The season may be drawing to a close but there are still some big prizes on offer, including the 'Race of the Falling Leaves', Il Lombardia, this weekend in northern Italy, where at least three Irish riders will be on the start line.
Ben Healy and Archie Ryan - the latter 17th last year - are selected for the last monument of the season. They form part of an EF Education-EasyPost selection that is one of its strongest climbing line-ups assembled in one place this year.
Healy will go into the event as one of the favourites, though world and European road race champion, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and, runner-up in both, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep), will also both be in action in the 238km race to Bergamo, with over 4,600m of climbing.
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The two Irish riders are among an EF Education-EasyPost team line-up that also includes Richard Carapaz, Alex Baudin, Rui Costa, Harry Sweeny and Neilson Powless.
Healy and Carapaz are the two stand-out names, while Ryan saw his Vuelta end with an injury, before missing the Worlds, only to bounce back very solidly with 14th at Giro dell'Emilia (1.Pro) on Saturday.
Irishman Ryan, now nearing the end of his second season as a World Tour rider, was runner-up in the U23 version of Il Lombardia two years ago. And with his climbing skills, and ability for surging efforts when the road kicks up, he could surprise on Saturday.
However, he may be put to work for Carapaz and Healy, who make a formidable duo and will be looking to make the podium, just as Healy did at Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1.UWT) in April.
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Healy took almost two months away from racing after his epic Tour de France, where he won a stage and held yellow. Since his return he has taken two podium finishes on stages at Tour de Luxembourg and also won bronze in the road race at the Worlds.
Both Healy and Ryan go into Saturday’s race relatively fresh, despite having had a long season, and they will be absolutely gunning to secure a result for the team. Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) is also expected to ride.
Pogačar has won the last four editions of Il Lombardia and given the manner of his victories, via long-range solo efforts, at the worlds and Europeans it is hard to see him not making it five on Saturday.
However, though Healy would need the tactics to play in his favour, as well as be in top form, if he were going to win, a podium is an obvious goal now that his late season form seems to be so good.
Irish riders have won this race just four times - Sean Kelly in 1983, 1985 and 1991 - and Dan Martin in 2014 and it is not out of the question Healy could make that exclusive club an trio.
On Saturday, even if Pogačar goes long - though the novelty of that has worn off from a spectator perspective - the final two climbs are likely to prove crucial in determining the podium line-up.
The penultimate climb is that of Passo di Ganda - 9.3km at 7.1 per cent average gradient, with the final 3km at 8.7 per cent - and tops out 28km from the finish. The final climb, Colle Aperto, is much shorter - 1.3km at 7.4 per cent - but comes so late in the race, crested with just 3km to go, that it may well produce fireworks.
It is a finish that could suit Healy - and Ryan, if he got a shot at a result for himself - and another podium in the last big one before the winter would be a fitting way for the Irish to end their season.
