Ben Healy slips back in final after battling ride in Slovenia | Video

Hopes of an Irish stage, or even GC, win slipped away at the Tour of Slovenia for Ben Healy and Archie Ryan as Pello Bilbao won the day (Photo: Photo Sportida)

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) slipped back at the vital point of the queen stage at Tour of Slovenia on Saturday. And though the Irish road race champion is still on course for a top 10 in the final general classification, other riders have now taken control at the top.

Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) looked the strongest on the 10km finishing climb to the Krvavec ski station and the Spanish rider managed to convert that superiority into a well-taken stage victory.

Healy was among the strongest initially when the road kicked up as he pulled clear on the final climb in a four-man group that also included Bilbao, Domenico Pozzovivo (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and race leader Giovanni Aleotti (Bora-hansgrohe).

However, as Bilbao continued to push on the front, Healy drifted back with about 4km to go and was caught by a chasing group just a few seconds further back the road. And though it looked like the leading trio would then ride away from the chasers, that did not come to pass.

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Indeed, as the climb continued, the three leaders began looking at each other and the chasing group began to close the gap. British rider Paul Double (Team Polti Kometa) managed to jump across to the leaders and then attacked them with about 1km to go but was closed down.

In the chase behind, Healy hit the front and began stretching out the group, looking for a time like he would tow them across to the four leaders. However, the four men up front were too strong, and in the final kick to the line by the chasing group, Healy went backwards and those he was with proved stronger.

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Bilboa claimed the stage victory by three seconds from Double, with race leader Aleotti in 3rd and Giulio Pellizzar (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) 4th. Healy trailed home in 14th at 39 seconds. Meanwhile, his team mate Archie Ryan - who did not feature prominently in the final today, finished in 54th at 10:24.

Going into tomorrow's final stage, Aleotti leads overall by 14 seconds from Bilbao with Pellizzari 3rd at 25 seconds and Healy in 9th at 59 seconds. Ryan is 39th at 12:04.

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