Ben Healy is 'kinda happy' despite a quiet start to his cycling season in France, but is this the calm before a storm of success?
Ben Healy, a prominent rider for EF Education-EasyPost, has kicked off his fifth World Tour season with a couple of races in France. While he wasn't in the thick of the action at the finish lines, Healy feels he performed as expected, expressing a level of satisfaction as he gears up for his broader season objectives. He candidly admits that he typically finds his first race of the season a bit of a struggle.
"Honestly, I usually find the first race a bit tough, but I actually put in a pretty good performance," Healy remarked about his 20th place finish at the Faun-Ardèche Classic (1.Pro). He described himself as "kinda happy" with this result, especially considering the challenging parcours which featured a demanding 3,400 meters of elevation gain. This grueling race saw the field break apart, with the young French talent Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) securing his second win of the season, crossing the line solo with an impressive 1 minute and 48-second lead. Behind him, a chase group formed, including Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious), and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike).
Healy finished 5 minutes and 14 seconds behind the winner. His compatriot and teammate, Darren Rafferty, who is in his third season with EF Education-EasyPost, was present to support Healy and did not finish after completing his team duties. Jamie Meehan (Cofidis), in his first full professional season, came in 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). This time, Healy secured 44th place, finishing just 1 minute and 7 seconds behind the victor, Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United). Grégoire launched a decisive move on the final 1km climb, holding off Jorgenson in a two-up sprint. But here's where it gets interesting: Healy was part of the chasing group as the climb began, yet he couldn't quite contest the win. Martinez finished 3rd, a mere 2 seconds behind the lead duo.
From an Irish perspective, Meehan finished 63rd at 6 minutes and 7 seconds, while Rafferty was 119th at 13 minutes and 32 seconds. These two demanding days have certainly put some hard racing into their legs.
And this is the part most people miss... Healy's history suggests he often takes a few races to hit his stride. Last year, he finished 103rd and 30th at these same events. However, the weekend after, at the Strade Bianche (1.UWT), with his early-season cobwebs clearly blown away, he achieved a remarkable 4th place, igniting an incredible run of success in 2025.
Healy is set to compete in the Strade Bianche again next Saturday, which will offer a clearer indication of his current form. Rafferty's next outing will be at the one-day Trofeo Laigueglia (1.Pro) in Italy on Wednesday.
What are your thoughts on Healy's approach to the start of the season? Do you think his past performances at Strade Bianche are a good indicator of what's to come, or is this year different? Let us know in the comments below!
