Video: Irish rider makes leading list of 'top 10 new pros to watch'

A young Irish rider has been named on a global list of first year professionals to watch in the year ahead as the latest batch of young hopefuls takes up their places in the pro peloton. Ryan Mullen rides for Cannondale this year.

The step up from U23 level can be a massive one, with some riders taking to big time pro racing immediately and others fading out of the sport very quickly.

But among the wave of new pros who come into the peloton each year there are always a number tipped for greatness, and this year Ireland's Ryan Mullen is among them.

Having medalled in the U23 TT at the World Road Championships two years ago when he took silver, Mullen could not do any better in Richmond and indeed missed out on a medal of any description.

However, he has been a forced to be reckoned with both on the road and the track since he took up cycling and the size of his engine has been recognised by a contract with WorldTour team Cannondale for this year and next.

At 21 years old he is still quite young in pro cycling terms and any results he can take this year and next while learning the tops and helping his team would be regarded as a bonus.

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He has been included in the influential Global Cycling Network's top 10 neo pros to watch in the year ahead; you can view that video below.

And aside from competing for his trade team, he will also have one more chance to win the U23 TT world title at the end of the season after the UCI changed to the rules to allow U23 riders race their age category in the Worlds.