Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has said, despite his incredible run of form of late, his debut Grand Tour ride in Giro d'Italia will involve finding out more about himself and what type of rider he can be in the longer term.
Based on his recent results - including 2nd in Amstel Gold Race and 4th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège - Healy is a favourite to take a stage win somewhere along this Giro route. He is also good enough - and in the form at present - to put together a general classification ride.
But, mostly, he says it's a learning exercise, and discovering all he can about top tier pro stage racing and his place in it. "I think it's a race of discovery for me a little bit," he said.
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"(It's about) testing myself and seeing what I'm capable of. But if I can grab a stage along the way then that would be super good."
Healy acknowledged his inexperience in stage races at this level, especially being part of a line-up with general classification leaders who had secured top results in Grand Tours, namely Hugh Carthy and Rigoberto Úran.
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"It's the first time I've done a race like this and really I haven't had much GC experience in the past as well. So, like I say, it's a race of discovery and learning myself what I can do and we'll see at the end of the day if I have the legs."
He also said, with such big mountains to come, he felt a bit of trepidation as the race began. "The third week is going to be pretty serious. So I'll try not to spend too many pennies in the first half and get through it safely."
Healy added his recent classics appearances during the spring campaign took a lot of out him, but he believed he had recovered well. "It took a good few days of lying in bed, but I've been good this week and I think I'm well rested and ready to race."
The Irish rider - and national TT champion - began his Giro with an understated ride in the stage 1 TT into Ortona yesterday. He finished the 19.6km race against the watch in 49th place, some 1:45 behind stage winner, and first Giro 2023 race leader, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep).
However, that time loss will not concern him too much and it has an upside in already allowing him some leeway to attack in the first phase of the race in the next week, if he chooses to make a move so soon. Healy has already finished 3rd overall - and won a stage - in a stage race this year, Coppi e Bartali. And as an U23 rider he took stage wins in the three most prestigious stage races in the world; Tour de l'Avenir, Baby Giro and Ronde d'Isard.
