Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has gotten his 2023 season off with a bang in Mallorca after spending Trofeo Calvia (1.1) up the road in a breakaway before taking the first international podium finish of his professional career.
The former Irish road race champion proved strongest of the main escape group that animated the hilly 150km race into Palmanova. And though he was beaten by two counter-attackers, who bridged across to the breakaway, the Irish rider still took a fine 3rd place after the performance of the day; one that suggests he is in absolutely flying form already.
On a course with five categorised climbs - and the same number of uncategorised ascents - the riders were climbing or descending for virtually the full race, in damp conditions.
Healy set out his stall early, going clear in a four-man breakaway with Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny), Mirco Maestri (EOLO-Kometa) and Matt Zimmer (Project Echelon Racing), eventually dropping all of them.
With 80km of the 150km course covered, the four leaders had four minutes over a nine-man chasing group. Those chasers, a quality group, had pulled clear of the peloton as it was whittled right down by the many climbs.
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The chasers were: Rui Costa and Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Julian Alaphilippe, Louis Vervaeke, Casper Pedersen, Andrea Bagioli (Soudal-QuickStep), Carlos Canal (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Axel Zingle (Cofidis) and Ben Zwiehoff (Bora-hansgrohe).
Eenkhoorn and Healy made light work of dropping Maestri and Zimmer in the second half of the race. Behind the leading duo, Costa and Vervaeke got away from the chasing group and bridged across to Eenkhoorn and Healy with about 21km to go.
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However, as the leaders went onto the last climb, of some 5km with about 18km to go, the seven remaining riders from the chasing group were just 40 seconds down, with the victory still very much in the balance.
On the final climb, with about 15km to go, Vervaeke attacked up front and managed to get clear of Healy and the others. He opened a gap of about 15 seconds and it looked for a time like he may ride away to win as Healy and Costa dropped Eenkhoorn. However, with about 7km to go, Healy put in a huge effort and brought Vervaeke back, with Costa in tow.
From that point, the gap between the three leaders and the Alaphilippe chasing group gradually reduced, from one minute, all the way to the line. With 4km to go, and the gap now halved back to the chasers, Healy attacked up front but was brought back.
With about 1.4km to go, the Alaphilippe chasing group was just about to latch onto the back of Healy, Costa and Vervaeke when Healy went to the front and rode flat out.
His work rate ensured the gap went out a little, as the Alaphilippe-led chasing group was unable to close in. Healy committed himself to at least taking 3rd, rather than being caught by the chasers and getting nothing. He put his head down and brought Costa and Vervaeke all the way into the finishing straight.
In sight of the line, Costa sprinted in to win from Vervaeke, with an exhausted Healy taking 3rd place. Pedersen led the chasing group in for 4th, right on Healy's back wheel.
More to come.
