{"id":165524,"date":"2025-06-07T17:32:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T17:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/165524\/"},"modified":"2025-06-07T17:32:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T17:32:20","slug":"ben-healy-discusses-using-video-analysis-and-how-hes-changing-his-approach-to-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/165524\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Healy discusses using video analysis and how he’s changing his approach to racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Ben Healy explains to stickybottle how he really put a significant emphasis on working on himself over the winter, including changing his approach to racing (Photo: Naike Ere\u00f1ozaga Orue)<\/p>\n

Known for his attacking style, which has already landed significant success, Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has told stickybottle about how he has worked hard this season, and through the winter, to hone his approach to racing.<\/p>\n

Though some of those preparations have been obvious, like racing less in the build up the Ardennes Classics, other changes, and work undertaken, has all been happening behind the scenes, including video analysis.<\/p>\n

Now aged 24 years, Healy also told us how he is looking forward to the Tour de France \u2013 setting out his goals for that race \u2013 and towards having a \u201cproper\u201d go at the Worlds in Rwanda for Team Ireland.<\/p>\n

When asked, he said he believed his step up in top tier success this year \u2013 including his first monument podium at Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge (1.UWT) \u2013 hasn\u2019t come about because he has significantly improved as an athlete over the last 12 to 24 months. Rather, he has significantly changed how he approaches his racing and has married that with some physical improvements as an athlete.<\/p>\n

\"\"Healy tracks the UAE Team Emirates-XRG riders on his way to 4th at Strade Bianche back in March, the first in what would become a series of big results in World Tour races in the spring (Photo: Fabio Ferrari-La Presse)<\/p>\n

\u201cFor sure, I\u2019ve been steadily getting better year-on-year,\u201d said Healy, now in his fourth season as a World Tour rider. \u201cBut it\u2019s not massively in leaps and bounds, it\u2019s a few percent here and there and understanding how to prepare better. And it\u2019s all the little things around the races as well. I think I\u2019m not hugely better as a rider than I was two years ago\u2026 Maybe a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Precision racing in 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

Healy was with the Trinity Racing team, racing as an U23 rider, when the pandemic hit in 2020, also impacting the 2021 season. While mountains were moved to postpone major pro races and run them later in the year, including the Grand Tours, many of the U23 events Healy would have been riding were simply cancelled.<\/p>\n

And though some of his peers were already in World Tour teams, he was still racing the U23 scene, rather not racing it very often. In 2020, for example, he did just 16 race days. <\/p>\n

He insisted he was not making a big deal out of missing races in those key development seasons. But he believed he had missed many development opportunities and had been catching up a little in recent seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m having to do that on the fly, I guess,\u201d he said of his learning and developing catch-up. \u201cAnd that was a massive emphasis that I put into myself this winter. I was reviewing race footage and trying to understand the mistakes that I\u2019ve made in the past with races.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ve tried to be really present in a race as well because I often see the \u2018red mist\u2019, I guess, and go a bit crazy. I\u2019ve tried to rein that in a bit this year. But I\u2019ve still tried not to lose what makes me successful, or what I believe makes me successful; the attacking nature and putting myself on the front foot, these sorts of things.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019ve really just tried to be as smart as possible when I do that, and the timing of that. And I\u2019ve been trying to think through some racing scenarios, and how to play things, beforehand as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Healy on the podium at Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, the first career podium result in a monument (Photo: Pauline Ballet)<\/p>\n

He cites two recent examples. When Tadej Poga\u010dar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) attacked on La Redoute at Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, Healy was right at the front with his team mate, in accordance with his pre-race strategy. He didn\u2019t go crazy chasing the Slovenian, instead taking his time to get away in a chasing group. He then went on to sprint for 2nd place, and ultimately finish 3rd.<\/p>\n

And at La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne (1.UWT), he played \u2018Captain Sensible\u2019 again. When the race hit the foot of the Mur de Huy for the final ascent to the line, Healy eased himself to the front. And as Poga\u010dar attacked, Healy didn\u2019t see the red mist. <\/p>\n

