Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has said he was very pleased with his season-opening ride at Trofeo Calvia (1.1) today in Mallorca, where he spent the 150km race in the breakaway. He was the only member of the original escape group to survive at the front to contest the sprint for victory.
In the end, the Irish rider had to be content with 3rd place as two men who bridged across to the remains of the breakaway were 1st and 2nd; Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) the winner and Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-Quick Step) the runner-up. Healy's 3rd place was his first international podium finish as a World Tour rider.
“In conditions like this, and on roads like this, you always have to work just as hard in the peloton as you do out the front,” Healy said of deciding to attack the race and get up the road in the four-man breakaway that gained four minutes on the hilly course.
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“The plan from the start was to get ahead and it worked out alright in the end,” he added. Asked if he was surprised they were not caught by a chasing group led by Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Healy said he felt they had a good chance of holding on.
“I had good legs today day. I was strong and we had a tailwind all the way to the finish as well, and if we just kept pushing… Like I said, it’s just as hard behind as it is up front.”
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🚴🏁 ¡Triunfo para Rui Costa en el Trofeo Calvià!
💪🇵🇹 Buen esprint del portugués ante Vervaeke.@Eurosport_ES #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/WoUENR4vso— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) January 25, 2023
Approaching the finish, and with the chasing group just seconds behind, Healy had a dig with just over 4km to go, though Costa and Vervaeke immediately responded. The trio then messed around a little, allowing the chasing group back into contention.
When it was clear Alaphilippe was just moments away from towing that group up to the three leaders, Healy went to the front of the three-man group with about 1km to go and put his head down, driving the pace. That injection of power was the difference between the three leaders staying clear or being caught.
Healy’s effort ultimately meant Costa and Vervaeke profited most as they beat him in the final sprint. However, give his exertions throughout the race, the Irish rider was unlikely to beat Costa and Vervaeke at the finish anyway. It meant Healy faced a choice of riding for 3rd place, and handing an advantage to the duo he was with, or allowing the chasers make the catch and then finish off the podium.
“I don’t have the greatest sprint on me so I just gave it a few attacks in the end but they weren’t to be,” he said of the final. “And up that finishing straight, again I gave just one last go to try and get the jump early but it didn’t quite work out. But still I’m still pleased with third.”
Healy put in a 'man of the race' performance today after first getting clear with Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny), Mirco Maestri (EOLO-Kometa) and Matt Zimmer (Project Echelon Racing). On an undulating course, with five categorised climbs, they had a four-minute gap just after the halfway point, with Zimmer and Maestri later dropped.
With around 20km to go, Costa and Vervaeke attacked the nine-man chasing group and bridged the 50-second gap to Healy and Eenkhoorn. Vervaeke later attacked on the final climb and went well clear. However, Healy brought him back around 10km later, dropping Eenkhoorn in the process. That left the leading trio to contest the final after they just held off the chasers by two seconds.
