Philip Deignan was in Dublin yesterday as Team Sky played their part in building up to the weekend arrival of the Giro d’Italia in Belfast and Dublin.
Deignan signed for the team that has won the last two editions of the Tour de France at the end of last season but has had an interrupted start with two broken collar bones in separate crashes.
“I feel fit and ready to go now, and this is a great opportunity to ride at home in a Grand Tour event,” said Deignan.
“I came to Dublin in 1998 to see the start of the Tour de France but this is a real dream come true.”
Deignan’s home town is Letterkenny and two bus loads of friends and family will be setting off to see the opening stage in Belfast on Friday.
Yesterday though was about media and the important element of meeting up with Sky’s near 1,000 strong workforce in Ireland.
Canteen
After the interviews and the media pictures were taken, he entered the canteen area atop Burlington Plaza in Dublin’s Ballsbridge for a meet and greet with those that are working here for the broadcast giant.
“Team Sky is about getting the best riders together and also about building a core of riders from the countries where we have a strong presence,” said Sky Ireland Director Mark Deering speaking to Sport for Business yesterday.
“Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome have flown the flag for Britain while Dario Cataldi will be an Italian hero if he can go well in the Giro on home turf. Philip is our Irish star on the team and is a great ambassador for our staff and customers to rally behind.”
“He has spent time with the staff here, answering all their questions about life on the pro tour and posing for pictures that are spreading like wildfire around social media.”
“He brings a great buzz to the office in what is a very special week for Irish sport.”
GAA
Sky are putting the pieces in place for their next big event in Ireland, the first live GAA match to be carried on Sky Sports on June 7th between Kilkenny and Offaly.
Deering was playing his cards close though in terms of how the presentation team was likely to shape up and what Sky would be bringing to the coverage.
“All I will say for now is that we are very excited to be part of it and that we are planning more of an evolution rather than a revolution in terms of our coverage.”
Sky will be revealing more in the coming weeks about a deal available to GAA clubs throughout the country and who will be part of the broadcast team.
For now though it’s all about the bikes and watching team Sky ride into town this weekend.
“It’s a great event for Dublin and for Ireland and we are pleased to have a small part to play in the speed, colour and excitement it will generate,” said Deering before slipping away to join the rest of the team in hearing what life was really like as part of Cycling’s elite.
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