Irish road race champion Ben Healy went close to scooping a major win on Sunday, finishing second in the stage four time trial at the Giro Ciclistico d’Italia, or Baby Giro.
Healy had set the fastest pace in the 25.4 kilometre time trial from Sorbolo Mezzani to Guastalla, but was subsequently pipped by less than a second by the Italian rider Filippo Baroncini (Team Colpack Ballan).
The event is an Under-23 version of the Giro d’Italia, and seen as a predictor of future success. Healy is 28th overall, one minute 50 seconds off the race leader, his Trinity Racing teammate Ben Turner. Healy lost time on Friday’s second stage due to sweltering heat conditions.
The 20 year-old previously won a stage in the 2019 Tour de L’Avenir - which is itself regarded as a youth version of the Tour de France - and last year took the national road race title as well as the Under-23 time trial championship title. He also triumphed on stage four of the prestigious Ronde de l’Isard last year.
Meanwhile Eddie Dunbar finished 59th on the opening day time trial at the Tour de Suisse. Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) was quickest, with Dunbar (Ineos Grenadiers) 57 seconds back.
In Ireland, Daire Feeley (All human/VeloRevolution RT) was best in the Noel Teggart Memorial in Banbridge. He beat Mark Downey (Cruese Oxygene), Fintan Ryan (EvoPro Racing) plus the rest of the field.
Giro Ciclistico d’Italia, Italy (2.2)
Stage 4 time trial Sorbolo Mezzani to Guastalla:
1 Filippo Baroncini (Team Colpack Ballan) 25.4 kilometres in 29 mins 36 secs, 2 B Healy (Trinity Racing) same time, 3 B Turney (Trinity Racing) at 4 , 4 A Charmig (Uno-X Dare Development Team) at 14, 5 L Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Soudal U23) at 20
Overall classification after four stages: 1 Ben Turner (Trinity Racing) 10 hours 26 mins 58 secs, 2 F Baroncini (Team Colpack Ballan) at 1, 3 A Charmig (Uno-X Dare Development Team) at 15, 4 J Ayuso (Team Colpack Ballan) at 16, 5 L Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Soudal U23)
Irish: 28 B Healy (Trinity Racing) at 1 min 50
Tour de Suisse Switzerland (WorldTour)
Stage 1 time trial Frauenfeld: 1 Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) 10.9 kilometres in 12 mins, 2 S Bissegger (EF Education-Nippo) at 4, 3 M Cattaneo (Deceuninck-QuickStep) at 12, 4 T Scully (EF Education-Nippo) at 15, 5 J Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) at 19, 6 J Rutsch (EF Education-Nippo) at 22
Irish: 59 E Dunbar (Ineos Grenadiers) at 54
Team: 1 EF Education-Nippo 36 mins 41 secs, 2 Deceuninck-QuickStep at 12, 3 Groupama - FDJ at 39
Other: 4 Ineos Grenadiers at 57 secs
Noel Teggart Memorial Banbridge Co Down
1 Daire Feeley (All human/VeloRevolution RT), 2 M Downey (Cruese Oxygene), 3 F Ryan (EvoPro Racing), 4 C McCann (Inspired Cycling), 5 M McLaughlin (Team SwiftCarbon UK), 6 L Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club), 7 A Parks (Banbridge CC), 8 L Doyle (TWC TEMPO Veldhoven)
A2 prizes: 1 Aaron Parks (Banbridge CC), 2 S Millar (Ards CC), 3 P A Hagan (Banbridge CC)
A3 race: 1 Kevin Lynch (Newry Wheelers CC), 2 L Campion (Ashbourne Wheelers CC), 3 D Woods (Newry Wheelers CC), 4 C Donald (Spellman-Dublin Port), 5 O Doogan (Team Caldwell Cycles)
A4-Women’s race: 1 Fionn Malin (UCD Cycling Club), 2 R Andrews (Ards CC), 3 M Kinkaid (Newry Wheelers CC), 4 E McKee (Banbridge CC), 5 R Cumming (Newry Wheelers CC)
Women: 1 Rachel Irvine (The Bike House CC), 2 M Simmons (Canyon Development Team), 3 D Harkness (VC Glendale), 4 E Smith (unattached)
U16 girls: 1 Aine Doherty (VC Glendale Academy), 2 L Brown (Phoenix CC), 3 Z Lindsay (TC Racing)
U16 boys: 1 Oisin Ferrity (Island Wheelers), 2 S Dunwoody (Shelbourne Orchard CC), 3 L O’Brien (Fermoy CC)
U14 girls: 1 Aliyah Rafferty (Island Wheelers), 2 O Buckina (Orwell Wheelers), 3 A Sharkey (VC Glendale Academy)
U14 boys: 1 Conor Murphy (Rostrevor MTB), 2 C McKee (VC Glendale Academy), 3 K Rockett (Ards CC)
U12 girls: 1 Emer Heverin (Kinning Cycles), 2 A Craig (VC Glendale Academy), 3 C Quigley (Foyle CC)
U12 boys: 1 Caleb McGreevy (Apollo RT), 2 D Murphy (Rostrevor MTB), 3 S O’Brien (Fermoy CC)
