Giro d’Italia stage winner Ben Healy extends with EF Education-Easypost team

A year and a half into a two-year contract with the EF Education-Easypost team, Ben Healy has inked a deal to stay with the squad.

The 22-year-old has had a stunning season thus far, winning stage eight of the Giro d’Italia and placing second on stage 15.

He also won a stage in the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, took the GP Industria and Artigianato with a strong solo attack and was second in both the Amstel Gold Race and Brabantse Pijl. In addition, his superb spring campaign saw him finish fourth in the prestigious Liège-Bastogne-Liège Classic.

“I am super happy to announce that I have signed a new contract with the team and that I am going to be continuing to race in pink,” he said in a team announcement on Tuesday. “This team is just a nice environment to be in. It gives me a lot of opportunities to race the way that I want to race. It is just a happy team to be a part of.”

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The American WorldTour squad said that Healy’s contribution has extended beyond his results describing him as “a genuine student of the sport”, who is “constantly coming up with brave, creative ideas that will push our organisation forwards”.

Team chief executive Jonathan Vaughters said the team was proud that he had decided to extend. “It’s always extra special when a talent that comes to you in the beginning of their pro career achieves something special and that you’re able to keep him on the team. He’s a truly nice person. He lends a helping hand in so many ways.”

He referred to Healy’s decision to hand up food and bottles at the Paris-Roubaix Classic, helping his team out in a race where he wasn’t scheduled to ride.

“I loved watching him do that feed at Roubaix. He’s a genuine, kind soul who’s a killer in the races but a selfless person in his day-to-day life.”

The exact duration of Healy’s contract extension wasn’t specified, but the team described it as “a multiyear contract”.

He will line out in the defence of his national time-trial championship title in Dungannon on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Cycling Ireland has announced the names of the riders who will line out in this weekend’s Elite/Under-23 men’s and women’s road races at the championships.

[ Darren Rafferty ‘can’t really believe’ Giro Next Gen runner-up finish ]

Defending champion Alice Sharpe (Israel Premier Tech-Roland) will be vying to retain the distinctive white and green jersey in the 120.5 kilometre women’s race, while team-mate Mia Griffin is trying to improve on her second place of last year.

The riders who finished third, fourth, fifth and sixth last time around are also returning, namely Fiona Mangan (Soltec Team), national road series leader Caoimhe O’Brien (Belco Van Eyck), Linda Kelly (Spin the Bean Power by Coffee) and Megan Armitage (Arkéa Pro Cycling Team).

Also lining out are former champion Imogen Cotter (Fenix-Deceuninck), Lara Gillespie (UAE Development Team), and O’Brien’s sister Aoife.

Gillespie and the two O’Briens will also be racing for the Under-23 medals, incorporated for the first time into the Elite race.

The 154.3 kilometre men’s race will see last year’s winner Rory Townsend (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) take on previous champions Ben Healy (EF Education-Easypost), Sam Bennett and Ryan Mullen (both Bora-hansgrohe).

Recent Tour de Beauce stage winner Cormac McGeough (Canel’s Zerouno Mavic) is another of the professionals to watch, while Under-23 Giro d’Italia runner-up Darren Rafferty (Hagens Berman Axeon) is in fine form. He will be going up against defending Under-23 champion Dean Harvey and Kevin McCambridge (both Trinity Racing) for that title.

Others aiming for success include Jesse Ewart (Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team), Rás Tailteann winner Dillon Corkery (CC Etupes), Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC) and Daire Feeley (All Human/VeloRevolution).