Darren Rafferty is a young Irish EF Education–EasyPost pro who reached the WorldTour at 19 through the U23 Axeon pathway and rode his first Vuelta a year later. His perspective is valuable because he is one of the first Irish riders of his generation to articulate what the modern WorldTour development pathway actually looks like from inside it — coach, nutritionist, agent, training pipeline all in place at 18 — which sets a useful expectation for the next wave of Irish junior racers and their parents.
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Where Rafferty lands on the questions people ask most.