It's not all about Healy; EF secure fellow Irish climbing gem though 2027: "One day, he's going to pull something special off"

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.

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.

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."