Archie Ryan went on the rampage off the front in Europe at the first time of asking today, when the Irish rider seized the initiative in the final of stage 2 at Coppi e Bartali to put the whole field under serious pressure on the last climb.
And while his brilliant effort for stage victory just came up short, the EF Education-EasyPost man showed flashes of Dan Martin-style abilities. He put a surging all-out attack that saw him dominate the finale until one of the veterans of the peloton nailed his timing just a little bit better.
Though 22-year-old Wicklow man Ryan will have to wait for another day to get his first win of the season, based on the evidence produced today, he will be on the top step of the podium very soon.
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In the end, after 156.5km of racing int Sogliano al Rubicone, Ryan had to be content with 3rd place today after what remained of the peloton caught him on the line as Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) shot out of that group to take a strong win.
Revenu sur Archie Ryan et Davide de Pretto à 150 m de la ligne, Diego Ulissi s'est imposé sur la 2e étape de #CoppieBartali#ciclismo #cyclisme #cycling #wielrennen pic.twitter.com/YDufrTwk7A
— ? Les Rois du Peloton ? (@LRoisDuPeloton) March 20, 2024
The Italian put two seconds into those behind win, with Davide De Pretto (Team Jayco AlUla) taking 2nd place and Ryan taking 3rd. Just six riders finished three seconds behind winner Ulissi, with Ryan now moving up to 3rd overall, some nine seconds down on the Italian.
Today's stage concluded on the narrow paved street atop the 3.3km climb of Sogliano al Rubicone, which averaged 6.6 per cent and was negotiated five times. UAE Team Emirates set much of the pace last time up the ascent, though appeared to a fade a little just inside 2km to go.
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After some initial skirmishes off the front, which were neutralised, Ryan threw in a hard dig with about 1.5km to go and immediately pulled out a gap. Only eventual stage runner-up De Pretto was able to move with him.
Ryan did not look for a turn from the 21-year-old Italian, and instead continued powering up the climbing, putting in repeated surges in a bid to shed the man sitting on his back wheel.
However, while the bunch was shredded to pieces, UAE Team Emirates still had some resources there and marshalled their men on the front to keep Ryan's advantage - of about five seconds - under control.
Though Ryan and De Pretto led as the road narrowed deep inside the final kilometre, Ulissi timed his effort to perfection; waiting until the last moment to pull the trigger and sprinting in for a clear victory.
De Pretto just pipped Ryan in the battle for 2nd and 3rd place, with another five riders on their back wheels and being credited with the same time. Tomorrow's 132.2km starting and finishing in Riccione features 2,700 metres of elevation, though most of it is packed into the opening half of the stage, meaning the damage may be limited.
Stage 4 – some 150.7km to Brisighella – may be an opportunity for the Irish rider, though the finale is a lumpy one rather than featuring a climb to the finish. The final stage on Saturday – 157.9km starting and finishing in Forlì – is set to unfold on a tough circuit that is up and down for the full stage and should break up the field.
And while the finish is not on a climb, there should be enough short and sharp obstacles deep into the finale for Ryan to flex his climbing skills, if he has the legs. However, it will be hard for the Irish rider to dislodge the wily Ulissi, whose climbing skills - a patrol engine like Ryan's - mean he is ideally suited to the terrain to come.
