Archie Ryan has put in a very strong ride in the first big summit finish at Tour de l'Avenir, underling his status as one of the top climbers in the U23 ranks globally at present. He is now up to 9th overall.
Irishman Ryan finished 5th on today's big climbing stage as the field was blown apart on the14.6km HC Col de la Madeleine, averaging 7.6 per cent, to the finish at François-Longchamp.
On a very strong day for the Irish - and one that very much confirmed the team's general classification aspirations - first-year U23 Dean Harvey was also in the day's main breakaway.
While his group was caught before the final climb up to the finish line, Harvey's presence in that move took the pressure of his team mates back in the peloton, with the teenager also getting to show himself out front for most of the day.
Advertisement
The 174.5km stage 7 today was won by Belgian rider Cian Uijtdebroeks, who jumped straight from the junior ranks last year to the Bora-hansgrohe World Tour team this season. The 19-year-old showed real heart today on the final climb, where he attacked solo with just over 10km to go and then rode solo to the summit for a brilliant win.
Uijtdebroeks, who is regarded in Belgium as being a great hope for the future, should have also taken the yellow jersey, but for a 20-second time penalty for an illegal feed. Behind him, the man who keeps the race lead - Michel Hessman of Germany - did his best to defend yellow today.
Hessman went off in pursuit of Uijtdebroeks with Davide Piganzoli (Italy) for company on the final climb. While they rode strongly and kept the lone leader at about 30 to 40 seconds for most of the ascent, they faded closer to the finish.
Related News
Just behind them, the select group they had attacked from was whittled down to just three riders as the climb continued. Ireland's Ryan was one of that trio, along with Johannes Staune-Mittet of Norway and Italian rider Alessandro Fancellu.
Mathias Vacek (Czech Republic) managed to regain that three-man group in the last couple of kiolmetres through the rest of the field was well scattered back down the mountain.
In the end, Uijtdebroeks took a very strong win, by 1:16 from Piganzoli, with yellow jersey Hessman in 3rd at 1:25, while Ireland's Ryan just behind the German on the finish line with a strong final surge. Both Ryan and Norwegian Staune-Mittet - who are team mates at Jumbo Visma Development - finished together in 4th and 5th just four seconds down on Hessman and 1:36 down on the stage winner.
That was a great ride by Ryan who, along with Staune-Mittet, rode the whole race of his wheel on the final climb, save for the solo winner and the two men who attacked early on the mountain in pursuit of him.
Hessman still leads overall but has just 11 seconds on today's stage winner Uijtdebroeks. Meanwhile, Ryan is now 9th at 3:03.
Lots more to come shortly, including on Harvey, Darren Rafferty and Adam Ward.
