The Baby Giro was not a pleasant experience for the Irish last year, but this time around three newcomers are going into battle against the best U23s in the world. Matt Teggart, above, Mark Downey and Daire Feeley are underway in Italy.
Three Irish cyclists have gone into battle at the Baby Giro, one of the most prestigious races on the international U23 calendar.
Mark Downey and Matt Teggart ride the race with their Team Wiggins trade team.
And fellow U23 Irish international Daire Feeley competes with his Monaco squad.
The race, 11 stages in all, got underway yesterday with a prologue. The 4.4km TT in Forlì was won by Edoardo Affini (SEG Racing Academy).
The 21-year-old Italian recorded a time of 4:58, with just one second to spare over Belgian Jasper Philipsen (Hagens Berman Axeon).
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Rounding out the podium was Matteo Sobrero (Dimension Data for Qhubeka), some four seconds off the winner.
Downey was 67th at 19 seconds while Teggart was 86th at 23 seconds. Feeley finished in 146th at 35 seconds.
The race resulted in a testing week for the Irish last year; Eddie Dunbar crashing out and Michael O’Loughlin was forced out through illness.
This time around Downey and Teggart will be looking for results after some very strong riding already this season.
And Feeley will be hoping for the kind of ride that would help him progress to Continental level next year.
Today’s stage 1 takes the riders 137.7km from Riccione to Forlì.
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