Ben Healy said he still couldn’t believe he had been crowned Irish elite and U23 men’s road race champion, adding his Trinity Racing team’s kit provider Maap was already working on making his new Irish champion’s jersey.
“It’s amazing to win, it hasn't really sunk in yet to be honest,” he told stickybottle after going solo from a long way out to win the title race in Knockaderry, Co Limerick, on Saturday promoted by Newcastle West Wheelers.
“It’s
crazy to think I’ve got the jersey in any race I do now and I’m always going to have the bands on my arms.”
The 20-year-old went into the 155km combined elite and U23 men’s road race today as joint favourite with Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb) and while Healy attacked on the opening lap and got clear, he said it wasn’t his intention to stay away for the full race.
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“I was
just trying to make sure I didn't miss out on a split, which I did last year,”
he explained of initially going clear in a two-man breakaway with Vitus Pro
Cycling rider Darnell Moore, the former U23 gold medal winner and former silver
medalist in the elite race.
“When I
got the gap I just committed
with the hope of everyone playing games behind,” explained Healy. “But
they never really did and the
gap was held at around a minute
until the last few laps.”
At the end of lap
seven, and with two more 17km laps to go, Healy distanced Moore on the
undulating final section of the course.
However, a chase
group was only about 1½ minutes down and still within striking distance of the
lone leader.
Again, Healy said going long wasn’t exactly his plan, but when he got away on his own he knew his chance had arrived and he focused on the job at hand; a TT ride over the final 35km.
“I was
just trying to ride the course as efficient as possible which I think I did
well. But I still had to put out some power, which I haven't done before,” he said.
“I was riding very hard; there were personal best numbers
for me today. It has been a fantastic few days, I came here wanting to do well
and I have achieved everything I could have hoped for.
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“This is what every rider wants. Everyone wants to wear the
Irish champion’s jersey for the year and to get the elite one as an under-23 is
very special.”
Having become the youngest rider ever to win a Tour de l’Avenir
stage last year, Healy also claimed the final stage of Ronde de l’Isard last
month.
And while he already looked on course for a pro contract before his trip to Ireland for this week’s championships, he goes away from the racing in Limerick with his prospects in the sport bolstered.
Healy won the U23 TT last Thursday and he goes away from
these championships with three gold medals as he won both the U23 and elite
golds today.
While Roche attacked a chasing group and went off in
pursuit of Healy on the final lap, the 20-year-old winner still had 2:37 in
hand on Roche at the finish.
A mark of just how hard that final lap was is clearly
reflected in the results; every single rider in the top 12 finishing on
separate times, with the first group of riders not arriving on the line
together until 8½ minutes after Healy had finished.
Darragh O Mahony (SwiftCarbon) was 3rd some 3:17 down on Healy, with early breakaway man Darnell Moore holding his shape well to take 4th at 4:39.
Daire Feeley (Strata
3-VeloRevolution) was 5th at
4:40 and teenager Kevin Mc Cambridge (Ribble Weldtite) took
6th, and U23 silver, at 4:54 – a very promising ride by the 18-year-old.
Rory Townsend (Canyon
dhb p/b Soreen) was 7th at 6:44 with
Ireland’s new elite TT champion Conn McDunphy (CC Nogent Oise) was
in 8th place today at 6:48.
Christopher McGlinchey, the Vitus Pro Cycling rider who won elite silver three years ago,
was 9th today at 7:50.
Gareth O Neill (Caldwell Cycles) rounded out the top 10, a very strong result at any national elite road race championships, some 7:51 down on the winner.
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