CYCLING: RIDING SOLIDLY on the first day in the high mountains, Nicolas Roche placed 14th on yesterday’s tough 11th stage of the Vuelta a España.

The 208.4km leg to the Pal ski station in Andorra was won by the Basque rider Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi), who caught and passed Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia) inside the final three kilometres and hit the line three seconds ahead.

Roche finished 51 seconds back, dropping one place in the general classification as a result. He ended the day ninth overall, two minutes and 30 seconds behind Anton, who took over the race lead from Joaquin Rodriguez (Team Katusha). The latter cracked on the final climb and came home in 18th place.

Despite what was a solid showing, Roche was a little downbeat afterwards.

“I’ve had a bad day and I’ve been scared about losing a lot of time and being out of the top 10, for which I’m fighting every day,” he said, saying he needs to keep battling and to climb well in the mountains ahead.

He should have an opportunity to take things easier on today’s stage, a 175km race to Lleida which will most likely end in a bunch sprint.

One who will be missing from the peloton is Letterkenny rider Philip Deignan. The Cervélo Test Team rider had been suffering from a virus this season and went into the race quite a way off the form that earned him a stage win plus ninth overall last year. He pulled out in the second half of the stage and, according to his sporting director, Philippe Mauduit, was exhausted.

“Philip was pretty tired. He’s had a hard season with all his illness and today was too much for him, he just did his best,” he said.

“Philip was one of the strongest of the team the other day on the Catí climb, so there is nothing to complain about.”

Deignan said he won’t race again this season, but rather will concentrate on getting his health back on track.