Now just about to begin his seventh season as a pro and his fourth at WorldTour level, Ryan Mullen is part of Trek-Segafredo's plans to secure an early season victory. The Irish time trial champion (24) is part of the line-up that will support Richie Porte at the Tour Down Under in just under two weeks.
Ryan Mullen enjoyed a winning start to his 2018 campaign in Argentina a little over 12 months ago but this year he is destined for Australia.
The national TT champion is part of the Trek-Segafredo team that will take on the Santos Tour Down Under.
While it is a very early season fixture, new team leader Richie Porte will be chasing victory on home roads.
And while Porte has always ridden exceptionally in the race, Mullen and the rest of the team will need to be on their toes to help him take home the outright win.
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Porte suffered a crash at the Tour de France last year which put him out of the race; not the first time that has happened.
However, he has recovered from that smash, during which he fractured his collarbone, and is now ready to make an impression leading his new team.
He will take on not only the Tour Down Under but also the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the Herald Sun Tour.
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But victory in the Tour Down Under is his big target. He has won the Willunga Hill stage in the event on each of the last five years.
The Tasmanian also claimed the race overall two years ago. He will be going all out to do a repeat and begin his tenure with Trek-Segafredo on a positive note.
Mullen, who has plenty of horsepower to aid the team effort, has been named in a strong line-up to support Porte in Australia.
Also in the team is William Clarke along with Koen de Kort, Jarlinson Pantano, Kiel Reijnen and Peter Stetina.
Ryan Mullen results likely in TTs
Irishman Ryan Mullen is still only 24-years-old, though he seems to have been around for much longer. He jumped straight from junior racing into the IG-Sigma Sport Continental team in Britain back in 2013.
The coming season will be Mullen’s fourth full year at WorldTour level and the second season in a two-year contract with Trek-Segafredo.
While he must commit to team duties in Australia as Porte tries to take the victory, he will look to take his chances in his speciality TT event in 2019.
He was 5th at in the elite test at the World Championships in Doha in 2016. Two years earlier he was beaten by less than one second to the gold medal in the U23 TT title race at the Worlds in Ponferrada.
Last January Mullen claimed the TT stage at the Vuelta a San Juan Internacional (2.1). And he will hope for the same form in Australia later this month; though no TTs are on the agenda.
The Tour Down Under gets underway on January 15th. There are six stages, with Willunga Hill featuring on the final day of racing.
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