Ben Healy Claims Commanding Solo Victory on Stage Six as Van der Poel Retakes Yellow Jersey

Ireland’s Ben Healy delivered a spectacular solo ride to win stage six of the Tour de France, while Mathieu van der Poel reclaimed the race leader’s yellow jersey in a dramatic shake-up of the general classification.

The 24-year-old EF Education-EasyPost rider launched a decisive solo attack with 42km left on the 201.5km hilly course, having been part of a strong eight-man breakaway alongside Van der Poel. Healy maintained a relentless pace to cross the finish line in Vire Normandie with a commanding lead of nearly three minutes over his closest rivals.

Healy secured his first-ever Tour stage victory in 4 hours, 24 minutes, and 10 seconds, finishing well ahead of Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Michael Storer (Tudor), who came in second and third, respectively.

Van der Poel, riding for Alpecin-Deceuninck, finished almost four minutes behind Healy but crucially did just enough to edge past defending champion Tadej Pogacar in the overall standings. The Dutch rider now leads the general classification by a single second over Pogacar, who rolled in at the front of the peloton with Jonas Vingegaard.

Reflecting on his win, Healy described the moment as the culmination of intense preparation. “Last year was a huge learning experience and gave me belief,” he said. “To win a stage like this is amazing. It’s the result of countless hours of hard work, not just from me but from everyone who’s supported me.”

Healy had shown promise in his Tour debut in 2024, often featuring in breakaways before finishing 27th overall. This year, he identified stage six as a key target from the outset.

Stage Six – Top Finishers
Ben Healy (Ireland/EF Education-EasyPost) – 4h 24m 10s

• Quinn Simmons (USA/Lidl-Trek) – +2m 44s
• Michael Storer (Australia/Tudor) – +2m 51s
• Eddie Dunbar (Ireland/Jayco AlUla) – +3m 21s
• Simon Yates (Great Britain/Visma-Lease a Bike) – +3m 24s
• Will Barta (USA/Movistar) – +3m 29s
• Harold Tejada (Colombia/XDS Astana) – +3m 52s
• Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) – +3m 58s
• Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/UAE Emirates-XRG) – +5m 27s
• Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Visma-Lease a Bike) – same time

General Classification After Stage Six
Mathieu van der Poel (NED/Alpecin-Deceuninck) – 21h 52m 34s

• Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAE Emirates-XRG) – +1s
• Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal Quick-Step) – +43s
• Kevin Vauquelin (FRA/Arkea-B&B Hotels) – +1m
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/Visma-Lease a Bike) – +1m 14s
• Matteo Jorgenson (USA/Visma-Lease a Bike) – +1m 23s
• Joao Almeida (POR/UAE Emirates-XRG) – +1m 59s
• Ben Healy (IRE/EF Education-EasyPost) – +2m 01s
• Florian Lipowitz (GER/Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) – +2m 32s
• Primoz Roglic (SLO/Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) – +2m 36s