2024 Paris Olympics - Ben Healy 10th in Road Race

Ben Healy winning the 2023 Irish Road Race Championships

Historic Top 10 Finish for Ben Healy in Men’s Road Race

Ryan Mullen and Ben Healy shine in the Men’s Road Race at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Following the excitement of last weekend when Ryan Mullen made history to become the highest placed Irish finisher in the Men’s Time Trial. All eyes returned to the streets of Paris for the Men’s Road Race today, Saturday 3rd of August.

Joining Mullen, and fresh from a successful Tour de France, was Ben Healy who went on to record another historic finish, coming 10th in the Men’s Road Race – the highest place recorded by an Irish athlete in the race.

Healy and Ryan combined to form an impressive attacking duo, showing not only great skill but also incredible teamwork. Just 70km in to the 272.1km race, Mullen went on the attack with three other riders, and bridged to the leaders who were eventually distanced by the power of the Irish rider.

Healy counter attacked in typically forthright style from the main peloton alongside Alexiy Lutsenko with 92km remaining. After joining Mullen up front with 76km to go, who notably emptied the tank to put Healy in with a shout, Mullen dropped back 10km later, and Healy pressed on with the Kazak rider in tow.

Healy was joined by a quality chase group and remained in a lead break of three inside the last 30km when eventual race winner Remco Evenepoel and silver medal winner Valentin Madouas pressed on.

At 68 km to go two Irish Ben Healy and Ryan Mullen along with Alexey Lutsenko from Kazakhstan remain in front with a 32 second gap to the peloton

Absorbed by the chasers Healy still hung on with considerable grit an eight-rider group 1m16s down sprinting for the bronze medal at the Trocadero in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower on a memorable day for Irish cycling.

After his breakaway heroics Ryan Mullen completed the race in 60th position, just under 16m 56s behind Evenepoel.

Speaking afterwards Healy said:
“I did what I could and played my cards the best way I knew how to, which gave me the best opportunity of trying to go for a medal. I’m super proud of the performance and the team. I’ve got to be happy with that. Maybe if I had a little more in the tank I could’ve been super close to a medal but top ten is something to be proud of.”

The 2024 Men’s Road Race, differed from previous years with a smaller field of 90 athletes and the longest course which featured 2,800m elevation gain.




Megan Armitage will compete in the Women’s Road Race tomorrow, starting at 1pm Irish time.

FULL RESULTS

Road cycling - Men's Road Race

Gold R. Evenepoel Belgium 6:19:34
Silver V. Madouas France 6:20:45
Bronze C. Laporte France 6:20:50

4 A. Valter Hungary 6:20:50
5 T. Skujiņš Latvia 6:20:50
6 M. Haller Austria 6:20:50
7 S. Küng Switzerland 6:20:50
8 J. Tratnik Slovenia 6:20:50
9 M. Jorgenson United States 6:20:50
10 B. Healy Ireland 6:20:54
11 J. Alaphilippe France 6:20:59
12 M. van der Poel Netherlands 6:21:23
13 T. Pidcock Great Britain 6:21:24
14 M. Vacek Czechia 6:21:25
15 M. Matthews Australia 6:21:47
16 M. Hirschi Switzerland 6:21:47
17 M. Skjelmose Denmark 6:21:47
18 A. Aranburu Spain 6:21:47
19 S. Buitrago Colombia 6:21:49
20 M. Pedersen Denmark 6:21:54
21 J. Stuyven Belgium 6:21:54
22 J. Ayuso Spain 6:21:54
23 A. Bettiol Italy 6:21:54
24 B. McNulty United States 6:21:54
25 D. Martínez Colombia 6:21:54
26 F. Großschartner Austria 6:21:54
27 C. Strong New Zealand 6:22:31
28 M. Schachmann Germany 6:22:33
29 L. Kubiš Slovakia 6:23:16
30 M. Mihkels Estonia 6:23:16
31 S. Williams Great Britain 6:23:16
32 S. Clarke Australia 6:23:16
33 N. Oliveira Portugal 6:23:16
34 K. Vauquelin France 6:23:16
35 O. Lazkano Spain 6:23:16
36 D. van Baarle Netherlands 6:23:16
37 W. van Aert Belgium 6:23:21
38 L. Mezgec Slovenia 6:26:57
39 L. Pithie New Zealand 6:26:57
40 A. Kirsch Luxembourg 6:26:57
41 M. Woods Canada 6:26:57
42 M. Sheffield United States 6:26:57
43 F. Wright Great Britain 6:26:57
44 D. Gee Canada 6:26:57
45 J. Narváez Ecuador 6:26:57
46 R. Costa Portugal 6:26:57
47 J. Tarling Great Britain 6:26:57
48 T. Benoot Belgium 6:26:57
49 B. Girmay Eritrea 6:26:57
50 L. Mozzato Italy 6:26:57
51 B. O'Connor Australia 6:26:57
52 A. Lutsenko Kazakhstan 6:26:57
53 O. Aular Venezuela 6:26:57
54 E. Sepúlveda Argentina 6:28:31
55 E. Fagúndez Uruguay 6:28:31
56 Y. Arashiro Japan 6:28:31
57 S. Jambaljamts Mongolia 6:28:31
58 J. Söderqvist Sweden 6:33:56
59 M. Mørkøv Denmark 6:36:31
60 R. Mullen Ireland 6:36:31
61 S. Aniolkowski Poland 6:38:03
62 I. Einhorn Israel 6:39:27
63 S. Wærenskjold Norway 6:39:27
64 O. Ilić Serbia 6:39:27
65 E.R. Kim South Korea 6:39:27
66 A. Budyak Ukraine 6:39:27
67 F. Archibold Panama 6:39:27
68 X.J. Lü China 6:39:27
69 R. Gibbons South Africa 6:39:27
70 N. Politt Germany 6:39:29
71 V. Rangel Brazil 6:39:31
72 D. Hoole Netherlands 6:41:17
73 M. Bjerg Denmark 6:41:17
74 T. Foss Norway 6:41:17
75 G. Bouglas Greece 6:45:33
76 A. Labib Iran 6:46:33
77 C. Kagimu Uganda