30/07/2023

EF Education-EasyPost signs two talented young climbers for upcoming years

Archie Ryan and Jardi Christiaan van der Lee are newest additions to the 2024 roster of EF Education-EasyPost. With these signings, the American team invests into their GC future.

Archie Ryan was always recognized as a big talent of Irish cycling. The gifted climber made a huge impression in his breakthrough 2022 season, coming 4th overall at Tour de l'Avenir, 6th at Sazka Tour and Tour de Slovaquie including a stage win in the queen stage and winning a queen stage of highly rated Ronde de l'Isard. Quite franky, we haven't seen much of the 21-year old this season who's out with a knee injury.

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"It really is a dream to be able to join EF Education-EasyPost. It has always been my favorite team. I remember watching all of Dan Martin’s really good results with the team, back in the day when I was a kid, so it really is a dream to be doing this. If you told 11-year-old or 12-year-old Archie that he would be joining this team when he was older, he would be over the moon."

With the American team, Ryan says he wants to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Ben Healy. "Ben is not just a mate, but he is an inspiration to young riders like myself. It has been really cool to see him develop on this pathway with the team, and that would be the goal to try and follow his footsteps. I know him from racing on the Irish team as juniors, and since then we have been good friends. It is pretty cool to be joining a team where I already know people and have some friends."

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Jardi Christiaan van der Lee is not a name many have been familiar with before this season. The Dutch rider however was one of the highest ranked Zwift riders for quite some time now. Van der Lee is thus another rider who comes from Zwift, although not fully, as the 21-year old climber already showed his potential in road races too, coming 4th overall in Orlen Nations GP (2.Ncup), for instance.

"Jardi burned up the ergometer in the testing center we use," says Jonathan Vaughters. "He had raced really well as a junior and then had to stop racing and go get a job to support himself. Now, he has been competitive in some of the top U23 races and produced some of the highest values that we have ever tested. That made us think it was worth taking the risk on him. He handles a bike really well, and he's got massive power."