"When people try to follow Tadej Pogacar, they end their race. I tried to ride smart" - Ben Healy's attempts to reign in attacking style see him miss Strade Bianche podium

Ben Healy continues to make a name for himself as a danger in the one-day races. Racing more conservatively than has become his custom, the Irishman had to settle for 4th at Strade Bianche 2025 on Saturday afternoon, narrowly missing out on the final podium.

"It was relentless all the way. Non-stop. You were just pedalling all day. But I rode a smarter race than last year," the EF Education-EasyPost man reflected contentedly in his post-race interview with Eurosport afterwards. "I think I got the result I deserved."

The big moment for Healy came when Tadej Pogacar launched his first big attack at 80km to go. Usually, Healy would've been expected to try and follow, much like Tom Pidcock did this time around. As it turned out though, Healy made a concerted effort to reign in his attacking style and play the long game. "I couldn't accelerate when they went. I was at the limit. You've seen it so many times that when people try to follow Tadej, they end their race. I tried to ride smart by riding with a group behind," he concludes. "Unfortunately, Tim Wellens (3rd ed.) was still strong enough to hang on all day, which was quite annoying. But I still got the best result I could, so I'm happy with that."