The Irish World Championship threat is in Canada with super legs: 'I'm ready for it'

Healy came off a fantastic 2025 season last winter. That year, riding for EF Education-EasyPost, he took a big step forward, finishing fourth at Strade Bianche, winning a stage at the Tour of the Basque Country, and placing third at Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He also won a stage in the Tour de France and briefly wore the yellow leader’s jersey. That earned him ninth place in the overall standings.

After the Tour, Healy prepared meticulously for the World Championships in Rwanda, where he finished a respectable third behind Tadej Pogačar. It was truly the best season of his career, one in which he surpassed his performance in 2023. That was the year he really broke through, with second-place finishes in the Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race.

How different things turned out in 2026, the year EF and Healy hoped to prove themselves in the biggest races. The still-young Irishman, then just 26, saw his spring classics season ruined by a broken sacrum following a crash in the Basque Country. At the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, he was caught up in the peloton’s malaise, as a virus was going around.

In the Tour de France, we saw Healy ride anonymously for a long time, until—in the third week—he suddenly seemed to be part of the breakaway every day. He didn’t have the legs to really compete in the final stages, so it didn’t turn out the way he’d hoped. After a long training block and some much-needed rest, his sights were set on a strong fall season, with the World Championships in Montreal marked in red on his calendar.

In preparation for the World Championships, Healy first rode the Clásica San Sebastián in August, before heading to Canada for the two-race series in Quebec and Montreal. He made a particularly strong impression in the latter race, joining a breakaway and still managing to finish eighth. “I felt good and gave it a shot. This is one of the toughest races of the year, so that was great,” he told Cyclingnews.

"It wasn't meant to be today, but 'the big one' is coming up in two weeks," Healy added. The World Championships in Montréal are set to turn his entire season around. “I can feel my form coming back, and today (at the Montreal GP, ed.) I felt really good. I’m in good shape and know that my preparation has been solid. The World Championships suit my racing style, so I’m ready for them.”