Ryan Mullen (22) gears up for second crack at Paris-Roubaix
After a promising Paris-Roubaix debut last year Ryan Mullen is back to the pavé on Sunday as part of a restructured line-up.
Ryan Mullen will ride his second Paris-Roubaix this weekend having been named on the Cannondale-Drapac team for the event.
The 22-year-old will ride in support of Dylan van Baarle and Sebastian Langeveld.
Van Baarle, a former Tour of Britain winner, put in an excellent ride at the Tour of Flanders last week in finishing 4th.
In that same race his team mates Taylor Phinney and Sep Vanmarcke crashed.
Phinney will miss Paris-Roubaix having suffered a concussion in his fall last weekend.
And Vanmarcke is suffering a range of injuries including to his hands, which include a broken finger.
However, while the team leadership for the teams date on the pave has changed as a result of the injuries Mullen was always in the line-up.
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He put in a very strong ride in Flanders last week; evident on the front riding for the team in the early stages and going on to finish.
Mullen is still a very young rider and is only in his 2nd year at WorldTour level.
However, he is developing a very useful habit of being selected to ride some of the biggest races, working for the team and still finishing.
He has also been on the attack in several races this season, including the 246-kilometre Gent-Wevelgem, and ridden well against the clock.
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Top, on the attack at the recent Gent-Wevelgem. Above, up the road at the Volta ao Algarve in February.
Last year he finished Paris-Roubaix on his debut. He was just a few months into his first year in the top flight.
He finished in 103rd place in a group with compatriot Matt Brammeier 18mins 30secs down on winner Matt Hayman.
Afterwards he said it was a race he really enjoyed and that he was looking forward to future editions. He looks to have progressed significantly since then.
And in Van Baarle he has a team mate that could make the podium or even win the race on Sunday.
Paddy Bevin and Wouter Wippert got late call-ups after the withdrawals of Phinney and Vanmarcke.
Ryan Mullen, Roubaix velodrome
They will join van Baarle, Langeveld, Will Clarke, Tom Scully, Tom Van Asbroeck and Ryan Mullen in the Hell of the North.
Vanmarcke would have started hotly tipped to do well having been three times a top-five finisher in the Roubaix velodrome in the past.
But he has had a spring classics campaign to forget.
While Vanmarcke’s absence was confirmed in recent days, it was hoped Phinney would be ready to ride. But his team is taking no chances after his concussion.
The American, a former winner of junior Paris-Roubaix, added missing the race was especially frustrating because he had been aiming for it.
“But this just happens. This happened my first season as a pro, but then I ended up having a pretty nice second part of the season.
“On the positive end, I’m more motivated. I feel more motivated than I have in a long time to put in effort for the summer.
“I look forward to the Tour of California and the first stage of the Tour de France. These things excite me.”
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