The Irish team had a mixed day at Tour de l'Avenir on stage 4 today, riding strongly in the final but losing another man and now being reduced to four. The good news was that Archie Ryan was very competitive on the uphill finish, despite his crash on stage 2.
Indeed, Ryan made a strong effort to win the stage after being aided by team mates Jamie Meehan and Kevin McCambridge on what was a tough final 2km as the mercury shot up in temperatures of 40°.
Fabio Christen (Switzerland) won the stage after a very late attack, in the final 2km of the 133km stage from Aigurande to Evaux-les-Bains. He overhauled Mexico's Isaac del Toro and beat him at the finish. The duo were just one second up on the remains of the peloton after the kick up to the line.
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Behind the two leaders, McCambridge and Meehan had hit the front on the finishing circuits - reduced from three passages to two because of the high temperatures. Thanks to their work, Ryan was very well positioned and sprinted into, and out of, the final corner in first place in pursuit of the two leaders.
As Christen and del Toro just about hung on for 1st and 2nd, Ryan faded a little for 5th in the bunch sprint - meaning 7th on the stage. Meehan did a great ride - and looks in very good shape at this level - to finish 21st. He was among just 30 riders to be credited with the same time, just one second down on the winner.
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Unfortunately, one of Team Ireland's stage 2 crash victims, Patrick O'Loughlin, will take no further part in the race as he was a non-finisher today. And aside from Ryan and Meehan finishing in the remains of the peloton today, McCambridge placed 75th at 3:45 while Odhran Doogan finished in 112th, in a group 8:40 down.
After today's stage, and yesterday's 26.5km TTT into Vatan - where Ireland lost time and were 24th of the 27 teams - Meehan remains best placed of the Irish overall. He is 32nd and some 2:00 - all lost in the TTT - down on new race leader Simon Dalby, who is part of the Danish team that won the team test.
Ryan is next of the Irish, in 41st at 2:39, after he lost 39 seconds when he crashed on stage 2 as well as the two minutes in the TTT. McCambridge is 95th at 11:40 and Doogan is 96th at 11:49.
Ryan lost a considerable amount skin, and suffered quit a bit of soft tissue injury, during his stage 3 crash. On the strength of his finish today, he looks like he had plenty of fight in him. However, his injuries are not insignificant and much will depend on how he can recover in the next 24-48 hours because, after placing 4th overall last year, Team Ireland are very much backing him again this year.
Tomorrow's stage is 141km from La Tour-de-Salvagny to Lac d'Aiguebelette, with two late cat 3 climbs before a descent into the finish. Those climbs are unlikely to split the race too much, though time will be gained and lost and Ryan will look to be to the fore while Meehan may also impress again.