Instead of responding, he stuck to his plan or riding his own effort up the climb \u2013 going long with steady effort \u2013 and took 5th. He believed that was the best he could have done on a really short and steep climbing finish not ideally suited to him.<\/p>\n

He told stickybottle that, as a team, EF Education-EasyPost did a lot of work for him to keep him in position on the rapid approach to La Redoute at Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge. It was agreed they would be at the front starting the climb and ride hard up it, rather than responding if Poga\u010dar decided to hit the \u201cnuclear\u201d button, which he did.<\/p>\n

In both races, Healy plotted out a pre-race plan with his team and stuck to it; a far crying from riding too aggressively \u2013 maybe too early or in the wrong places \u2013 but still being aggressive, riding his own race and taking big results.<\/p>\n

\"\"Enjoying his victory at Itzulia Basque Country, his first win of 2025 and the second World Tour victory of his career (Photo: Luis Angel Gomez-SCA-Cor Vos)<\/p>\n

He said how a rider approached those races was vital. They were so hard that riders were often only a matter of seconds apart going over the top of the key climbs, yet the order of the day was often decided by those small gaps at those key moments. So by approaching the races with real precision \u2013 directing power and aggression where and when it was most effective \u2013 it could make a big difference to results.<\/p>\n

Last year, he said when his Ardennes Classics campaign was well below expectations \u2013 especially after 4th in Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge in 2023 \u2013 it was no crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there was really any panic stations,\u201d he said of how he and the team felt. \u201cBut it was a big lesson learned, something that we really took forward into this year and obviously it has paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heavy-hitter in World Tour races <\/strong><\/p>\n

Though perhaps nobody has said it out loud \u2013 maybe because Healy had enjoyed so much success before this year \u2013 his performances, certainly his results, in spring have been a big step up. He\u2019s hitting it again and again in World Tour races.<\/p>\n

He took a trademark swashbuckling stage win at Itzulia Basque Country (2.UWT), 4th at Strade Bianche (1.UWT), 10th at Amstel Gold Race (1.UWT), 5th La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne (1.UWT) and 3rd at Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge (1.UWT). It has been significant how often Healy has been able to go back to the well in World Tour races and continue to excel, rather than coming up short through fatigue.<\/p>\n

\"\"Healy pushed hard in a bid to medal at the Worlds in Switzerland last year and wants to go \u201cfull gas\u201d at the Rwanda Worlds later this season (Photo: Zac Williams-SWpix.com) <\/p>\n

In the Basque Country, for example, he went on the attack on each of the last three stages; up the road for a combined 380km. On the first day, his efforts didn\u2019t come to much \u2013 being caught and placing 109th. But the next day he won the stage with an epic solo move, of over 50km, from the breakaway, followed by 3rd the next day.<\/p>\n

He told stickybottle he was especially pleased with his podium at Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, saying it topped an ideal Ardennes week when \u201ceverything went to plan and the team rode so strongly\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s pretty serious,\u201d he said when asked what 3rd in a monument meant for the team. \u201cIt\u2019s not every year that we\u2019d podium at a monument. So to get on that podium\u2026 I think in some ways it makes a season almost.\u201d<\/p>\n

He believed that if he continued to develop and approached the races with determination, doing everything he could to prepare properly, he could really aim to win in Ardennes week in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Since the spring he has taken a break and then gone on a training camp to Sierra Nevada. And now he is about to getting going again. Though he would take success anywhere he can get it, there is no doubt the Tour de France is now looming large.<\/p>\n

He wants to win a stage, rather than ride for general classification. Healy also said the opening week of the race may not be ideally suited to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the first week, in Lille and on these steep punchy finishes, they\u2019re going to be quite tricky and maybe even dangerous. So if I want to prioritise a stage without any risk, it\u2019s going to be a case of probably staying out of those fights and then looking at a stage into the second or third week.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m really interested in going full gas for the Worlds. Cycling Ireland are fully behind that as well. So we\u2019re going to do a proper race there, hopefully.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ben Healy explains to stickybottle how he really put a significant emphasis on working on himself over the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":165525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-165524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114643281192364198","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}