Fintan Ryan takes the next step in his storied cycling career tomorrow in Belgium when he rides his first race with Irish Continental team EvoPro Racing.
The 24-year-old from Co Wicklow rider has been national junior champion on the road and also national elite criterium champion. He represented Ireland on the road as an U23 in the Nations Cup and is also an elite track international.
He is one of two new Irish riders signed with EvoPro Racing this year, alongside fellow international Michael O'Loughlin. They join Sean Nolan and Ben Walsh in the EvoPro line-up, both of those riders having ridden for the team before this year.
Ryan - below winning the derny at the London Six Day three years ago, will get his 2021 campaign underway tomorrow at Grote prijs Jean - Pierre Monseré (1.1), a 202km race in Belgium against WorldTour opposition.
Also set to be on the start line tomorrow alongside the riders from Irish team EvoPro will be Deceuninck-QuickStep, Lotto-Soudal, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, Cofidis and Qhubeka Assos.
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Given the strength of the opposition, it will be a big step up for Ryan, though should mainly prove to be a learning experience for him. It looks like a great move for him as he approaches what should be his peak years on the road.
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Morgan Fox, one of the team’s founders and a DS, told stickybottle the team was ready to go and he was delighted Ryan was among the first selection on the roads of Europe for EvoPro this year.
“I’m particularly looking forward to
working with our new guys as our existing guys know how we click already,” Fox
said of new personnel coming in to join other riders, some of whom have been
with the team for two years.
“Fintan is a huge talent who has been track-based predominantly or he would be a better known road prospect," added Fox.
“I saw something special in him when
he rode the 2016 Ràs with my team and I am keen to exploit his explosive kick
in big races.”
Ryan is in the team for tomorrow
with Belgians Michael Van Staeyen and Jeroen Eyskens, Brazilian national
champion Vitor Zucco, former US champion Jonny Brown and compatriot Brendan
Rhim and Estonia Oskar Nisu.
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