggressive coming in towards the finish, so I didn’t have the legs for the sprint.”

Still, fourth overall leaves him perfectly placed for the remaining two days. That’s more than can be said for most of the peloton; all of the riders behind Armstrong conceded at least two minutes and will find it very difficult to get back into contention now.

This cut-off included all the Irish competitors bar Deignan, with Ronan McLaughlin (An Post M Donnelly Grant Thornton Seán Kelly) next best, two minutes and 12 seconds back.

As was the case on stage four of last year’s race, Downing took a victory out of a breakaway group and ended up with the yellow jersey as well. He was delighted to win, and said that he is able to raise his game when racing against the top professionals.

“This shows that I deserve a chance to be with a bigger team,” he said. “We had a strong headwind coming down the bypass (on the far side of the quays) so I knew that there would be a really fast tailwind for the finish.

“I got a really good draft from one of the Saxo Bank riders and the moment was there when I was really on top of the gear. I almost thought it was a little early, but I went for it . . . It was a good sprint and nice to get it.”

Breschel bridged across to the break close to the finish and said that the effort took the oomph out of his legs. However, he said that the team was in a strong position heading into the final two days of the race and had aspirations for the overall win.

“We have a lot of cards to play, we have a lot of guys in the breakaway. For sure we wanted to win the stage, but basically we are just trying to test ourselves before the Vuelta and hopefully try to take the jersey tomorrow or in Cork.”

Twelve months ago Downing had the jersey going into the tough Cork finale but lost out under the onslaught of a number of competitors, including the eventual winner Pinotti.

This time round, he hopes for better than second overall. “We’ll aim to defend and have the jersey heading onto that finishing circuit on Sunday,” he said.

With tomorrow’s final stage going to be all-out war, the Irish riders are likely to try something on today’s 196-kilometre stage from Clonmel to Killarney.

The first category climb of the Curragh comes just over 40 kilometres from the finish, but a bunch sprint cannot be ruled out. If so, Mark Cavendish – who missed out today – will be the one to beat.

Powerscourt to Waterford (196kms)

1 Russell Downing (Candi TV — Marshalls Pasta) 196 kms in 5 hrs 10 mins 37 secs; 2 A Kolobnev (Saxo Bank) at 1 sec; 3 M Breschel (Saxo Bank); 4 P Deignan (Cervélo TestTeam); 5 H Zubeldia (Astana); 6 M Pinotti (Columbia-HTC); 7 F Wilman (Joker Bianchi); 8 O Kvachuk (ISD) all same time; 9 J Fuglsang (Saxo Bank) at 7 secs; 10 D Kostyuk (ISD) at 16 secs

SPRINTS: Roundwood: 1 Frantisek Rabon (Columbia-HTC) 5pts; 2, A Kristoff (Joker Bianchi) 3; 3 I Ilesic Aldo (Team Type 1) 2. Rathdrum: 1 Kristian House (Rapha Condor Cycling Team) 5pts; 2 A Grivko (ISD) 3; 3 D Lloyd (Cervélo TestTeam) 2. Borris: 1 Jay Thomson (MTN Cycling) 5pts; 2 A Kristoff (Joker Bianchi) 3; 3 F Rabon (Columbia-HTC) 2.

MOUNTAINS: Lower Sugar Loaf: 1 Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 6pts; 2 C Lewis (Columbia-HTC) 4; 3 S Milne (Team Type 1) 2. Mount Leinster: 1 Jay Thomson (MTN Cycling) 15pts; 2 M Wilson (Team Type 1) 12; 3 M Pinotti (Columbia-HTC) 10. Coppanagh: 1 Jay Thomson (MTN Cycling) 6 pts; 2 M Wilson (Team Type 1) 4; 3 P Lavery (Irish National Team) 2. Inistioge: 1 Philip Lavery (Irish National Team) 10pts; 2 H Zubeldia (Astana) 7; 3 M Breschel (Saxo Bank) 4.

Teams: 1 Team Saxo Bank 15hrs 32mins; 2 ISD - Neri at 24 secs; 3 Cervélo Test Team same time. Other: 13 An Post Sean Kelly Team, at 6 mins 27 secs; 16 Irish National Team, at 18 mins 32 secs.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION: 1 Russell Downing (Candi TV - Marshalls Pasta) 5 hrs 10 mins 27 secs; 2 A Kolobnev (Saxo Bank) at 5 secs; 3 M Breschel (Saxo Bank) at 7 secs; 4 P Deignan (Cervélo TestTeam) at 11 secs; 5 H Zubeldia (Astana);

POINTS CLASSIFICATION: 1 Russell Downing (Candi TV - Marshalls Pasta) 15pts; 2 A Kolobnev (Saxo Bank) 14; 3 M Breschel (Saxo Bank) 13. Irish: 4, P. Deignan (Cervélo TestTeam) 12

MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION: 1 Matthew Wilson (Team Type 1) 22 pts; 2 J Thomson (MTN Cycling) 21. Irish: 3 P Lavery (Irish National Team) 12.

Young rider classification: 1 Matti Breschel (Saxo Bank) 5 hrs 10 mins 34 secs; 2 F Wilman (Joker Bianchi) at 4 secs; 3 J Fuglsang (Saxo Bank) at 10 secs. Teams classification: 1 Team Saxo Bank, 15 hrs 32 mins; 2, ISD - Neri at 24 secs; 3 Cervélo Test Team, same time.