It's not all about Healy; EF secure fellow Irish climbing gem though 2027: "One day, he's going to pull something special off"
Cycling
Archie Ryan will enter his third professional season with EF Education-EasyPost in 2026. So far, the Irish climber was able to enjoy just a single stage victory, but with his talent, the team boss Jonathan Vaughters is not worried that more (and greater) triumphs await the 24-year-old further down the career path.
Although Ryan's tremendous talent was already confirmed in 2022 when he finished 4th overall at the most prominent under-23 stage race - the Tour de l'Avenir, and 6th at the Czech Tour and Tour de Slovaquie, it took until 2024 for Ryan to be picked up by EF Education-EasyPost. The reason might not be apparent, but a thorough look at Ryan's result page indicates why that was the case.
"When we brought him onto the team, Archie had some chronic injuries that held him back from turning pro elsewhere," Vaughters explained in a press release, announcing the extension of the Irishman's contract through 2027.
The persistent knee issues have already cost the young rider the entire 2021 season and nearly whole 2023, returning to racing only in August. Within just a month, Ryan won one of the queen stages of Tour de l'Avenir, securing a contract at EF, where they trusted his talent over the health issues. And so far, it had paid off.
Quick learner
The debut at WorldTour level was near-perfect, winning the fourth stage of Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2024, and climbing onto the final podium. Ryan then continued a strong first professional season, arriving 4th in a Tour de Pologne stage, or arriving 17th at Il Lombardia and 21st at elite World Championships, showcasing immense talent for the hardest races in the world.
"Once he joined the team, he very quickly repaid our faith in him by demonstrating that he could race at the highest level," Vaughters praised Ryan's fast integration into WorldTour peloton.
The following season didn't have such a smooth start. But by summer, Ryan was already ready to tear apart his rivals in the mountains, first finishing 8th at the stacked Andorra MoraBanc Classica's debut. Ryan then skipped the Irish Championships to fully focus on his next objective, the Tour of Austria. Matched against Giro d'Italia runner-up Isaac del Toro, Ryan put up a great fight to conclude the race in second place overall, only behind the Mexican supertalent.
A reward for his growth was a Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana. Once there, Ryan immediately confirmed his sharp racing instincts by joining two winning breakaways. Unfortunately, both stages went to Del Toro's UAE teammate Jay Vine, but Ryan can be particularly proud about his 4th place in stage 10.
Happy with how their Irish group of riders, led by Ben Healy's example, has been growing, the team's decision to extend Ryan's contract was therefore very logical.
Breakthough on the horizon
Vaughters is convinced that, eventually, Ryan is destined for large success: "Extending his contract gives him more time to prove that he can win races in the WorldTour. He has very specific abilities as a rider, and one of these days, in one of these races that has a really explosive uphill finish, he’s going to pull something special off. We all believe in him."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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