Ryan Mullen has put in some great performances during his career to date – including medals in the TT at the Worlds and Europeans – but his ride today at Scheldeprijs looked like a stand-out moment.
The 27-year-old Irish road and TT champion, now in his 10th season in the pro peloton, was one of the big engines on the front splitting the race to pieces in the opening phase in the crosswinds.
Huge gaps appeared through the field when he was at the head of affairs pumping out the watts. At times he took time to look back to make sure he was bringing his team mates with him. But even then the pace didn’t drop as riders from rival teams on Mullen’s wheel grimaced at the pace he was setting.
And after playing a big role in pulling the front group clear, Mullen then rode for the full day to keep it away. Despite taking on so much work – all in the hope team mate Sam Bennett could win – he survived all the way to the finish out front and took 10th place.
After his national championships wins last year in Co Wicklow Mullen explained he had only weeks earlier change coach and he felt it had already helped him to advance. On the strength of the evidence on show today, that process has gathered pace in recent months as he looks in sublime form.
In the end, Bennett lacked a little in the finale and the hoped-for win did not eventuate. The Carrick-on-Suir man’s decision to join the attacks as the 13-rider front group entered the final 10km of racing suggested he was not backing himself in a group sprint scenario today.
After being recaptured he was distanced by the group with about 7km to go. And while he looked like he may have had a puncture, it was unclear if that was the case and if he was forced to stop as he finished with most of the others who were in the 13-rider front group.
Bora-hansgrohe had no fewer than four riders in that breakaway; Mullen, Bennett, Danny van Poppel and Jordi Meeus. A chasing group behind – led by Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl for Fabio Jakobsen – managed to get the gap well under one minute a number of times, ensuring the front group could never relax.
And when the elastic finally snapped between leaders and chasers, the attacks began almost immediately up front. With Bennett and fellow sprinters Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen, both Alpecin Fenix, in the front group, it became a very tactical battle.
Attack after attack – including some digs from both Bennett and Mullen – failed to prove decisive until Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) picked his moment perfectly with 7km to go and rode away to victory.
The group fractured behind him and it was Van Poppel who was strongest, taking 2nd place for Bora-hansgrohe some 24 seconds behind the solo winner and just ahead of Sam Welsford (Team DSM).
Casper van Uden, who was stepping up to Team DSM’s World Tour line-up today from its development squad, took 4th place at 26 seconds from Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) in 6th on the same time.
Then came the remains of the 13-rider lead group – taking placings 7th to 13th – and all finishing at 28 seconds. Mullen was 10th and Bennett 13th. There were just 30 finishers today of 140 starters.
Among the non-finishers were EvoPro Racing’s three Irish riders Daire Feeley, Conn McDunphy and Mitchell McLaughlin as well as Stephen Clancy of Novo Nordisk.
