It was billed by many as the toughest road race in World Cycling Championships history, and in the end proved just about perfect for Ben Healy.
In winning the bronze medal and securing his place on the podium, Healy turned it into another historic day for Irish cycling. Rarely if ever have World Championships medals been harder won, with Healy becoming the first Irish rider to make the podium since Seán Kelly also won bronze back in 1989.
Sunday’s 267km race around the brutal mountainous terrain of Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali, the first time the event was staged in Africa, soon turned into a ride of attrition. Of the 185 starters, only 30 finished.
Healy had already added his name to the pantheon of Irish cyclists after becoming only the fourth Irish rider in Tour de France history to wear the leader’s yellow jersey last July, also winning stage six, and the 25-year-old Healy now joins the same three Irish riders who also previously won medals in the World Championships road race; Kelly, Stephen Roche and Shay Elliott.
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Tadej Pogacar from Slovenia defended his title and collected another rainbow jersey in trademark crushing style, winning by a minute and 28 seconds after another astonishing solo ride 67km from the finish.
Healy was part of the last trio of chasing riders, with around 45km remaining, along with Remco Evenepoel from Belgium and Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose. After Evenepoel broke clear in the chase with 20km to go, Healy was left to battle for the bronze with Skjelmose.
Healy made a decisive move with just over 5km from the line, and never looked back. After over six hours and 20 minutes in, and mostly out, of the saddle, he won bronze, two minutes and 16 seconds behind Pogacar, and 37 seconds clear of Skjelmose, who finished fourth.
“This season is getting crazier and crazier, it’s pretty special,” said Healy, who’d raised his arm in delight on crossing the line. “I’ve done a lot of hard work, but to stand on a podium with Remco and Tadej is pretty incredible.
“From a stage win and yellow jersey at the Tour, and now a podium at Worlds, it’s just hard to compare. Tadej is one of the greatest the sport has ever seen, Remco isn’t far behind him, so to be on the podium with them was just insane. It was a pretty specific course, with some slow speed climbs and pretty hot weather as well.”
The race featured an unrelenting series of leg-numbing hills at high altitude, ideally suited to Healy, but still he had to carefully judge his effort. He had kept himself right in contention after Pogacar first blew the race apart with around 100km remaining, just as the course took on the Mur de Kigali, which peaks at 1,771m above sea level.
As the tortuous course continued, Healy kept his focus, wrapping up his season in stunning fashion on the podium all cyclists dream of.
