Archie Ryan strong in San Luca, Tadej Pogačar in full flight | Video

Tadej Pogačar on his way to victory during a long solo effort off the front, with Archie Ryan in the thick of it just behind (Photo: Massimo Fulgenzi-SCA-Cor Vos)

Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) has put in a very strong performance in the torrential rain of Italy on a day when new world champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) went long to claim his first win in the rainbow bands.

Almost immediately the road kicked up on the circuits in San Luca, Pogačar squeezed on the pedals and left the best of the rest trailing his wake, though Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) put in a good effort to try and follow.

And when a select chase group of about 20 riders formed on the circuit, three Irish riders were present; Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) and EF Education-EasyPost team mates Ryan and Ben Healy. The third Irishman in action from the US-registered team, Darren Rafferty, had done some very impressive work on the front earlier in the race.

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As the five laps of the finishing circuit continued to unfold, it was Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) who went off in pursuit of lone leader Pogačar. However, the young German never looked like catching him and was the best part of two minutes behind, before imploding on the final two laps of the race.

On the penultimate lap, the chase group split, with Michael Woods (Israel Premier Tech) and Tim Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) surging forward and looking the strong in the group. While Dunbar and Healy lost touch with the group on that lap, Ryan remained among the chasers as the rain continued to pour down.

Pogačar rode around the final circuit, and up the climb to the line, with the crowd shouting his name from the roadside, to claim victory. Behind him, Lipowitz was caught and passed by the strongest chasers.

Pidcock came through for 2nd place, easily the strongest of the chase group and taking the runner-up position some 1:54 down on the winner. Davide Piganzoli, the 22-year-old Italian riding for Team Polti Kometa, put in a brilliant performance for 3rd, on the same time as Pidcock.

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Then followed Woods, in 4th and also on the same time, with Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla) taking 5th place at 2:02, having been tailed off by the Pidcock-led chasers on the final passage of the climb.

Ryan placed 9th, at 2:13, a very strong ride by the young Irishman and showing that as his neo pro season is winding to an end he remains in great form after his 21st at the Worlds in Zurich last Sunday.

Healy placed 25th at 3:45 while Dunbar crossed the line in 46th at 8:48. We will bring you news of Rafferty's finish when we have it.

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