Ben Healy delivered a career-defining performance, securing Ireland’s first Tour de France stage victory since 2020 with a solo breakaway on stage 6.
The EF Education-EasyPost rider outclassed an elite field, surging clear of a star-studded breakaway group 42 kilometers from the finish to win the 201.5km stage from Bayeux to Vire Normandie by an emphatic 2 minutes 44 seconds.
Healy, known for his aggressive racing style, was relentless from the gun, battling through a chaotic 60km fight to form the day’s eight-man breakaway, which included Mathieu van der Poel.
Seizing a moment of hesitation on a rolling Normandy climb, Healy launched a decisive attack. Chasers Quinn Simmons and Michael Storer could only watch as the Irishman stretched his lead over the final kilometers, crossing the line in triumph.
“It’s unreal, the biggest moment of my career,” Healy told reporters, crediting EF Education-EasyPost’s strategic planning. “We studied the course and knew where to go. I saw my chance and took it.”
The victory, his first in the Tour de France and second in a Grand Tour after a 2023 Giro d’Italia stage win, places Healy alongside Irish cycling greats like Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche.
“What Ben did is nothing short of exceptional” 🙌
Ben Healy claimed his biggest ever win in Stage 6 of the Tour de France with a huge 42.6km solo attack, going on to win by 2:44.
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🇫🇷 #TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/oAVMBpHkYm— Velon CC (@VelonCC) July 10, 2025
