TOUR DE FRANCE 2025 – STAGE 6: BAYEUX - VIRE NORMANDIE
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Healy flies over Normandy’s hills, Van der Poel snatches Yellow
Tour de France 2025 | Stage 6 | Bayeux > Vire Normandie
Many riders had identified stage 6 of the Tour de France 2025 as a first proper opportunity for long-range attackers - and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) proved to be the most expert of them! Among the very first attackers of the day, the ever-aggressive Irish man survived a most intense battle for the breakaway and eventually dropped his companions with 42 kilometres to go to claim Ireland’s 15th stage win in the Tour, the first since Sam Bennett’s triumph on the Champs-Élysées in 2020. Among the attackers, Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Michael Storer (Tudor) complete the stage top 3. And Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) regains for 1 second the Maillot Jaune he had lost to Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in the individual time trial! Tomorrow, the race and the Flying Dutchman return to Mûr-de-Bretagne, where he had claimed his first Tour successes in 2021.
On the day after the ITT, 179 riders set off Bayeux - Kévin Vauquelin’s hometown - for a much different challenge. The 3,550 metres of elevation gain to overcome en route to Vire Normandie (201.5 km) make stage 6 of the Tour 2025 “the most leg-breaking flat stage in the recent history of the Tour”, according to the director Christian Prudhomme.
A brutal start
This terrain inspires attackers, furthermore since Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) hinted the Maillot Jaune could be up for grabs if the right breakaway formed today.
But first, Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan and Biniam Girmay’s Intermarché-Wanty control the bunch en route to the early intermediate sprint in Villers-Bocage (km 22.2). The Italian powerhouse goes first on the line ahead of Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), while Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) get in the mix to anticipate the battle for the break.
The duo set off right after the intermediate sprint and a flurry of attacks ensues. Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) and Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) take over at the front but the brutal pace - 49.5 km covered in the first hour - also nullifies their attempt.
A fierce battle
Healy and Simmons insist, so much so that they’re part of a 5-man group that get away at km 57 with Van der Poel by their side, as well as Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) and Will Barta (Movistar). Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) bridges the gap at km 69. He’s rapidly followed by Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Michael Storer (Tudor), making it an 8-man breakaway.
The battle goes on, with more riders willing to get away form the bunch, including local heroes Kévin Vauquelin and Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet (Groupama-FDJ, hailing from Sainte-Honorine-la-Chardonne, at km 74.8). Calm eventually returns after Mathieu Burgaudeau (Total Energies) is caught by the bunch at km 95.
A significant margin for Healy, the tightest for Pogacar
UAE Team Emirates-XRG control the bunch and the gap gradually increases: 1’15’’ halfway through the stage, 2’25’’ with 70 kilometres to go, 3 minutes atop the Côte de Mortain Cote 314 (63.5 km to go)… Van der Poel leads the virtual GC as he only trailed by 1’26’’ at the start of the stage.
The ever-aggressive Healy puts the hammer down with 42.5 kilometres to go. At the bottom of the second last climb of the day, the cat.-3 Côte de Saint-Michel-de-Montjoie, the gap is up to 47’’. Over the top (27.2km to go), Simmons and Storer trail by 45’’ while the rest of the chasers are 15’’ further behind.
Healy never looks back and opens significant gaps to take his first Tour stage win, Ireland’s 15th (the first came from Seamus Elliott in 1963, the last from Sam Bennett in 2020). Simmons comes 2nd (+2’44’’) ahead of Storer (+2’51’’) while Van der Poel finishes with a gap of 3’58’’. As Pogacar leads the GC group over the line with 5’27’’ behind Healy, it means Van der Poel takes the Maillot Jaune for only 1 second!
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15: HEALY AFTER BENNETT
3: SHAKES IN THE CLASSIFICATIONS
Tadej Pogacar loses the lead in the general classification, the points classification, and the best climber classification. The last time these three classifications changed hands on the same day was on stage 3 of the Tour 2019. Julian Alaphilippe took the Yellow Jersey from Mike Teunissen, who was also dethroned in the points classification by Peter Sagan. Tim Wellens (already him!) took the polka dot jersey from Greg Van Avermaet.
