Archie Ryan wins best young rider award at Tour of Slovakia

Young Irish cyclist Archie Ryan reached another milestone in a blossoming career on Saturday, winning the best young rider award in the Tour of Slovakia.

The 20-year-old Wicklow cyclist finished in the main bunch on the final stage, an undulating to flat race to Košice.

Dutchman Jasper Haest (VolkerWessels Cycling Team) won a two-man sprint to the line, with the peloton finishing 13 seconds back. Overnight leader Josef Černy (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) finished with this group and won overall. Ryan finished an excellent sixth in the general classification, just 13 seconds back, and triumphed in the under 23 classification. He beat the second placed rider by seven seconds.

It is his first ever classification win in a pro race and follows on from his first-ever stage victory in a pro event on Thursday.

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Ryan’s performances in the race are all the more important as he was guesting with the top-ranked Jumbo-Visma team. He normally competes with its development squad but was given a slot with the WorldTour wing after his superb showing in the recent Tour de l’Avenir.

He was second on a stage and fourth overall there and that, plus his performances in Slovakia this week, mark him out as one of the most exciting young talents in Irish cycling.