Ben Healy is "kinda happy" with his quiet start to the cycling season in France, but is this a sign of things to come or a strategic move?
Ben Healy, a prominent rider for EF Education-EasyPost, has kicked off his fifth World Tour season with a couple of races in France. He was joined by his compatriot and teammate, Darren Rafferty. While Healy wasn't in contention for the win in either race, he expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating it aligned with his expectations as he gears up for future objectives. He also candidly admitted that he typically "struggles with the first race" of the season.
"Honestly, I do struggle with the first race, and I actually put in a pretty good performance," Healy commented on his 20th place finish at the Faun-Ardèche Classic (1.Pro). He described himself as "kinda happy" with this result, especially considering the challenging course which featured 3,400 meters of elevation gain. This demanding race saw Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) emerge victorious, marking his second win of the season with a solo effort, finishing 1 minute and 48 seconds ahead of the next riders. The chasing group was led by Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates XRG), followed by Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike).
Healy crossed the finish line 5 minutes and 14 seconds behind the winner. Meanwhile, Rafferty, in his third season with EF Education-EasyPost, was focused on team duties for Healy and did not finish after completing his work. Jamie Meehan (Cofidis), in his first full professional season, secured 61st place, 9 minutes and 54 seconds back.
The following day, Sunday, saw the three Irish riders back in action at the 185km Faun Drome Classic (1.Pro). Healy finished 44th, just 1 minute and 7 seconds behind the race victor, Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United). Grégoire secured his win with a strong final kilometer, outsprinting Jorgenson after they had a slight advantage entering the final climb.
But here's where it gets interesting... While Healy was part of the chasing group as the final climb began, he didn't feature in the decisive moves. Lenny Martinez finished 3rd, a mere 2 seconds behind Grégoire and Jorgenson. From an Irish perspective, after Healy, Meehan finished 63rd (6 minutes and 7 seconds down), and Rafferty was 119th (13 minutes and 32 seconds down). These two days provided valuable racing experience for the trio.
As Healy alluded to, he often takes a few races to hit his peak form. Last year, he finished 103rd and 30th at these same events. However, the weekend after, at the Strade Bianche (1.UWT), with the early season rust shaken off, he achieved an impressive 4th place, launching his highly successful 2025 season.
Healy is slated to compete in the Strade Bianche again next Saturday, which will offer a clearer indication of his current form. Rafferty's next race will be the one-day Trofeo Laigueglia (1.Pro) in Italy on Wednesday.
What do you think? Is Ben Healy's 'kinda happy' start a smart way to build form, or is it a sign that he's not quite where he wants to be yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
