Archie Ryan has continued his late season charge, in the final days of his four years with Jumbo Visma Development; taking a podium finish after a very aggressive display in U23 Il Lombardia in Italy today. He was very unlucky not to win after being the victim of some questionable sprinting from the eventual winner.
While the Irish rider was not in the main breakaway of the day, he was among a select group of heavy hitters that formed on the climbs in the final. And that select group bridged across to the breakaway on the long Ghisallo climb with 50km remaining.
Over the top of that ascent, the group was thinned out to about 12 riders, with Ryan present. They worked up and over after the descent and eventually managed to put almost two minutes in the chasers. However, that leading group split in two on the penultimate climb, about 18km from the finish, where Ryan pulled the trigger.
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On that penultimate ascent - the 14 per cent Villa Vergano-Colle Brianza - the Irishman attacked and went clear solo. However, while he pulled out a gap on the small group behind him, there was still plenty of action off the front of that group.
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William Junior Lecerf (Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team), 5th overall in Tour de l'Avenir this year, got across to Ryan and they rode up and over for the final 20km, including the final climb of Marconaga di Ello, crested just 5km from the finish.
The duo stayed together all the way and sprinted it out at the finish line in Oggiono, with Lecerft getting the better of the Irish rider in that two-up kick for the chequered flag.
After the winner and runner-up, Ramses Debruyne (Lotto-Dstny Development) was 3rd at 49 seconds, just two seconds up on António Morgado (Hagens Berman Axeon). Then came Tijmen Graat (Jumbo Visma Development), in 5th at 55 seconds. Francesco Galimberti (Biesse-Carrera) was 6th at 1:40.
A large group of 22 riders - including six of the men who had been in the initially 12-strong lead group - and those in a chasing group all finished at 2:41. They included Irish rider Darren Rafferty (Hagens Berman Axeon), who finished in 21st place.
U23 Il Lombardia 170.6km
1 LECERF William Junior Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team 03:51:44
2 RYAN Archie Jumbo-Visma Development Team + 00
3 DEBRUYNE Ramses Lotto Dstny Development Team + 49
4 MORGADO António Hagens Berman Axeon + 51
5 GRAAT Tijmen Jumbo-Visma Development Team + 55
6 GALIMBERTI Francesco Biesse-Carrera + 01:40
7 RONDEL Mathys Tudor Pro Cycling Team U23 + 02:14
8 SEGAERT Alec Lotto Dstny Development Team + 02:14
9 NERURKAR Lukas Trinity Racing + 02:14
10 VILLA Giacomo Biesse-Carrera + 02:14
11 PEÑUELA Francisco Israel Premier Tech Academy + 02:14
12 MOSCA Raffaele Q36.5 Continental Cycling Team + 02:14
13 MARTI Pau Israel Premier Tech Academy + 02:14
14 FOLDAGER Anders Biesse-Carrera + 02:14
15 RAISBERG Nadav Israel Premier Tech Academy + 02:14
16 KAJAMINI Florian Team Colpack Ballan + 02:14
17 HAJEK Alexander Tirol KTM Cycling Team + 02:14
18 GELDERS Gil Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team + 02:14
19 FAVRETTO Carlo General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia + 02:14
20 NOVAK Pavel Team Colpack Ballan + 02:14
21 RAFFERTY Darren Hagens Berman Axeon + 02:14
22 MARTINEZ Juan Guillermo Q36.5 Continental Cycling Team + 02:14
23 TAVARES Gonçalo Hagens Berman Axeon + 02:14
24 HUISING Menno Jumbo-Visma Development Team + 02:14
25 CIRLINCIONE Domenico Gallina Ecotek Lucchini + 02:14
