Ben Healy's Quiet Start to the Season in France
Ben Healy, a rider from EF Education-EasyPost, has kicked off his fifth season as a World Tour competitor with a relatively low-key performance in France. Accompanied by his compatriot and teammate, Darren Rafferty, Healy's results so far have been modest, but he remains optimistic. While he didn't shine in the finals of either race, he expressed satisfaction with his performance, acknowledging that he typically struggles with the initial races of the season.
On Saturday, Healy secured 20th place at the Faun-Ardèche Classic (1.Pro), a challenging race with 3,400m of elevation gain. The victory went to Paul Seixas from the Decathlon CMA CGM Team, who dominated the race with a solo win by 1:48. Healy finished ahead of a three-man chasing group, including Jan Christen, Lenny Martinez, and Matteo Jorgenson.
Despite his 20th place finish, Healy was 'kinda happy' with his result, considering his usual struggles at the start of the season. His teammate, Rafferty, who is in his third season with EF Education-EasyPost, also participated in the race but did not finish. Jamie Meehan, in his debut full season as a pro, came in 61st place.
The following day, Sunday, the three Irish riders were back in action at the 185km Faun Drome Classic (1.Pro). Healy, however, slipped back to 44th place, just 1:07 behind the race winner, Romain Grégoire from Groupama-FDJ United. The young French rider's two-up move with Jorgenson proved decisive in the final 1km climb, as they held off the large chase group.
Healy, who usually takes a few races to find his rhythm, finished 103rd and 30th at these events last year. His impressive performance at Strade Bianche (1.UWT) the following weekend, where he placed 4th, marked the beginning of an outstanding 2025 season. Healy is set to ride Strade Bianche again next Saturday, providing an opportunity to assess his form in the early weeks of the new road racing campaign. Rafferty, meanwhile, will compete in the one-day Trofeo Laigueglia (1.Pro) in Italy on Wednesday.
