"He’ll aim for GC — but only on his own terms" - Don't expect Ben Healy to change racing style after Tour de France top-10 breakthrough

Still only 24 years old, Ben Healy's career has developing quickly over the last few seasons. After a first big breakthrough in 2023 saw a Giro stage win and Classics success, the summer of 2025 has seen the Irishman emerge as a potential Grand Tour GC rider, wearing the Maillot Jaune at the Tour de France and finishing 9th overall.

Before the race, Healy had been expected to carry a stage hunting threat, but because of his undeniably strong legs, the former Irish national champion not only won stage 6 but as mentioned, backed it up on the GC too. “The expectations were there — they always should be. But in cycling, it’s more common not to hit your goals than to achieve them," analyses EF Education-EasyPost DS Charly Wegelius in a post-Tour de France conversation with Bici.Pro.

"Ben won a stage with a big margin and suddenly found himself in yellow. When he lost it, we realised we needed to make some decisions," he recaps. "If he stayed too close in the GC, he’d lose the freedom to go on the attack. So we agreed he’d take it easy on the mountain time trial — just to drop down the standings.”

That's not how things turned out though, as Healy simply couldn't help himself from riding full gas. "He was enjoying the scenery, taking it all in, but he had incredible legs and still didn’t lose much time," Wegelius explains. "The reality is that at the Tour, even if you’re 12th or 13th, they won’t give you much leeway — every placing counts. Despite that, we managed the situation well and he still found chances to race on his own terms.”

The big question now is: What does this mean for Ben Healy's future? Does the Irishman now switch his ambition to potentially winning a Grand Tour in the years to come? “Whether Ben can become a proper GC contender is something we — and he — have always been curious about," Wegelius admits. " The idea was to test it out in shorter World Tour races. We planned to do that in the Basque Country and at the Dauphiné, but for various reasons, it didn’t happen. So we arrived at the Tour without that prep."

Wegelius and EF Education-EasyPost won't be getting to ahead of themselves just yet though. "Some caution is needed. It’s one thing to be consistent every day; it’s another to rise and fall in the GC through breakaways," the DS explains. "Personally, I find it a bit dull when riders stay hidden in the shadows all Tour, just calculating for a top-10. That’s not Ben’s spirit.”

As such, don't expect Healy to change his relentlessly entertaining and attacking style any time soon. “From a sporting and technical standpoint, finishing 6th or 7th is a great result — no doubt about it. But in terms of the story — of a rider or a team — it’s the dullest outcome there is. Even experts struggle to remember who finished fourth after a while," says Wegelius. "I think cycling loses something if the fear of defeat becomes stronger than the will to try and win."

“I don’t see it as black or white. He could target the GC, but in his own way. The truth is, nothing stands still. He needs to be stimulated — every month and every season he’s evolving, and he can’t keep racing the same way," he continues. "We don’t just want to direct Ben’s career; we want to walk alongside him. We aim to give him challenges that inspire him. So yes, maybe in future he’ll aim for GC — but only on his own terms. Without losing who he is.”

As for the rest of the year, Healy won't be heading to the Vuelta a Espana. “No, now it’s time for a break," explains Wegelius in conclusion. "Then he’ll target the Worlds and Il Lombardia. But for now, we’re enjoying this moment, this success. And whatever comes next — it will always be on the attack.”