Ben Healy up to eighth overall in Tour de l’Avenir after third stage

Ben Healy jumped back up the general classification in the Tour de l'Avenir in France on Monday, improving 20 places to eighth overall.

Dillon Corkery was highest-placed of the Ireland team on the 153.4-kilometre third stage to Donnemarie-Dontilly, finishing 12 seconds behind the winner Marijn Van Den Berg (Netherlands). Healy finished two places further back in the same group, and made the big leap in the general classification. He had been seventh overall after Saturday’s stage, but slipped to 28th after Sunday’s team time-trial.

He is now one minutes and 32 seconds behind the ongoing race leader Mick Van Dijke (Netherlands). JB Murphy is next best of the six-man Ireland team in 45th place. The squad is a fine sixth out of 29 in the team classification.

The prestigious race for under-23 riders is seen as a youth version of the Tour de France, and has been won by some of the biggest names in cycling including Greg LeMond, Miguel Indurain, Nairo Quintana, Egan Bernal and current Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar.

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It continues on Tuesday with an undulating 183.9 kilometre race to Bar-le-Duc. Healy won a stage two years ago and will be aiming to both repeat that and to finish as high as possible in the overall standings. The 20-year-old has been connected to a possible move to a major team for 2022.

Tour de l’Avenir

Stage 3, Château-Thierry to Donnemarie-Dontilly: 1 Marijn Van Den Berg (Netherlands) 153.4 kilometres in 3 hours 35 mins 18, 2 A De Lie (Belgium), 3 S Van Tricht (Belgium), 4 M Van Dijke (Netherlands) all same time, 5 A Raugel (Hauts de France/Grand Est) at 3, 6 R Ärm (Estonia) at 5

Other: 13 D Corkery (Ireland) at 12, 15 B Healy (Ireland) same time, 50 JB Murphy (Ireland) at 1 min 17, 90 L Curley (Ireland) at 3 mins 5, 116 A Ward (Ireland) at 9 mins 58, 143 K McCambridge (Ireland) at 13 mins 24

General classification after stage 3: 1 Mick Van Dijke (Netherlands) 8 hours 1 min 52, 2 M Van Den Berg (Netherlands) at 7, 3 C Van Uden (Netherlands) at 10, 4 T Halland Johannessen (Norway) at 47, 5 D Hoole (Netherlands) at 49, 6 A De Lie (Belgium) at 53

Other: 8 B Healy (Ireland) at 1 min 32, 45 JB Murphy (Ireland) at 3 mins 48, 64 L Curley (Ireland) at 5 mins 9, 106 D Corkery (Ireland) at 11 mins 51, 131 K McCambridge (Ireland) at 15 mins 52, 138 A Ward (Ireland) at 17 mins 34

Teams: 1 Netherlands, 23 hours 4 mins 26, 2 Belgium, at 2 mins 17, 3 Australia, at 3 mins 5, 4 Denmark, at 3 mins 37, 5 Italy, at 4 mins 19

Other: 6 Ireland at 4 mins 23