Evenepoel closes in on Pogacar, but watch out for Healy during the World Championships: "He'll have the mindset that he's going into it wanting to be World Champion"

After his breakthrough year in 2023, 2025 was another step up from Healy's success so far. The Irish team will put themselves second to the climber, who has a very good chance on the course in Rwanda, as Eddie Dunbar knows. “Ben Healy is one of the best one-day racers in the world at targeting one-day races and performing in them,” the Jayco-AlUla rider, who will ride for Q36.5 next year, told Cyclingnews. “He can go from distance, and he's proved that on numerous occasions.”

In 2024, Healy already showed his potential in the battle for World Championship medals in Switzerland. A grueling day chasing Tadej Pogacar ultimately ended in seventh place. This year, he is hoping for more, according to his compatriot. “I’ve no idea what Ben's plan is for the Worlds, but I’m sure he'll have the mindset that he's going into it wanting to be World Champion.”

That's why the Irish team is entirely behind their leader. "It’s pretty clear. Healy is definitely somebody who could medal, so you go out there and try to support him. We have the riders to do that, Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) been flying here [in the Vuelta] and he’s a very good one-day racer, too. So we’ve got plenty of options, and hopefully I’ll manage to come out of this race and have good legs too. We’ll have a very solid team there."

Dunbar says the Irish plan is to have "numbers in the final." But they are mainly dependent on the racing behavior of one man. “Everyone knows it’s Slovenia's responsibility to control the race. But at the end of day, all you can do is try and hold on when he [Pogačar] goes. If you can, you're obviously on a really good day, and if you can’t, that’s just the way it is.”

Dunbar, who made his comments during the Vuelta a España, knows that the reigning world champion is normally the man to beat. But Healy is perhaps one of the men who can make it difficult for him. “He's the best bike rider there's been. So you have to just roll the dice, race your best race, and worry about that, and if you can race against him, then it's fair play.”

Dunbar himself always looks forward to a World Championship. “The great thing though above all is it’s a completely different kind of race. You’re racing against teammates you ride with 60 days of the year, which makes it interesting. And everybody knows the World Championships has an iconic jersey, so whatever happens, it always feels special to do.” Healy, Dunbar, and Ryan are further supported by Darren Rafferty, Rory Townsend, and Ryan Mullen.