Martin showing some form in the Basque country

CYCLING: DANIEL MARTIN had a solid showing on yesterday's mountain stage of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, placing 26th at the finish in Eibar.

The 23-year-old Garmin Transitions rider finished in a group one minute and 16 seconds after the solo winner Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) hit the line.

Former race leader Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) netted second place, two seconds back, and thus returned to the top of the general classification.

Martin also improved by one position in the overall standings and is now 16th overall, 1:15 off Valverde’s lead.

The ProTour race continues today with a lumpy, 170km stage from Eibar to Orio.

Meanwhile, Philip Deignan improved from 51st to 43rd after the third stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. The Cervélo Test Team rider placed 50th on the 181km leg to Pre-En-Pail, wheeling in one minute and two seconds behind the stage victor Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis).

Race leader Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) finished with the front group and remains at the top of the classification, eight seconds in front of Tiago Machado (RadioShack) and 13 clear of Simon.

The 2.1-ranked race concludes today with 171km from Abbaye de l’Epau to Sille le Guillaume.

In other news, 2007 FBD Insurance Rás runner-up Páidí O’Brien will miss this year’s race due to a knee problem. O’Brien’s An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly team confirmed he must undergo an operation to remove some loose cartilage, and that this would sideline him for an estimated two months.

“I thought that two weeks off the bike would have me back racing, but as soon as I went training again I could feel the pain around my knee,” O’Brien said. “After the operation it will be four weeks without doing anything, but I’m optimistic, and hopefully a realistic target will then be the Nationals.”

Another team has been confirmed for the 2.2-ranked Irish tour, with race organiser Dermot Dignam announcing that the Happy Tooth squad will travel from the US for the round-Ireland tour.

Comprising mainly riders under 25, the goal of the squad is to help develop those from the Southeastern US.

The FBD Rás will be its first overseas competition.

“The main focus of the team will be stage wins and results in the sprint competition,” said team director Donald McDonnell.

The team for the race will be Curtis Staples (27), Matt Howe (23), Eóin McDonnell (23), John Crow (22) and Walker Owen (24).

Dignam said this was a further boost to the status of the event.

“Thus far teams have been confirmed from Australia, New Zealand and Sweden, and so the addition of an American squad further increases the range of nationalities that will be at the race start in Dunboyne,” he said.

The FBD Rás will begin on May 23rd and runs for eight days.

Fixtures: Saturday:Caldwell Memorial, Ballymena, 11am. Youth racing, from Bornacoola GAA grounds, Drumod, noon.

Sunday: Hanlon Memorial, Carlow, 11.30am. Long Memorial, Cookstown, noon. Youths, Waterstown Park, Palmerstown, 10am.