"Everyone will be a little afraid of Tadej Pogacar, but I have a lot of confidence" - Ben Healy "ready to fight for the win" at Strade Bianche

After announcing himself to the world with a breakthrough Classics campaign in 2023, Ben Healy takes on his first one-day race of 2024 this weekend at Strade Bianche.

"I feel good," previews the 23-year-old Irish star of EF Education-EasyPost in a pre-race conversation with In de Leiderstrui. "I took a few days to recover from the Tour of the Algarve, which was a really tough race. I am now ready again, ready to fight for the win."

Last year, Healy starred in the Spring, with notable performances at Brabantse Pijl, Amstel Gold Race and Liège - Bastogne - Liège before taking a stage win on his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia. This time around though, Healy's added reputation means he comes to Strade Bianche a more widely regarded threat. "In Strade Bianche it's ultimately just about how good the legs are," he says. "We come here on paper with Richard Carapaz and myself as leaders, but if Neilson Powless has the legs we will see him in the final too."

This year, Strade Bianche is also longer and gravellier than ever before. "It's punchy, a very tough race. I like that, the extra thirty-kilometre loop makes a tough race even tougher, I can't complain about that," Healy says. "It will be full throttle from Monte Sante Marie, although some will hesitate to go all-in, with an extra thirty kilometres to the finish. The selection will be made there and the extra strips mainly make it more challenging in terms of endurance."

On his new status, Healy doesn't feel it will make much of a difference. "I can no longer just make a crazy attack," he notes however. "I no longer feel pressure, know that I am stronger and can have confidence in racing these finals. I didn't do much else in the winter, mainly be consistent. Last year I broke my hand early in the season, but the winter was pretty much the same last year towards the big goals."

"Everyone will be a little afraid of Tadej Pogacar on Saturday, but I have a lot of confidence," he concludes. "I have already shown this season that last year was not an outlier, I am really looking forward to this season"