Archie Ryan in 130km attacking ride at Tour de Luxembourg | Video

Archie Ryan up the road at Tour de Luxembourg where he rounded out the race with 130km up the road on the final stage (Photo: Anouk Flesch)

Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) wrapped up his first appearance at Tour de Luxembourg with a 130km attacking ride off the front on what was a frantic four hours of racing into Luxembourg.

The general classification was perfectly poised going into the final stage, with world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in yellow. Four other riders were within 10 seconds, and all possible outright winners at the end of the last day of action, with its 3,100 metres of climbing.

Indeed, when Ryan began jumping about off the front of the peloton early in the race, he soon found himself clear among 18 riders, just 15km in. That group included the race leader and many of those riders with designs on taking yellow from him.

Though they built a gap over over a minute at one point, the composition of the front meant it was doomed to fail. And when Van der Poel attacked with 121km to go, and dangled out just off the front of the breakaway, with the main field just 35 seconds back, it appeared it would all come back together soon.

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However, the race leader persevered with his effort for just a couple of kilometres, up the Côte de Kautenbach. And when he was caught on that climb, three riders from the breakaway - including Ireland's Ryan - went forward as the others slipped back to the peloton.

Up front, Ryan pushed on with Johannes Staune-Mittet (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and U23 TT world champion Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar Team). Their advantage would increase to well over two minutes over the next 20km, then up to three minutes.

But with Lidl Trek and Soudal Quick-Step combing to work on the front, the advantage of the leaders then began to be gradually reduced. With 26km to go, it was down to just one minute. Milesi was dropped from the breakaway on the climb on the finishing circuit as the general classification hopefuls began attacking each other back in the bunch.

Ryan and Staune-Mittet put up a very spirited effort to stay clear but were eventually overhauled with 13km to go. And about 4km later the key move went, featuring some of those who had been away in the big early group with Ryan.

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David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) was present along with GC dangerman Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), just 10 seconds down overall, alongside Quinn Simmons (Lidl - Trek) and Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies).

Tiberi drove the group along and by the tine they reached the last incline, and Gaudu attacked with 1.4km to go to take the win, the leaders had 38 seconds on the chasers. Though Van de Poel attack on that final climb, in a bid to save yellow, it was too little too late.

Gaudu claimed solo victory by three seconds from Simmons, Jegat and Tiberi, with Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Van der Poel 5th and 6th at 29 seconds. That time gain was enough to give Tiberi overall victory by 15 seconds over Van der Poel as Gaudu finished 3rd overall at 16 seconds.

After his breakaway ride, Ryan finished in 46th at 2:34 but looks like he is in good form as he now sets his sights on the World Road Championships in Zurich, where he rides the elite men's race next Sunday.

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