Ryan Mullen looks on course to make his Grand Tour debut later this year at the Giro d'Italia. The Irishman, who signed for Trek-Segafredo in the winter, has one eye on the opening time trial in Jerusalem.
"I'm hopeful to start the Giro with its TT start. It's 10km in Jerusalem and it's partly the reason I'd be going," Mullen told Cyclingnews at the Volta ao Alagarve.
"I prefer longer time trials, to be honest, but I'll take a TT start over a mountain start."
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A start in the Giro this spring would represent Mullen's first Grand Tour appearance. Illness scuppered his chances in 2016, and last year – his final season with Cannondale – he narrowly missed the cut for the Tour de France.
"In 2016 I was a really shit bike rider because of my health problems," he said. "I was anaemic and had all that stuff. Then last year I was on the long-list for the Tour, and it came down to me and Taylor Phinney for the last spot. Honestly, it would have been nice to ride, but I wasn't 'this sucks I'm not at the Tour de France'. I felt like Taylor did a better job than I would have done, so the team picked correctly."
Mullen won his first time trial of the year at the Vuelta a San Juan in January to kick start his career at Trek. He came into the Volta ao Algarve with high hopes of a competitive performance in the race's 20.3km test, but his dreams unravelled due to a puncture. The 24-year-old still managed 24th place on a course that wasn't ideal for him, but with Tirreno-Adriatico on his calendar he will have another chance to impress against the clock in March.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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