"It’s gutting..." - One less rival for Pogacar and Evenepoel in the Ardennes as Ben Healy continues to suffer from Itzulia injury

Ben Healy crashed during a recon of the Itzulia Basque Country's opening time trial and whilst it didn't look like a disastrous situation at first, it certainly evolved into one. The Irishman, podium finisher last year at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, is being forced to withdraw from the rest of the spring classics due to a small fracture that hadn't been initially identified.

Team doctor Jon Greenwell further detailed the injury. “This week, Ben’s pain increased, so we decided to take him for an MRI. Those scans came back with a non-displaced sacral fracture that will not require surgery," he said in a press release.

"Since he is unable to ride comfortably, we decided that it is best for him to have some time off to prevent any long term complications or other injuries that might occur whilst trying to work around this injury. Ben should be back on his bike in about two weeks to begin his preparations for the Tour.”

Ultimately, this means a withdrawal from Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he would at his best be a favourite for all; and would be one of the few men who could realistically contest with the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.

The Irishman rode through the entire Itzulia Basque Country, unaware of his fracture, and even seemed to improve as the days went on. However it was after the race that the injury flared up: “At Itzulia, I thought I was getting better throughout the race, and I thought not too much damage was done. It wasn’t really until I got home that it really started to give me some grief. Since getting home from Itzulia, I haven’t been able to ride. Obviously, we needed to find out what was causing the pain. That’s why we went and got the scan in the end".

The diagnosis was evident, an un-displaced mid-sacral fracture. “It’s gutting. I’ve just got to roll with the punches. I’m trying not to think about it too much, but it’s going to suck to watch the Ardennes and not be a part of it. That’s bike racing. It just is what it is". It won't end his season, but it does end his spring campaign, right before the races that mattered the most.

“The bone that I fractured is a pretty insignificant bone, so as soon as I don’t have pain, then I should be able to ride as I wish. It’s the pain that we’re worried about and the risk that I could give myself a secondary injury. As soon as there’s no pain, then hopefully we’ll be on track for the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Tour. We just need to see how recovery goes first," he concluded.