It is a mark of just how successful Ben Healy's spring campaign has been that his 4th place yesterday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1.UWT) was tinged with disappointment. Despite being in the three-up battle for 2nd place, in arguably the hardest one-day race in the world, the EF Education-EasyPost rider also said his climbing perhaps wasn't at its best during the 258km monument.
Going into the race, Healy was spoken about as one of the favourites for a result following his recent results, including 2nd in both Amstel Gold Race and De Brabantse Pijl and wins at GP Industria & Artigianato and Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali after coming back from an early season crash like a train.
"If you asked me a couple of weeks ago if I'd be disappointed with 4th it Liège… I mean, that's pretty crazy. So 4th is a nice result I think," he said of his performance yesterday.
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"QuickStep took it up from the start and it was just another attritional race again, maybe I lacked a bit on the climbs today. But I stilled just dieseled away, I guess. I didn't quite have it to drop them on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons.
"In the sprint, maybe I jumped a little bit too early but I sensed a bit of hesitation and I was hoping they'd look at each other, but I gave it a go.
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"It would be nice to say that maybe I could come and compete for a win in a race like this in the future. Like I say, if you'd told me that two weeks ago I would have bitten your hand off for it.
Healy was again among the select group of strongest riders to emerge at the front of the race as the finale proper began with just over 30km to go. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) made his move on Cote de la Redoute, with Tom Pidcock going after him and cathcing him.
While those two rode alone for a short period off the front, they were pursued by the Trek-Segafredo duo of Mattias Skjelmose and Giulio Ciccone, with Healy just behind them in a five-man group. As Evenepoel dropped Pidcock, Healy attacked with about 23km to go and got across to a three-man group containing Pidcock, Skjelmose and Ciccone.
However, with about 18km to go, that four-man group was caught by a large group of chasers. Healy them several times and with 13km to go, on the final climb of the day, he managed to get clear with Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) before Pidcock got across to them.
Those three went to the finish together and while Healy tried to catch his rivals by surprised by going for a long inside the final kilometre, Buitrago and Pidcock were straight onto him. Some 1:06 after Evenepoel crossed the line, Pidcock won the sprint for 2nd place from Buitrago, with Healy 4th.
