National elite and U23 road race champion, Ben Healy, has decided to declare himself as an elite rider for the upcoming National Road Championships.
That means if he is successful in the TT title race next
Thursday in Co Wicklow, he will be eligible for the elite medals. He will also
only be eligible for the elite medals in the road race on Sunday.
At last year’s championships in Co Limerick, Healy rode
the TT and while he was the fastest on the day he was not eligible for the
elite gold medal. Instead, he won the U23 gold and the elite title went to Conn
McDunphy, who is now riding for EvoPro Racing.
Healy then went into the road race three days later and won
that event. As it was a combined elite and U23 event, he was eligible for both
the U23 and elite Irish road race titles.
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“Ben
Healy, Trinity Racing, has taken the decision
to declare himself as an elite rider for the upcoming National Time
Trial and Road Race Championships to be held this weekend,” Cycling Ireland said in a statement on
Monday.
“This allows him to start in the elite category TT and road race, and be eligible for only elite titles and medals should he be successful. Also, in line with regulations, once declared as elite for National Championships there is no option to return to U23 for future Cycling Ireland Championships.”
Healy will go into this weekend’s championships as one of
the favourites for both the TT and road titles. He has had a strong season,
though fell ill just before last week’s World Road Championships, where he rode
the U23 road race and TT.
He won the final stage of the Baby Giro back in June and was 2nd in the TT stage at that race. He also placed 10th in the prologue TT stage at Tour de l’Avenir last month.
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