Mathieu van der Poel reclaimed the yellow jersey at the Tour de France on Thursday after a bold breakaway performance during stage 6, regaining the overall lead by the slimmest of margins — just one second.
The Alpecin–Deceuninck rider finished in the main chase group behind solo stage winner Ben Healy (EF Education–EasyPost), enough to edge out yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).
“It cost me five years of my life,” van der Poel joked after the stage. “I was really on the limit, but I wanted to go for it. I knew it might be the only chance I had to wear yellow again.”
Stage 6 proved to be a day of relentless climbing in the rugged Suisse Normande region. Van der Poel was part of a decisive breakaway early in the day and remained committed in his quest to regain yellow. Healy would eventually solo to victory, but van der Poel’s effort ensured he moved back to the top of the GC.
While thrilled with the result, van der Poel was realistic about his chances of holding the jersey beyond Friday’s stage.
“I probably won’t keep it after tomorrow,” he admitted. “Mûr-de-Bretagne suits the pure climbers a bit more, but it’s still special to wear yellow again — even for a day.”
The upcoming stage 7 features a brutal uphill finish on the legendary Mûr-de-Bretagne, a climb where van der Poel famously seized yellow in 2021. With riders like Pogačar and Vingegaard well within striking distance, the battle for the maillot jaune is far from settled.
