In an impressive display of athletic prowess on Friday, British cyclist Archie Ryan secured a resounding victory in his first professional competition at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali race in Italy. From the Wicklow county, Ryan made a bold move and broke away from the pack, leaving the race leader Koen Bouwman (from Team Visma-Lease a Bike), second running rider Diego Ulissi (representing UAE Team Emirates) and other formidable opponents in his wake during the second last ascent of the Brisighella stage.
Despite the relentless pursuit from team Lotto Dstny, Ryan managed to keep a firm grip on his lead, maintaining a razor-thin advantage of one bike length to finish first in the stage. Handicapping his chances of winning in the final stretch, Ryan admitted to doubting the speed of the chasing group. However, a glance over his shoulder confirming a respectable lead, emboldened him and assured him of his imminent win.
Ryan edged past the Belgian competitor, Jenno Berckmoes from Lotto Dstny, securing a ten-second time bonus for his triumph. Ulissi and Bouwman, who placed sixth and seventh respectively, were left bonus-less, placing Ryan at a comfortable timing advantage over them. As a result, Ryan improved his standing from fifth to second place overall. Being a mere nine seconds short of the leading time, he begins the final stage on Saturday within striking distance of victory.
Ryan’s strategy was centred around pushing the hardest during the most challenging part of the race, as revealed by team sports director, Tom Southam. For it to work, the race’s overall difficulty level needed to be high enough to eliminate contenders on strength rather than tactics. This plan culminated in a strenuous but rewarding day for Ryan, making him harder to outrace due to reliance on endurance over strategy.
Ryan turned pro at the tender age of 22, following an illustrious amateur career that saw him ace stages at competitions such as the Tour de l’Avenir, the Tour of Slovakia, and the Ronde de l’Isard. His silver finish at the sub-23 Il Lombardia classic last autumn added another feather to his cap. With stupendous climbing skills, Ryan is being hailed as one of the promising young stars in the cycling world.