Ben Healy, a first-year U23 rider competing in his first Tour de l’Avenir, has taken a stage in the French race this afternoon. He out-crafted and out-gunned his breakaway companions to take victory on stage 5.
It took the riders some 158.9km from Espalion to Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, on an undulating course with a sting in the tail at the end. On the testing finish Healy, who has looked likely for international success in recent seasons, got the better of his breakaway companions.
Morten Hulgaard from Denmark had to be content with 2nd place two seconds behind the Irishman, who had time to get his hands up and enjoy the moment. Another one of the breakaway men, Matteo Jorgenson of the United States, rounded out the podium a further three seconds back.
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Britain’s emerging star Tom Pidcock led home what remained of the peloton for 4th place some 1:31 back on a day when the field split to pieces. As well as taking a coveted win in what is regarded as the U23 Tour de France, Healy is now also 4th in the points classification and 3rd in the climbers’ classification.
Ben Healy is riding the race as part of the UCI’s World Cycling Centre composite line-up as there is no Irish team in the race this year. Irish U23 road race champion Darragh O’Mahony is also in the UCI team and he was 131st today at 25:54.
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Healy’s win today puts him on the radar of the biggest teams in the world as the race is a key shop window for young riders looking to turn pro.
It is the first Irish victory on the race since the days of Nicolas Roche’s breakthrough. He won stage 4 back in 2006 when riding the race with Cofidis and also took the yellow jersey for a day.
Eddie Dunbar narrowly missed victory on the final stage up the Col du Glandon last year, having to settle for 2nd place on the day behind Swiss rider Gino Mäder.
Stephen Roche won a stage as a 21-year-old back in 1981, having already won Paris-Nice that year.
More to come.
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