Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has taken 2nd place in his first European race since the Giro d'Italia, finishing runner-up to Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) in Prueba Villafranca-Ordiziako Klasika.
While the Irishman, debuting in his new Irish road race champion's kit for this year, opened the gallop, in sodden conditions, Hirschi proved strong in the final push to the line after 165.9km of racing into Ordizia. However, the two-up finish was not exactly the full story of the finale, after two breakaway riders came down close the finish.
Healy and Hirschi were among a breakaway group that went clear on the final climb. Also in that move were: Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), Oier Lazkano (Movistar), Felix Engelhardt and Jesús David Peña (Jayco AlUla), Alex Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost), Igor Arrieta (Kern Pharma), Alessandro Fedeli (Q36.5), and Javier Romo (Astana Qazaqstan).
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They all proved strongest on the final passage, of five, of the Alto de Abaltzisketa around 10km from the finish. However, while Ayuso and Lazkano were pushing on just ahead of the others as they went over the top of the climb, both crashed on the descent close to the finish.
Indeed, Ayuso was the second one of the two to crash, doing so as he dangled just a few bike lengths ahead of Healy and Hirschi going into the final kilometre.
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Healy rounded the same corner and passed the crashed Spanish rider, before opening the gallop early. However, Hirschi was stronger and took the win, in what is traditionally a Basque warm-up race towards Clasica San Sebastián. Ayuso and Lazkano managed to pick themselves up from the tarmac and finished 3rd and 4th at 24 and 25 seconds respectively.
That's a very strong start for Healy as he gets his season going again for the next phase after a brilliant period during the spring and into the Giro. While he is set to ride San Sebastian Klasikoa (1.UWT) on Sunday, his biggest near-term goal is the road race at the Worlds in Glasgow the weekend after next.
