Ben Healy’s Tour de France went so well it seemed written in the stars he would end up on the final podium in Paris today (Photo: Billy Ceusters)
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has ended a dream performance in the Tour de France on the podioum in Paris this evening after being awarded the super combative award before the final stage even began.
Wearing special gold numbers, marking his award, on the new Montmartre final stage in Paris, Healy did not get involved in the action in wet conditions as Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike) rocketed to victory. Healy was among those who decided to ride around and soak up the atmosphere after the time for the general classification was taken with 50km to go.
Not only did the Irish rider enjoy a dream race, he gained fans around the world for the manner of his riding and his stock – and future salary – soared over the three weeks of the race. An epic win on stage 6, with a solo attack of more than 40km from the breakaway, was followed by a two-day stint in yellow. And then Healy just kept going.
He won the combativity award on no fewer than three stages, before sealing the overall prize, and was also 9th in the final general classification. He showed no signs of fading through the race, saying this morning that yesterday his legs perhaps felt better than on any other stage.
He very nearly pulled off a second stage win, atop Mont Ventoux, only to be pipped in a two-up sprint by Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step). On stage 14 to Superbagnères and stage 19 to La Plagne, when he had begun defending his general classification position, he climbed with the favourites.
And that ride to La Plagne, when he was 8th on the stage, came just 24 hours after getting it rough on the road to Col del la Loze; dropped with 80km to go but rallying, fighting all the way, to finish 17th and keep alive his chance of a top 10 overall.
Though a very talented U23 rider, who quickly developed a habit of picking up a stage win or two every season in major races, Healy (24), has continued to make progress every season since he stepped up to World Tour level in 2022.
His career progression, like his racing style, is a throwback to a different era. He was a good rider as he turned pro and has now become a great one; taking a few years to develop more slowly than those riders who were readymade stars from the time they were teenagers.
And now this Tour has marked Healy’s progression into the top tier of riders. Though he had secured major results before this race – including a Giro stage win – there is nothing like the Tour de France, where many top riders have gone through a career without ever reaching the heights Healy now has.
He was one of the main men of this year’s edition, putting on swashbuckling rides to win and take yellow. Even his near misses – including that 2nd place on Mont Ventoux – were things of beauty. EF Education-EasyPost, and Ireland, now has a really big star on its hands in the mould of his team’s other big name, Giro winner Richard Carapaz.
A mark of how just how successful this race was for Healy was when the eight-rider shortlist was unveiled for the super combative award, the Irish rider’s name jumped off the page as the most obvious winner. And that was despite Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) making the list and having won on both La Plagne and Superbagnères.
Healy was already well on the way to greatness before this race started. But he finishes it a different rider; one who featured on the front pages of every daily newspaper in Ireland. His life will never be the same again and still aged 24, and continuing to improve, anything could happen next.