Ryan Mullen cites team lead-out duties after below par TT ride

Ryan Mullen TT

Ireland's Ryan Mullen put in a solid TT ride in Holland but he had hoped for far after last week's Euros.

 

Ryan Mullen has finished 12th in the TT at Binck Bank Tour; a decent result but below his expectations.

The Irish champion said he came up short in the closing kilometres of the 12.7km TT in Venray, Holland.

After yesterday's opening stage was decided in a bunch sprint. Stefan Kung (BMC Racing) claimed today's time trial.

And the 24-year-old also claimed the race lead for his efforts with five stages remaining.

Kung finished 7th in the TT at the Europeans last Wednesday; a race Mullen was 6th in.

But today the Swiss rider beat the man who had won the European title; Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Soudal).

Kung claimed victory today by 14 seconds from Campenaerts. Soren Kragh Anderson and Michael Matthews of Team Sunweb were 3rd and 4th, but at 15 seconds.

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Ryan Mullen (Trek-Segafredo) relinquished 27 seconds; a result that puts him in 12th overall.

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And he suggested after his ride that joining lead-out duties yesterday may have undermined his power for the TT.

"Coming out of Glasgow I had a pretty good ride performance-wise there and I kinda pinned a bit of hope on this today," he said.

"I started pretty well and I felt pretty comfortable into the headwind. (I was) on top of the gear and cornering well.

“But coming back in the tailwind I couldn't quite get back on the power. I know that's where I lacked; in the last 4 or 5kms.

"But I feel the rest of the course I rode pretty well. If I was able to maintain the power the whole way through, I would have been up a lot higher in the standings.

“Maybe I spent more energy working the lead-out yesterday than I thought."

 

 

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