Ben Healey went into yellow at the Tour de France this year—but wearing that jersey didn't feel like victory. He breaks down the mentality shift that took him from a talented but predictable racer to someone who can crack the WorldTour elite, why 2024's struggles were actually his biggest breakthrough, and what it takes to hunt down a world title when Tadej Pogačar is essentially unbeatable.
Key Takeaways
- Racing smarter beats racing harder: Ben's 2024 collapse taught him that his old tactic of just 'riding people off his wheel' doesn't work at WorldTour level—he needed to engineer specific moments of surprise (like attacking on a descent when no one expects it) rather than rely on pure attrition.
- Pacing solo efforts is instinctive, not just mathematical: While WBA modeling and critical power data matter, Ben trusts his feel over strict numbers—he adjusts on the fly based on who's chasing and how far back they are, not a pre-planned wattage script.
- Stress and perfectionism kill performance as much as poor fitness: Ben's weight obsession in 2024 (counting individual grains of rice) hurt him; this year he's trusted a looser, more general approach and found it mentally refreshing and actually faster.
- Accept your strengths and stop chasing weaknesses: His sprint is leagues behind Pog, Remco, and Vanderpoel—adding gym work might steal energy from what actually wins him races (solo breaking). Finding the balance matters more than trying to be world-class at everything.
- Bronze at Worlds beats silver psychologically: Getting third exceeded Ben's expectations given the altitude and air quality in Rwanda; silver would have haunted him with 'what-ifs,' but bronze made him hungry for the rainbow jersey instead.
- Hierarchy in the bunch is real and shifting: After his breakout year, Ben is now getting easier positioning and more respect in races—people are actively letting him through rather than fighting, which is a tangible sign of his elevated status.
Expert Quotes
"I'm so proud of going into yellow but at the same time I didn't win the jersey. Do you know what I mean?"
"I could get away with things I was doing before because everyone would go, 'Oh, he's stupid.' Now I need to find a new way to catch people by surprise."
"There's a reason why Pog wins solo every single time and he looks fresh when he crosses the line... I am flipping trying, you know? It's just like he's that much better than us. And it's pretty demoralizing but at least he is in contention to be the greatest of all time."