“I’ve come back better than I thought” - Ben Healy sounds a warning as he returns to racing from injury
Cycling
Ben Healy’s return to racing gave EF Education-EasyPost plenty of reason for optimism on stage 1 of the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes 2026. Two months after ending his Itzulia with injury, the Irishman was back in the bunch and played an active role in a plan that delivered victory for teammate Alex Baudin, the new race leader.
Healy was among the most aggressive riders from the gun, throwing himself into the fight to make the day’s break. The team’s work paid off as they placed two riders up the road, including Baudin, the new yellow jersey, a scenario Healy himself called ideal.
“We went full gas for the break and we believed it could stick,” the EF Education-EasyPost rider told Cycling Pro Net. “Everyone was excited at the start and we managed to get two up there with Alex as well, which is a perfect situation.”
The American squad’s move was no improvisation. According to Healy, the objective was set before the start and the execution matched the script. “This was the plan from the beginning and it was executed perfectly,” he said.
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Ben Healy returns better than expected
Beyond the collective success, the day also let Healy gauge his condition first-hand after a long spell without racing. Before the stage he had admitted he needed time to find the pace, although his sensations ended up more positive than he anticipated.
“Honestly, better than I thought,” he said when assessing his performance.
The Irishman acknowledged he started the stage strongly before suffering on one of the climbs, but he was convinced he still has room to grow as the week goes on. “I had a good start and then I faded on this climb, but yes, there are definitely good breakaway days ahead for me". Stage 2 is a particularly interesting day, although the American team might prioritize defending the yellow jersey.
Baudin’s victory and the yellow jersey claimed by the Frenchman capped a perfect day for EF Education-EasyPost. With the plan delivered and the team leading the general classification, Healy admitted there would also be room to enjoy the moment.
“Yes, exactly, for sure,” he concluded with a smile when asked about a possible post-stage celebration.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Welcome to the off-season.
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- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
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