Ben Healy gave his all at the Worlds and Olympics last year, taking very strong results in both, but has progressed even further as a rider since then (Photo: Toby Watson)
Ben Healy says he is really look forward to the men’s road race at the UCI World Road Championships in Kigali on Sunday, adding he had checked out the course and he believed it really suits him.
Those riders willing to take on the race early in the final during the elite women’s event today were rewarded, taking the medals and some of the other placings as the favourites’ group was left to sprint it out for 7th place.
And if the men’s race went the same way, Healy’s ability and willingness to go for broke from a long way out may really pay off on what looks like a brutal course. Having checked out the circuit, he was sounding very confident and very pleased with the terrain.
“I’m enjoying my time,” he said. “It’s an interesting course and one that, for sure, suits me. The roads are great and we’re just looking forward to racing.
“It’s a super hard, super attritional course. There’s some steep climbs in there as well. And I just think this is a really nice course for me.
“I think with the altitude and the repetition of the climbs it’s just going to be a pretty hard race. If you spend too much too early I think you’ll pay for that at the end.”
Healy was 7th in the Worlds in Switzerland last year after going on the attack. The second-best Irish finisher on the day, in 21st, was Archie Ryan.
After having to withdraw from the Vuelta with a muscular strain in his right glute, it was hoped Ryan would win his race with time to line out for Ireland at the Worlds. However, that was not the case and he has not traveled to Rwanda with the Irish team.
In his absence, Healy still has a strong and experienced line-up to call upon as the Irish team is comprised of Eddie Dunbar, Ryan Mullen, Darren Rafferty and Rory Townsend.
Though the climbers’ course should suit double Vuelta stage winner, Dunbar, he is not best-suited to one-day racing and always prefers stage races. However, he should be a very strong asset for Healy on the climbs, as should Rafferty.
Powerhouse Mullen and sprinter and breakaway man Townsend are likely to deployed earlier in the race working for the team. Though it is hilly from the start, the non-climbers should be able to negotiate the climbs on the early laps.
The elite men’s race will be run over 267.5km – with 5,400m of climbing – in Kigali on a course between 1,400m and 1,765m above sea level.
The fact Ireland qualified six places in the race, via its placing in the UCI Nations world rankings, meant Cycling Ireland was able to select all six men who made the longlist for these Worlds, though obviously Ryan is now out through injury.