Racing

Ben Healy wins stage three at Coppi e Bartali

That’s two wins in a row for our team!

March 23, 2023

Ben Healy claimed stage three of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.

The Irishman claimed his first pro road win with our team. After matching the best climbers in the race on the last dirt-road climb of the circuit in Forlì, Emilia-Romagna, Ben and his teammate Mark Padun surged clear. The pink EF pair attacked over the final kicker with Italian veteran Domenico Pozzovivo in tow and held off their rivals all the way to the finish on the Glauco Servadei velodrome.

When the trio hit the boards for one decisive lap to finish their 21-kilometer break, Ben put his track skills to work and launched an explosive sprint to make it two wins in a row for our team in the Italian stage race. Sean Quinn won stage two yesterday in Longiano.

“It was a pretty chaotic day and not what we would have expected to be honest. There was a crash pretty early on...and from then on it was my job to mark a lot of the early moves. I had super good legs today. We just came to the final climb today and I could feel it in the legs. I had it so I gave it a go and Mark and Domenico came with me. We pushed all the way to the line. I wasn't sure I had the win until the very last moment when I crossed the line. When we got away on the last climb, I knew there was a good chance I could take the win,” Ben said.

Regarding his first professional win on the road, Ben said, "This win feels really good. Things are going well. We took the win yesterday with Quinn and I think all my hours on the turbo have paid off."

Our team is flying. Yesterday, Sean Quinn and James Shaw one-two-d the peloton in the finale, before Sean sprinted to his first professional victory. Today, it was Ben and Mark’s turn. Who is going to go for it tomorrow?

Stage four takes the peloton into the low mountains around Fiorano Modenese. The 170-km lap includes three categorized climbs and finishes on a hard, tricky circuit around the city. After his powerful ride for Ben today, Mark Padun knows he is in form. Mark is just 36 seconds back from the overall lead and will look for opportunities to go on the offensive. So will James Shaw, who is just 12 seconds out of the leader's shirt. Ben showed today that he is climbing very well, too. If he can get over the first category climb to Serramazzoni, he’ll be hard to beat.

The Irish TT champion also has his eyes on the 18.6-km time trial in Carpi that will close out the race. So does Mark.

"As a team, we have four riders in the top ten on GC so we'll want to figure out how to go into that TT with the leader's jersey and to keep it," he said.

But first, they are going to savor today’s victory with the rest of their teammates.

Featured Event

Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali

Mar. 21, 2023 – Mar. 25, 2023

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Sean Quinn powers his way to first pro win

James Shaw

James loves the places that his bike has taken him, the people he has met because of cycling, and the life lessons he’s learned through the sport. But what does he love most about cycling? Racing.

While James has achieved strong results as a GC rider, especially in 2021 at the Tour of Slovenia and the Tour of Norway, his favorite races are the Ardennes Classics. He is also a keen student of cycling history and finds pride and motivation in thinking about the riders who have come before him. James finished his first grand tour at the 2022 Vuelta and is excited for more.

Through the year, he lives in England’s Peak District. When he is home, James resets by taking his dogs for long walks on the moors and riding with old clubmates. His racing and training schedule is very busy, but whenever he has time, James hitches a trailer to his bike and goes bike packing.

Full profile

Ben Healy

Ben Healy is one of the best young bike racers of his generation. Born and raised near Birmingham, the 23-year-old is proud of his Irish roots and honored to wear the Bratach na hÉireann colors as the Irish road race national champion.

The 2023 season was Ben’s breakout year. After winning the GP Industria & Artigianato and a stage at Coppi e Bartali, he finished second at Brabantse Pijl and second at the Amstel Gold Race. And then he went and won a stage at the Giro d'Italia with a 50-km solo.

Results like that are a testament to his tenacity.

Ben blazed his own way to the pro ranks. He was riding at his local track by the time he was five years old. Growing up, he was there every Sunday morning to train and race. But his first love was mountain biking. That meant hucking himself off the established track for a young bike racer in Britain. Ben dropped out of the academy and decided to go it alone.

Racing mountain bikes and road bikes on smaller teams, he soon had stage wins at the Giro Ciclistico d’Italia and the Ronde de l’Isard to his name, as well as Irish road and time trial championship titles. In 2019, Ben became the youngest ever winner of a stage at the Tour de l’Avenir.

And now, he has shown that he can go toe-to-toe with the best bike racers in the world in the sport’s greatest races.

Ben loves getting in breakaways and surprising his rivals with his daring attacks. He is as aero as anyone in the peloton and is always looking for the latest edge.

Last to go will be his flowing black locks. Away from the races, Ben likes big cities and hanging out with his friends from art school.