Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has yet to take a win in 2024, let alone scoop a top-three result, falling just outside the podium of the final time trial in the Etoile de Bességes. But, compared to this point in the 2023 season, the Irishman is already ahead of the game.
After a promising start in the Challenge Mallorca last season, a bad crash in Etoile de Bessèges meant that in mid-February, Healy spent six weeks out of racing with a broken hand.
This year, his early spring has been so far incident-free ahead of his main goal of the first half of the season, the Ardennes Classics where he made his breakthrough last season with a second place in the Amstel Gold Race and fourth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Then a possible ride in the Tour de France this summer beckons, too, although for now, that is far from being definite.
During his season debut at the Volta ao Algarve, Healy took a promising 17th place on the Alto da Fóia in the main bunch then was seventh in the stage 4 time trial.
The Alto de Malhão may suit Healy the best of the five stages but might come a little too soon in his season for a result. With a debut in WorldTour races like Tirreno-Adriatico and a return after two years to Strade Bianche, he's hoping to improve throughout the spring.
"It's just a natural progression year on year, I've proved myself in the team and amongst the peloton, and I guess it's taking more responsibility and challenging myself a bit more in some bigger races as well," Healy tells Cyclingnews.
The main target of the first half of 2024 - "100%" - will be the Amstel Gold Race "and the whole of the Ardennes. I'm looking to go there in my best shape."
Compared to the top performers in Algarve, he's been floating slightly under the radar so far, but he's far from being completely out of the running, either. "My winter's been pretty solid, I'm showing some good form already. Up until now, it's pretty similar to last year, of course, I broke my hand early on, but the main [underlying] form is pretty much the same."
"Then stage 2 [to Alto da Foia] was a solid ride, I was happy with it, I was just missing that extra push in the last kilometre."
As for Saturday's time trial, the former Irish National TT champion - and current road race champ - finished an acceptable seventh place, moving into sixth overall. At Malhão, he could go even higher.
"The time trial was OK, I went out hard with an ambitious pace and tried to hold it for as long as I could and I think I did a respectable ride in the end," Healy told Cyclingnews afterwards.
Regarding the Ardennes, Healy was pleased to find out from Cyclingnews that there will be an extra lap of Fleche Wallonne's defining climb, the Mur de Huy this year, saying, "It's the first I've heard of it, but maybe the peloton will be a bit more reduced as a result."
In Liège-Bastogne-Liège, rather than getting overly concerned by the presence of top names like Evenepoel and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), he says, "As long as I can go there with my best legs, I'll be happy."
And after that? "I haven't really got that far in the season yet," he says ."The aim is to go to the Tour de France, but a lot of guys on the team want to do that, so we'll see how it works."
A debut at the Tour de France, particularly following his stunning Giro d'Italia stage win last year at Fossombrone after a 200-kilometre breakaway, would certainly be another big step up for Healy. But for now, it's the Ardennes that are looming the largest on his 2024 horizon.
