"I’m going to get lots of chances to have a crack" - Archie Ryan likely to lead EF Education-EasyPost at Tour Down Under

Following his transfer switch from Jumbo-Visma, 22-year-old Irishman Archie Ryan looks set to lead EF Education-EasyPost on his team debut at the 2024 Tour Down Under.

"I’m excited about that, it should be really fun. I’ll give it a crack in terms of the race but it’s very early in the year," says the Tour de l'Avenir stage winner in conversation with GCN. "I’ve had an okay winter but it wasn’t quite confirmed that I’d be doing TDU until recently. There’s no pressure but it would be good to have a go at it. We’ve got some other options as well and a really strong team. I’m not going to be winning bonus sprints so you need to play the game there among the quickest climbers. It’s going to be interesting and I’m really looking forward to it."

Viewed as someone with a lot of potential by many experts, Ryan's move to EF Education-EasyPost sees him link up with fellow Irishman, Ben Healy. Looking ahead to 2024, if Ryan could have a similar progression to his compatriot, an impressive year could be in store.

“I’ve done some racing with the pros when I was at Jumbo, so I know where I stand but obviously I’ll be in the deep end when it comes to a race like the Basque Country. I don’t know who else is going but obviously, if a rider like Richard Carapaz is going, that would be a really cool opportunity to learn from him. Or Esteban Chaves or Hugh Carthy," Ryan says of the upcoming Tour Down Under.

"For the other races, if the opportunity comes to have a crack at it, that would be brilliant," Ryan adds. "I’d love to take that with both hands. Whether it’s for myself or for the team, I just want to learn. That’s the main thing."

“EF Education-EasyPost is just such a cool team from the outside. You could already tell what the culture of the team was going to be like. It’s everything that seems to be on the outside in terms of its persona, and then you look at a guy like Ben [Healy] for example, who has grown immensely since joining the team," he concludes. "You know that this team gives young riders opportunities and that I’m not just going to be the fourth-last man on the mountain and be a domestique every race. I know that I’m going to get lots of chances to have a crack and to learn from the big guys.”