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IRELAND’S BREAKOUT STAR in 2025, Ben Healy, secured a podium finish as he came third in the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda.
It is the first Irish medal in this race since Sean Kelly in 1989.
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar won an epic contest going solo from 66km out in the 267km slog over the hills around Kigali.
Defending his 2024 title the 27-year-old finished 1min 28sec ahead of the Olympic champion Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who crossed the line with his head down after a mid-race mechanical.
Healy took bronze over the balmy, 1500m altitude course leading the chase to catch Pogacar over the 33 hills and earning a place on the podium at 2min 16sec.
It continues what has been the best season of his career to date, this result following on from a superb showing at the Tour de France, where he won the sixth stage, as well as a podium finish at Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
Healy’s efforts were supported by four teammates in Eddie Dunbar, Darren Rafferty, Rory Townsend and Ryan Mullen.
The bronze makes him just the fourth Irish rider to take a medal in the Elite Men’s Road Race at a World Championships, joining Stephen Roche, Shay Elliott and Sean Kelly.
“Yeah, its pretty special, I’ve done a lot of hard work and to stand on a podium with Remco and Tadej is pretty incredible. This season is getting crazier and crazier, from a stage win and yellow jersey at the tour and now a podium at worlds it’s just hard to compare.
“Tadej is one of the greatest the sport has ever seen, Remco isn’t far behind him, so to be on the podium with them was just insane.”
Just as impressive was Paul Seixas, the 19-year-old Frenchman tipped as a future he Tour de France winner, who came in 13th on a day where officials said crowds of around one million turned out for the final day of the week long worlds, the first ever on African soil.
The course was made up of 15 loops around the city with two climbs and one longer, even harder loop with an extra cobbled climb.
Pogacar broke away with Mexican Isaac del Toro and Spain’s Juan Ayuso, who were both on the books of Team UAE this season,
Pogacar was a man transformed just a week after a humiliation in the time-trial where he was overtaken by Evenepoel who started 2min 30sec later than him.
This time Evenepoel displayed frayed nerves when he suffered a mechanical, waving away a reserve bike and kicking away stones waiting for his team car.
He lost valuable time with his tantrum but when his car arrived he set off again on another of his golden framed bikes, denoting his Olympic champion status.
He swiftly caught Healy and the Pogacar pursuit, but never at any time was able to chip away at a constant 1min 20sec lead held by the Tour de France champion.
Hopes were high for Briton Tom Pidcock after his third place at the Vuelta a Espana and the Yorkshireman was in the mix until late on and finished 10th.
In the women’s race Saturday rank outsider Magdeleine Vallieres of Canada pulled of a surprise win.
The winners are awarded a rainbow jersey that they wear for the year, a much coveted prize in a race where riders represent their nation rather than a professional team.
