Ben Healy has been named in the EF Education-EasyPost line-up for tomorrow's Strade Bianche. His debut appearance in the race comes in his neo pro season and after performing very strongly in Belgium last weekend.
The 21-year-old went on the attack at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad shortly after the start last Saturday. He remained at the front deep into the finale, when his breakaway was joined by a number of chasers including eventual winner Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma).
Healy eventually finished in the remains of the peloton, of some 60 riders, 1:30 down on solo winner Van Aert. The Irish rider, who stepped up to World Tour level from the Continental team Trinity Racing over the winter, also finished Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne on Sunday.
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Having banked that big weekend and shown he can already play an active part in the racing, he will be in the field tomorrow morning when Strade Bianche (1.UWT) rolls out of Siena for 184km of racing.
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There are 11 gravel sectors on the Tuscan course; the first after 17.6km of riding and the last one nearly 100km later with some 10km remaining to the finish in Piazza del Campo. While the sectors are testing because of the surface, they are also through hilly territory, making for a very difficult day in the saddle.
Healy is part of a team line-up that also includes Jonathan Caicedo, Ruben Guerreiro, Tom Scully, Marijn van den Berg and Michael Valgren. Hideto Nakane has withdrawn from the line-up due to illness.
