Ben Healy Breaks Irish Drought on a Brutal Stage 6
No one saw it coming: Ben Healy, the 23-year-old riding for EF Education-EasyPost, tore up the script at the 2025 Tour de France. He smashed through Stage 6 with a solo ride that left rivals reeling, bringing Ireland its first Tour de France stage win since Sam Bennett in 2020. On a day with 3,550 meters of climbing packed into punishing Normandy hills, Healy took a huge gamble—and it paid off big time.
The breakaway group at the start looked like a who’s who of cycling talent. Along with Healy, heavy hitters like Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) were all present, throwing down from the very first kilometers. They had to, with 201.5 km of racing and barely a flat stretch in sight.
How Healy Won: Tactics, Guts, and Grit
The first half of the race was a tug-of-war, with the peloton struggling to reel in a break that wouldn’t give up. Then, with 42 km left and some of the day’s worst climbs still to come, Healy just hit the gas. There was no hesitating, just a raw, powerful attack that splintered the breakaway and instantly put him alone at the front.
While most fans expected a group to get back together for the finale, Healy clearly had other ideas. He rode like a man possessed, extending his lead to nearly three minutes on the bunch behind. The only riders even close by the finish were Quinn Simmons, who went all-in for second, and Michael Storer (Tudor), who hung tough for third. The chasers had nothing left to answer with.
The route itself—nicknamed 'leg-breaking' by the commentary team—lived up to its name. Short, sharp climbs, relentless rolling terrain, and constant pressure cooked the legs of even the fittest riders. Van der Poel, initially one of the break’s engines, simply couldn’t hang on as Healy pressed ahead. He dropped back on one of the last climbs, focusing instead on limiting losses and eyeing the general classification battle.
This stage quickly turned into a strategic nightmare for the big GC teams. With Healy not a major threat overall, he was mostly left to go for glory. The race behind became more about the battle for the yellow jersey—especially with Van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar fighting over mere seconds.
Van der Poel managed to claw back enough time late in the day to overhaul Pogačar for yellow, but by only one second. That sets up a nail-biting fight for the coming stages, especially with the infamous Mûr-de-Bretagne looming—never a relaxing spot for those chasing the top overall spots.
For Healy, though, this was all about personal history—and national pride. It’s not just his first Tour stage win; it’s Ireland’s 15th ever on cycling's grandest stage, and a much-needed highlight for fans who’ve waited five long years to see their colors on the top step. The outpouring of excitement was instant, with Irish fans flooding social media and commentators calling it one of the most daring rides of recent Tours.
No matter how the next stages play out, Healy’s fearless attack in Normandy is already shaping up to be one of the standout moments of this year’s Tour de France.