144: VICTORIOUS RAID
2: THE POWER OF YOUTH
At 24 years, 9 months and 29 days, Ben Healy is the second-youngest Irish winner on the Tour after his compatriot Sean Kelly. He was 22 years, 1 month and 11 days old when he won in Poitiers in 1978.
40: IRELAND IS SHINING
With Ben Healy (1st) and Edward Dunbar (4th), the two Irish riders of the peloton are in the top-4 today. This is unprecedented since the Stephen Roche-Sean Kelly double at the finish of the Col d'Aubisque on July 17, 1985, almost 40 years ago!
17: WELLENS WITH THE POLKA DOT JERSEY
Ben Healy raises his arms for the first time on the Tour. He gives Ireland its 15th victory, almost five years after Sam Bennett's last victory (Champs-Élysées 2020). This is his second Grand Tour success – he won stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia 2023 in Fossombrone.
10: RIGHT CALL BEFORE MÛR-DE-BRETAGNE GUERLÉDAN
Mathieu Van der Poel regains the Yellow Jersey, the 10th of his career and the 85th for the Netherlands. His very first was won in 2021 in Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan. The venue that will host the finish of stage 7 tomorrow!
Tadej Pogacar loses the lead in the general classification, the points classification, and the best climber classification. The last time these three classifications changed hands on the same day was on stage 3 of the Tour 2019. Julian Alaphilippe took the Yellow Jersey from Mike Teunissen, who was also dethroned in the points classification by Peter Sagan. Tim Wellens (already him!) took the polka dot jersey from Greg Van Avermaet.
144: VICTORIOUS RAID
Offensive from the very beginning, Ben Healy entered into the decisive breakaway at km 57, until the finish 144 km later! The Irishman broke away to take the lead alone with 42 km to go. A scenario similar to that of his victory at the Giro d'Italia 2023: he escaped alone with 50 km to go.
1: CLOSEST IN 14 YEARS
There is one second between the Yellow Jersey (Mathieu Van der Poel) and his runner-up (Tadej Pogacar) in the general classification. This is the smallest gap after six stages since the 2011 edition, 14 years ago! The same gap separated general classification leader Thor Hushovd from eventual winner Cadel Evans in Lisieux.
2: THE POWER OF YOUTH
At 24 years, 9 months and 29 days, Ben Healy is the second-youngest Irish winner on the Tour after his compatriot Sean Kelly. He was 22 years, 1 month and 11 days old when he won in Poitiers in 1978.
40: IRELAND IS SHINING
With Ben Healy (1st) and Edward Dunbar (4th), the two Irish riders of the peloton are in the top-4 today. This is unprecedented since the Stephen Roche-Sean Kelly double at the finish of the Col d'Aubisque on July 17, 1985, almost 40 years ago!
17: WELLENS WITH THE POLKA DOT JERSEY
Holder of the polka dot jersey during stage 3, before losing it to Tadej Pogacar, Tim Wellens regains the lead in the climbers' classification. This is his 17th polka dot jersey, equaling Christopher Froome, Laurent Jalabert, and Peter de Clercq.
2: STRONG AMERICANS
With Quinn Simmons (2nd) and William Barta (6th), two Americans are in the top six today. It’s the first time since stage 9 of the Tour 2023 (Matteo Jorgenson 4th, Neilson Powless 6th). The United States' last victory dates back to stage 15 of the Tour 2021, won by Sepp Kuss in Andorre-la-Vieille.
12: ONE MORE FOR EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST
The team EF Education - EasyPost wins for the 12th time. Its last success was on July 17, 2024, during stage 17 won by Richard Carapaz in SuperDévoluy. The team took its first victory in 2011 (when it had a different name), winning a team time trial. 10 different riders have won since, the only one to do so twice being Thor Hushovd (stages 13 and 16 in 2011).
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