Ben Healy leads the group in France at the weekend, where he made a low-key start to the new campaign (Photo: Xavier Pereyron)
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has made a low-key start to the new season, getting underway for his fifth season as a World Tour rider with a brace of competitive outings in France, and with compatriot and team mate Darren Rafferty for company.
Though Healy was not to the fore in the finals of either race, he said he performed how he expected and was happy with his result as he moves towards other goals, adding he normally “struggled with the first race” each season.
“It was expected from me, to be honest I do struggle with the first race and, actually, I did a pretty good performance,” he said of placing 20th at Faun-Ardèche Classic (1.Pro) on Saturday, adding he was “kinda happy” with his result.
With 3,400m of elevation gain, the race blew to pieces and was won by Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team). The young French star, whose career trajectory is now rapidly gaining momentum, claimed his second victory of the season, solo by 1:48.
He finished well clear of a three-man chasing group, led in by Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates XRG) from Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike).
Healy was 20th at 5:14 while Rafferty, now in his third season with EF Education-EasyPost, who was on team duties for leader Healy and was a non-finisher once his work was done. Jamie Meehan (Cofidis), in his debut full season as a pro, was 61st at 9:54.
Yesterday, Sunday, the three Irish riders was in action in France again, this time at the 185km Faun Drome Classic (1.Pro). And while Healy was back in 44th, he was just 1:07 down on race victor Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United).
The young French was best up the 1km climb to the line from his two-up move with Jorgenson; the duo just 20 seconds up with the final 1km climb to the line began, and just holding off the large chase group.
Romain Grégoire makes the decisive final kick to win the Faun Drôme Classic! 👏 pic.twitter.com/XeLuwh6AOe
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 1, 2026
Healy was in that chasing group as the climb began, but did not feature as the road kicked up. Martinez was 3rd, some two seconds behind the winner and runner-up.
From an Irish perspective, after Healy, Meehan placed 63rd at 6:07 while Rafferty was 119th at 13:32; the three riders getting two hard days of racing into their legs.
As he suggested, Healy usually takes a few race days to work himself into full-on race mode, having finished 103rd and 30th at these two events last year. He then raced the following weekend, at Strade Bianche (1.UWT), and – with the cobwebs clearly blown away – placed 4th, thus starting his incredible 2025 run of success.
Healy is once again down to ride Strade Bianche, next Saturday, where he will get a better measure of his form in these first weeks of the new road racing campaign. Rafferty will next be in action at the one-day Trofeo Laigueglia (1.Pro) in Italy on Wednesday.