Ben Healy's quest for form, and maybe a stage win this week, is edging forward as he appears to be finding his legs (Photo: Gabriele Mancini-Mirror Media)
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) on Saturday couldn't quite find the form at Strade-Bianche that carried him to 4th place last year, though he took a very solid 12th. And now the Irishman has followed the same route as 2025, to Tirreno-Adriatico (2.UWT), where he is hoping to hone his condition.
On the strength of the evidence so far, just two stages in, it seems his form is coming together as he has now edged the top 10 overall. And he says he is aiming at a stage win, but mostly just hoping to whip himself into top shape.
"After a hard race on Saturday, I think I did a respectable performance," he said of the opening TT stage on Monday, where he finished in 24th place, some 49 seconds down on winner, Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), after 11.5km against the clock into Lido di Camaiore.
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"There's a couple of 4,000 metre days in there, with some punchy climbs, so that's right up my street, I think," he said of the stages to come. "I want to try and get some GC consistency and in there, and a stage win as well would be amazing."
Yesterday, Healy took his performance up a notch, taking 12th on the 206km stage 2 to San Gimignano, with its hilly gravel final. He was in a an 18-man group, sprinting for 5th, some 17 seconds behind the three men battling it out for victory.
Van der Poel put in a monster effort up the gravel climb close to the finish yesterday but still had the legs to win the three-up sprint from del Toro and Pellizzari (Photo by Massimo Paolone)
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) emerged on top, from Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and rapidly emerging young Italian Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe). Healy’s result puts him up to 10th overall, some 36 seconds down on race leader del Toro.
Yesterday, Van der Poel lit up the final with 6km to go, blasting up the gravel climb and going clear, with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma Lease a Bike) on his wheel, though he crashed on the wet gravel.
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When the American fell, van der Poel was suddenly solo, looking incredibly strong, though del Toro and Pellizzari went after him, catching him with about 4km to go. Behind them, Healy held his shape as the peloton exploded, though lost some ground initially.
However, when a select chasing group formed, after everyone had gathered themselves from the hand grenades van der Poel had thrown into the bunch, Healy was in that 18-man group. And it held the leaders close enough to ensure everyone in the group is still firmly in contention overall.
This time last year, Healy was approaching some of the early season stage races with GC in mind, though that didn't quite work out. Whether he will persist with that plan, or go for broke for a stage win - which could get him onto the GC podium if it worked out - remains to be seen.
The race continues today with another marathon; 221km from Cortona to Magliano de' Marsi. The course includes 2,200m of climbing and much of that is in the final third of the race, where the roads are constantly undulating rather than including any major ascent.
