Irish cyclist Ben Healy finished second in the Amstel Gold Race in The Netherlands on Sunday behind world number one Tadej Pogačar.
The 22-year-old who is in his second season as a professional won two races last month and has continued his good run of form in April.
His performance in the prestigious classic equals the best ever Irish result in the race. Back in 1982 Stephen Roche finished second while Séan Kelly had been third in the race two years earlier.
He finished 38 seconds behind Pogačar, however the result was not without controversy.
Healy, who rides for EF Education-Easy Post, had managed to reduce the gap between the pair down to 20 seconds until Pogačar was controversially aided by a lead car which was far too close on more than one occasion, appearing to give him a slipstream advantage.
I mean. COME ON. pic.twitter.com/hJVQ54ULOI
— Jonathan Vaughters (@Vaughters) April 16, 2023
The gap between the pair began to creep up again as Slovenian rider Pogačar sat behind the race director's car for a couple of hundred metres.
The incident drew criticism on Twitter:
Tell me you're a race director who would rather have Pogacar as your winner than Healy without telling me you're a race director who would rather have Pogacar as your winner than Healy 🤡🤡🤡#AGR2023 #AGRmen pic.twitter.com/HmX5mOOQo1
— Jens Dekker (@jens_dekker) April 16, 2023
In both the Men's & Women's Amstel Gold Race, the winners were helped by motorbike and car draft.
While I believe they would've won either way, this should not be happening. #AGR23— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) April 16, 2023
Healy's team manager Jonathan Vaughters simply tweeted: "I mean. COME ON."
Controversy as Ben Healy finishes second in Amstel Gold Race
He was supported by two former presidents of the UCI, including Dubliner Pat McQuaid who said: “I have to agree with you Jonathan. He (race director) gave Pog ten seconds at a critical moment.”
Vaughters later further explained his point.
“The issue is we see vehicles changing the race results all the time. Sometimes in our favour, sometimes not. It just gets tiresome," he tweeted.
“Pogačar probably would have won in sprint; NOT the point. It just denigrates the racing.”
Pogačar even admitted after the race that the vehichle "was too close" to him for a moment.
While Healy may be feeling a tad hard done by he will have to brush it aside quickly.
He will be in back in action in Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday and then races the prestigious Liège-Bastogne-Liège next Sunday.
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