'The talent was very obvious' - Inside Tour de France yellow jersey Ben Healy's time at Halesowen Athletics and Cycling Club
The chairman at Ben Healy's former cycling club has revealed the Tour de France star was always destined for greatness.
After becoming the first rider from the Black Country to win a stage of the historic race on Thursday, July 10, Healy donned the iconic yellow jersey for stages 11 and 12 before losing out to Tadej Pogacar.
It is a remarkable achievement for the 24-year-old, who represents Ireland despite being born and raised in Dudley, and his success was followed especially closely by his friends and former teammates at the club where the journey started 17 years ago.
"We're incredibly proud," Peter Hall, chairman of cycling at Halesowen Athletics and Cycling Club said. "Ben joined when he was seven after he'd been watching the velodrome cycling at the Olympics on TV with his dad Bryan and said: 'I want to have a go at that.'
"He started in the 'free wheelers' where youngsters ride a normal bike around the track, and then they graduate up to a proper track bike when they get a little older.
