Four-time Irish time-trial champion Ryan Mullen has inked a new deal with the WorldTour Trek-Segafredo squad, committing to two more years with the squad. Mullen has raced with the team in 2018 and 2019 and will now continue there until at least the end of 2021, with an emphasis on further improving his time trials and Classic racing.
“I was really happy when Luca [Guercilena] gave me the opportunity to re-sign,” he said, referring to the team’s general manager. “I love it in this team, and I think I really fit in well. They give me every opportunity and every backing that I feel like I deserve for the TTs [time-trials]. Everyone is always super understanding and super motivated when it comes to my opportunities.”
Mullen said that remaining with the specialist Classics rider was also an incentive, naming what he said was ‘a good friendship and really great working environment’ with several of the riders.
“In that sense, it made perfect sense for me to stay with the team and to continue to grow in this environment and to keep working on my future goals and ambitions, like being successful in TTs and one-day races, and riding Jasper [Stuyven] and Mads [Pedersen] deep into the finals of the cobbled Classics. From that point of view, it’s the perfect place for me to grow.
“For the next two years, I will hopefully continue on the path I have been on. I want to get a few more Grand Tours in me and continue focusing on TTs and being one of the super domestiques when it comes to the Classics with Jasper and Mads.”
Mullen is a past silver medallist in the under-23 world championship time-trial, a bronze medallist in the 2017 European championships and was fifth in the Elite world championships in 2018. He is also a two-time Irish road race champion.
