{"id":118264,"date":"2026-04-17T19:46:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T19:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/its-going-to-suck-to-watch-the-ardennes-and-not-be-a-part-of-it-ben-healy-takes-immediate-time-off-to-recover-from-fractured-sacrum-sustained-at-itzulia-basque-country\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T19:46:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T19:46:38","slug":"its-going-to-suck-to-watch-the-ardennes-and-not-be-a-part-of-it-ben-healy-takes-immediate-time-off-to-recover-from-fractured-sacrum-sustained-at-itzulia-basque-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/its-going-to-suck-to-watch-the-ardennes-and-not-be-a-part-of-it-ben-healy-takes-immediate-time-off-to-recover-from-fractured-sacrum-sustained-at-itzulia-basque-country\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;It&#8217;s going to suck to watch the Ardennes and not be a part of it&#8217; &#8211; Ben Healy takes immediate time off to recover from fractured sacrum sustained at Itzulia Basque Country"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-6e217d0a-aa33-4729-a558-bbb5c5796e66\">Ben Healy will no longer be on the start line for Sunday&#8217;s <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/amstel-gold-race\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/amstel-gold-race\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/amstel-gold-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amstel Gold Race<\/a> and will miss the trio of Ardennes Classics for EF Education-EasyPost as he recovers from a fractured sacrum.<\/p>\n<p>The <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/ben-healy\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/ben-healy\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/ben-healy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">25-year-old Irishman<\/a> will not require surgery, according to a team press release, but will need rest before he resumes riding in two weeks to prepare for his third Tour de France.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-6e217d0a-aa33-4729-a558-bbb5c5796e66-2\">\u201cIt\u2019s gutting. I\u2019ve just got to roll with the punches. I\u2019m trying not to think about it too much, but it\u2019s going to suck to watch the Ardennes and not be a part of it,&#8221; Healy said in a team statement. &#8220;That\u2019s bike racing. It just is what it is.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"inline-block w-2.5 h-2.5 ml-2\" fill=\"currentColor\" preserveaspectratio=\"xMidYMid meet\" viewbox=\"0 0 1000 1000\"><path d=\"M1000 100L500 900 0 100h1000z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">A stage winner at last year&#8217;s Tour de France and Itzulia Basque Country, Healy crashed during a reconnaissance of this year&#8217;s Basque Country time trial, held in Bilbao as the opening stage on April 6.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">He completed all six stages, even <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/live\/itzulia-basque-country-stage-5-live-paul-seixas-remains-in-the-yellow-jersey-for-the-queen-stage\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/live\/itzulia-basque-country-stage-5-live-paul-seixas-remains-in-the-yellow-jersey-for-the-queen-stage\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/live\/itzulia-basque-country-stage-5-live-paul-seixas-remains-in-the-yellow-jersey-for-the-queen-stage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">winning a most combative rider prize on the queen stage<\/a>, but consulted the EF Pro medical team throughout the race due to stiffness. When the pain did not diminish, scans from an MRI revealed &#8220;a small, un-displaced mid-sacral fracture&#8221;, the team confirmed today.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis week, Ben\u2019s pain increased, so we decided to take him for an MRI. Those scans came back with a non-displaced sacral fracture that will not require surgery,\u201d said EF Pro Cycling Head Doctor Jon Greenwell.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince he is unable to ride comfortably, we decided that it is best for him to have some time off to prevent any long-term complications or other injuries that might occur whilst trying to work around this injury. Ben should be back on his bike in about two weeks to begin his preparations for the Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-75qX9BZ3g4LkGkzuJaAgST\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-75qX9BZ3g4LkGkzuJaAgST slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Amstel Gold Race was set to be his next competition, followed by La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne and Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, a familiar calendar of one-day Classics he has completed each of the last three years. In 2023, he was second at Amstel Gold and fourth at Li\u00e8ge, while last year, he was top 10 at all three events, including a repeat on the podium at La Doyenne.<\/p>\n<p>Healy had targeted the Ardennes one-day races since the winter. The team said he would remain home with rest and recovery as his top priority. He hoped to be race-ready again for <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/races\/criterium-du-dauphine-auvergne-rhone-alpes-2026\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/races\/criterium-du-dauphine-auvergne-rhone-alpes-2026\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/races\/criterium-du-dauphine-auvergne-rhone-alpes-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes<\/a>, which begins June 7 in Vizille, France.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt Itzulia, I thought I was getting better throughout the race, and I thought not too much damage was done. It wasn\u2019t really until I got home that it really started to give me some grief. Since getting home from Itzulia, I haven\u2019t been able to ride,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Obviously, we needed to find out what was causing the pain. That\u2019s why we went and got the scan in the end. The bone that I fractured is a pretty insignificant bone, so as soon as I don\u2019t have pain, then I should be able to ride as I wish. It\u2019s the pain that we\u2019re worried about, and the risk that I could give myself a secondary injury.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As soon as there\u2019s no pain, then hopefully we\u2019ll be on track for the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes and the Tour. We just need to see how recovery goes first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-652954c5-6311-44af-82db-8c2ffc353b78\"><em><strong>Get unlimited access to our unrivalled 2026 Spring Classics coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We&#8217;ll bring you breaking news, reports, and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Amstel Gold Race, La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne, and Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge. <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/sub24\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=SC26\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/sub24\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=SC26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/sub24\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=SC26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/its-going-to-suck-to-watch-the-ardennes-and-not-be-a-part-of-it-ben-healy-takes-immediate-time-off-to-recover-from-fractured-sacrum-sustained-at-itzulia-basque-country\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ben Healy will no longer be on the start line for Sunday&#8217;s Amstel Gold Race and will miss the trio of Ardennes Classics for EF Education-EasyPost as he recovers from a fractured sacrum. The 25-year-old Irishman will not require surgery, according to a team press release, but will need rest before he resumes riding in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":118265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118264"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}