“But as a toe-to-toe result with the best riders in the world, with everybody being there, it was special. I think it was probably his best ever ride.”
The long view: patient development at EF Education – EasyPostHealy first made headlines in 2019 as the youngest-ever stage winner at the Tour de l’Avenir. After turning pro with EF Education – EasyPost in 2022, his early seasons were shaped by experimentation. Team CEO Jonathan Vaughters recalled their unorthodox approach:
“One of the oddest things we did with Ben in his first year as a pro was we said, ‘listen, Ben, we don’t know what kind of rider you are yet. So train hard up until the start of the season, but then once the season starts, we want you to just go out and ride your bike for three or four hours a day. Don’t push on the pedals too hard any one given day, because your schedule is not really made up yet.”
Vaughters used a colourful and unconventional example to underline his point about riders chasing fads and gimmicks from social media: “They’re like, ‘well, I read that Dr Peter Attia said that you have to eat elephant testicles in order to win.’ We’re like, ‘well, okay, maybe, but maybe we should try it out a little bit more of a basic route first, and then get into…’ Again, going back to the eat your meat and potatoes before you get your dessert argument.”
That blend of restraint and experimentation suited Healy, and Vaughters praised his willingness to follow guidance rather than chase trends. “For the most part, most young, 19, 20 year old pros would hate that advice with a passion. But Ben basically said, ‘yeah, okay, sounds good.’ And he did it.”
Ben Healy’s bronze at the 2025 Worlds is arguably the biggest feat of his career
Tactical and marginal gains: video work and subtle training tweaks
Tipper points to two targeted changes that helped convert Healy’s raw talent into consistent, match-winning performances: smarter timing and a touch more punch in his training. “We spent time doing video analysis of race footage,” Tipper said.
“It’s something that cycling probably doesn’t do the best of jobs of compared to, say, footballers every Monday. They are doing that match video feedback, ‘were you in the right place at the right time kind of thing?’ whereas cycling doesn’t traditionally do too much of that.”
“So we took that as an opportunity of, let’s go and go through the race footage,” he continued. “I pointed out the things he was doing that were good, things that he was doing that weren’t good. He’s done a little bit of work with the sports psychologist as well, in terms of, what is the mental state that’s going on at that point. Why was he becoming a bull to a red cloth and just going wild at times?”
On the physical side, Tipper added: “There was a little bit of nuance to his training in respects to maybe being that bit punchier at times when he needs to be, but obviously not too much so, because it’s difficult to do that and also expect to try and keep up on the Hautacam. What God gives you on one hand he takes away with another.”
“So while he’s done a little bit of punchy stuff, it was more from a technical perspective, making sure he gets it all out on the bike, rather than a case let’s hit the gym hard and try and get bulky. Because obviously that then takes away from what you need in the mountains.”
The plan going forward: same style, higher targets
Healy’s recent trajectory shows how frustration can sharpen a rider. A strong 2023 was followed by a quiet and disappointing 2024 for a rider of his quality. However, he turned the tables in 2025 and managed to find his best version once again. He also got great results in the GC of some races, notably the Tour de France and the Tour de Luxembourg.
However, Healy is not planning to trade his attacking instincts for a conservative GC bid. “I think at this moment, the approach will always be the same for me,” Healy said. “Having some time to reflect now, the way that I ended up in GC at the end of this Tour is, I think, the perfect way for me. And it’s the way that I find most enjoyable. I think that would only ever change if I really believed I could fight for a podium.
Healy also added a clear marker of ambition after finishing 2:16 behind Pogacar at the Worlds, showing gold medal is what he wants to achieve at some point. “I still have a couple of minutes to make up somewhere. I am going to have to go away and work hard for that.”
At 25, Healy’s age is an asset. Tipper acknowledged the open-ended nature of endurance development: “We’ll just continue pushing the right direction and see what happens. You never know, you keep pulling the levers and hoping for the right results. You’re making the best educated decisions that you can by being aspirational, having these goals and aims,” he concluded.