It’s a familiar pattern by now. Young Irish riders have done well in junior and U23 races, at home and abroad, down the years and everyone in Irish cycling gets excited. But in the ultra competitive world of European, and then professional, cycling, very few of our riders have made the grade.
However, there seems to have been a shift in recent years. Our talent pool has become much deeper, at junior, U23 and pro level. And now our attentions turn to our male U23s and their propects at Tour de l’Avenir, which gets underway in Tignes in the French Alps on Saturday.
Though we’ve had stage wins at this race in recent years, among other top performances, the 2025 Irish team is the strongest we have ever had in the race, bar none. Liam O’Brien, Ronan O’Connor, Seth Dunwoody, Jamie Meehan, Adam Rafferty and Dean Harvey make for a remarkable team.
But Tour de l’Avenir is the big one; the U23 Tour de France, as it’s known. So let’s go through each of our riders, one-by-one, and assess what we can expect from them. Are they really as good as we like to think?
First off, we’ve outlined each stage in a piece we published earlier, which you can read at this link. As you’ll see, the final two stages of the race are, well, brutal.
Jamie Meehan (Cofidis)
All of a sudden, the Donegal rider has skipped to the front of the queue in this group. Though others were signed for the sexier junior and U23 development teams before Meehan, he is the first to become a World Tour rider. He has had a blinding season, culminating in a stagiaire offer from Cofidis. In his first race for that team, Tour de l’Ain (2.1), he was 3rd on a stage and 14th overall. Meehan was immediately offered a contract for the next three years. He can definitely win a stage over the next week and a top 5-10 finish overall is a possibility.
Seth Dunwoody (Bahrain Victorious Devo)
Though Dunwoody is a sprinter, he is more versatile than most of the fast men. As a junior he won elite races in Ireland, finishing alone at times. And though he has won big races in Europe in bunch sprints, his biggest win to date – a stage at Giro Next Gen earlier this year – came in a sprint from a breakaway. There are there days – stages 2, 3 and 4 – that can really suit him. Dunwoody is a first-year U23, meaning he is under no pressure. But he is a huge prospect for Ireland for a stage victory.
Ronan O’Connor (Team Skyline)
The former Irish junior road race champion is now in his final year at U23 level and his selection onto the national team is reward for his efforts in Europe and at home in recent years. O’Connor won the Shay Elliott Classic earlier this year and, while he is likely to work towards team goals on this race, he could also take his chances in a breakaway. He is the kind of rider who could get clear and snaffle up points in the climbers classifiation, as Matt Teggart did for Ireland in 2017.
Adam Rafferty (Hagens Berman Jayco)
Like Dunwoody, Rafferty has this year claimed a stage win at Giro Next Gen from a breakaway. However, he sprang from his escape group and rode solo to win. And that is the way he could win here again. He is a very talented TT rider, a solid climber and, ultimately, a strong breakaway man. If he can get up the road, he is the kind of rider who could finish the job and take a stage win for Ireland.
Dean Harvey (Martigues Sport Cyclisme Payden-Rygel)
Harvey is now in his final year at U23 level and has ridden the Tour de l’Avenir before; three years ago when he wasn’t afraid to go on the attack. A versatile ride, he is the reigning elite Irish criterium and cyclocross champion. Though he will likely prove a very strong rider to work towards the team’s efforts over the next week, he is a very experienced campaigner who has the legs to get into a breakaway that makes it all the way.
Liam O’Brien (Lidl Trek Future Racing)
Cork man O’Brien, and Meehan, are the Irish team’s best bet for a strong general classification ride over the next week. And based on his results so far this season, O’Brien is a potential podium finisher. He was 2nd on a mountain stage, and 2nd overall, at Ronde de l’Isard (2.2U) back in May. He then placed 3rd on two mountain stages, and 4th overall, at Giro Valle d’Aosta. Like Meehan – and Rafferty – O’Brien looks destined for a World Tour contract. But he is due a massive win at U23 level and there would be no better race than Tour de l’Avenir.
