Barely having caught is breath after an incredible 2025 campaign, Ben Healy has said he is already looking to the UCI World Road Championships in Canada next September, saying the course is really difficult and is one that can suit him very well.
Healy took bronze at the Worlds in Rwanda in September, finishing behind winner Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) and silver medal man Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) after the most brutal world title race in the modern era.
He told stickybottle he regarded his bronze medal win as the highlight of his season, saying it was definitely his best performance. He added the Worlds was the race he wanted to win the most in his career and believed another big chance was just ahead.
"My big dream in cycling is to win the World Championships. And I haven't done that yet. And that's always going to be a big motivating factor," he said.
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He already had his eye on the world title race in Montreal on another very hilly course, with 3,600m of elevation gain and short sharp climbs the order of the day over 10 laps.
"The main goals next year will be the Ardennes, the Tour and then the Worlds, that's the one race I want to win and I'll go all out for that until I do. Canada next year is a hard course that maybe opens up a few opportunities. So, for sure, we'll be looking at that."
When he decided, a long way out, to aim for this year's Worlds in Kigali, he said EF Education-EasyPost were very supportive. Cycling Ireland had also given him a lot of support in the build-up and on the ground in Kigali.
"I asked a lot of them and I just have to be super appreciative that they got behind me and believed in me, the whole team," he said of Cycling Ireland and his team mates on the day - Ryan Mullen, Rory Townsend, Eddie Dunbar and Darren Rafferty.
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"And for those who know Ryan Mullen… he's a hard man to crack and even he was in tears after the race. It was a really special moment to be able to give back. And it wasn't just from myself, it was an amazing moment for Cycling Ireland."
Healy took his first Monument podium this year, with 3rd at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, won a stage of the Tour de France, held the yellow jersey there for two days and then ended the campaign with that bronze medal in Kigali.
And for next year, it was a case of sticking to the plan; trying to get the best out of himself and seeing where that took him.
"I don't think I'm so victory-orientated, I guess. I just love the process of riding my bike and having something to work towards; just that process of getting better. And then achieving the goal is really just the icing on the cake for me
"I don't think (this year's success is) really going to affect my process for next year. It's all going to be the same just trying to get in shape and set a few goals."
Having told stickybottle last year a big goal was to make the podium at a Monument, and then achieved that this year with 3rd in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, does the goal for the classics now automatically shift to winning one?
"I guess so, it's the next step isn't it? It's winning a big World Tour race, I'd say. If that's Liège or the Worlds or Amstel, I would be pretty satisfied with that.
"This season worked perfectly. It worked well with the preparation so I don't see why we'd change too drastically. I think it's a question of rinse and repeat."
