Healy can’t sprint, and it sometimes holds him back: "Right now, I’m not too interested in it"

Ben Healy is a unique character, which makes him a perfect fit for his team, EF Education-EasyPost. The Irishman often approaches situations differently than most, and this perspective extends to how he views his career and success. Unlike many riders who focus on improving their weaknesses, Healy consciously chooses not to.

“To be honest, sprinting is not my thing,” the 24-year-old Irishman admits. “It’s not like I’m missing out by fine margins – If I go to a sprint with someone, I’ve lost. I don’t want to think like that all the time, but when you look at it, it’s the reality of things” he told Rouleur.

Text continues below photo.

Healy with Carapaz

It will cost me a lot in my career, but should I care?

And true to form, Healy approaches this issue differently than most. Instead of focusing on improving his sprinting ability, he has learned to turn his lack of speed into an opportunity. It allows him to fully concentrate on what he excels at: long, tough solo rides.

“The thing I am missing is the sprint at the end, and in so many bike races now it’s so hard to drop the other guys, so that kick to the end is something that will cost me a lot in my career,” the EF Education-Easypost rider thinks. “It’s a case of: do I work on that? And I’m so far off my sprint at the moment, that realistically am I still going to be contesting sprints? It’s a give or take situation and a big gamble to really go for my sprint. Right now, I’m not too interested in it. I’ll always do little things to improve, but it’s never going to be a major focus of mine.”

Text continues below photo.

Healy

Healy's weaknesses don't shake his confidence in race finales

Instead of letting his weakness discourage him, Healy focuses on his strengths, refining his approach to racing. He knows exactly what he needs to do to win, and this clarity often gives him an edge. His ability to launch long breakaways is a strength that frequently serves as a bonus in races.

“It never makes me indecisive: I never question what I need to do to win, so in a lot of races it’s a bonus. I’m not going out and doing sprints every day because it’s not my thing. But working on my strengths and trying to get better at those is my thing."

In three seasons as a professional, Healy has definitely capitalized on his unique qualities. His standout achievement so far is undoubtedly his stage win in the 2023 Giro d’Italia. Stage eight, which featured hilly terrain leading to Fossombrone, saw Healy complete an impressive 50-kilometer solo victory. In a short time, the Irishman has built a strong reputation.

Text continues below photo.

Someday Healy might chase a Tour GC result some day 

"My rate of progression since turning pro has been crazy to be honest, and it doesn’t feel like I’m slowing down." he tells himself. "There’s not so much training for my long-distance attacks – it’s just what I’m good at, that long sub-threshold effort for a long time. My numbers don’t get worse over a long race, they just stay the same. I consider holding back, but I enjoy racing like that so I don’t really want to change.”

And what about ambitions for the general classification? “After the Tour de France this year and the level I got to, I think I showed I can definitely focus on GC and go for it if I want to. I think right now it’s a bit early – I still enjoy racing the Ardennes Classics and stage hunting – but in the future for sure maybe I will.”

Read also

Pogacar gives little hope to the Giro (and Van der Poel and others) with his program choice and bold statements

New twist in Dennis case: "No responsibility for Hoskins' death, but a heavy penalty still possible"

📸Pogacar's new bike revealed: super stylish aero bike with rainbow accents and Shimano components

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe