"Tadej Pogacar has this like nuclear attack" - Ben Healy breaks new ground with first Monument podium at Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Ben Healy has been threatening a big Monument performance for a couple of years now and at the 2025 Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Irishman finally secured a first podium finish at one of the sport's biggest one-day races, taking 3rd behind Tadej Pogacar and Giulio Ciccone.

“A podium in a monument, that was always a goal and that's what I've worked so hard this winter for, and I'm ecstatic with it,” said Healy in his post-race interview afterwards, clearly delighted to have improved on his previous best result in a Monument - 4th at Liege-Bastogne-Liege back in 2023. “I’m just so happy, and I just want this to settle in now.”

When Pogacar attacked clear of the field on La Redoute, Healy was one of the first riders to start the chase. After having initially linked up with Tom Pidcock, the Irishman ended up in a two-man chase alongside Giulio Ciccone, with that pair going all the way to the finish line together. Sadly for Healy, it was the Italian that won the sprint for second, forcing the EF leader to settle for 3rd.

“We’ve seen so many times Tadej has this like nuclear attack on these climbs, and I just think if you follow, you just burn yourself, and our plan all along was to try and set a steady tempo as steady as you can go," Healy explains of his reaction to Pogacar's initial attack. “People were able to jump across [at Amstel Gold Race] and that was always our plan from the beginning, but it didn't quite go out that way, and I think Tadej was just on another level today.”

“I think everyone was pulling as hard as they possibly could. I don't think we were we were hanging about," he continues. “I had good legs and was able to follow the favourites. I made it into Roche-aux-Faucons with a bit of a gap and still had the legs to go. Over the top, me and Giulio fully committed to the line.”

As mentioned though, in the sprint it was Ciccone that took second place ahead of Healy. “I sort of bottled it in the finish but what can you do?" he concluded with a wry laugh. “I'm super happy. First Monument podium, and I'm just really happy that I could pay the team back with this. They were great for all our Ardennes campaign.”