By Shane Stokes
Archie Ryan has lamented what would have been a record-equalling performance in the under 23 Il Lombardia on Sunday, with the questionable tactics of the race victor the only obstacle to matching Sean Kelly as a winner of the event.
Ryan was up against the William Junior Lecerf (Soudal-QuickStep Devo Team) and looked to have the race won, only for the Belgian to move right and block him as he was passing. Ryan had to stop pedalling and raised his left arm in protest, but still had enough momentum to roll past him just after the finish line.
Looking back on it now, 24 hours later, the young Jumbo Visma Development rider is certain what the outcome would have been if there had been no "chopping"; another win for him.
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“In the sprint he did chop me and come across the road but it wasn’t extreme enough for a relegation,” Ryan told stickybottle on Monday. “If he didn’t chop me I’d say I’d have got it for sure, but it’s partly my fault for leaving it so late. I should have gone earlier in the sprint, I messed it up. That’s part of the game, unfortunately.”
Partis à deux à 20 km du terme, William Juniors Lecerf s'est imposé sur #illombardia U23 en battant au sprint Archie Ryan. Ramses Debruyne complète le podium#wielrennen #cyclisme #ciclismo pic.twitter.com/5Y7zsG72cQ
— ? Les Rois du Peloton ? (@LRoisDuPeloton) October 1, 2023
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Kelly took the only other Irish podium in the race back in 1976, triumphing ahead of the Italian Vittorio Algeri. Equalling him would have been a major feat but Ryan has already shown his class with a number of standout results, including victory on stage 7b of the Tour de l’Avenir this year, as well as fourth overall in the same event in 2022.
Second in the Il Piccolo Lombardia is not the result he was aiming for, particularly as he was the strongest climber in the race, dropping the rest of the day’s break on both the famed Madonna del Ghisallo climb and the subsequent Colle Brianza, and leading the race solo for 5km before Lecerf finally bridged across.
Still, he takes encouragement from how he performed.
“It was a good day yesterday,” he said. “I would have really liked the win, but second place was decent. I am happy with that. The race fell apart on the Ghisallo, a long climb. I first got to the breakaway with the climbers and then threw them off on the final two climbs. I got away on the second-last climb and Lecerf joined me at the top and then we finished together.”
He has one more race this season, Tuesday’s Coppa Citta’ Di San Daniele, also in Italy. Having missed most of the year due to injury but found superb form since his return, he’d doubtlessly like to keep racing.
Still, a victory in the 1.2-ranked event would further boost his motivation heading into the winter months, and building towards a professional debut—alongside Darren Rafferty (Hagens Berman Axeon)—in the EF Education EasyPost squad next season.
“It should be good craic,” he said. “Darren [Rafferty] is racing again and Ronan O’Connor is also racing, so we will have a little Irish field in the race.
“I will try and go one better. It is a really good course. There are two steep climbs in the final so I’m really keen and looking forward to it.”
