Ben Healy claims Tour de France’s sixth stage; Mathieu van der Poel regains yellow jersey

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Ben Healy rejoicing at the finish line to win the sixth stage of the Tour de France.

PHOTO: AFP

Summary

• Van der Poel regained the race lead from Pogacar, capitalising on a mid-race escape.
• Healy secured Irelands first stage win since 2020, breaking away solo with 32km remaining.
• Pogacar relinquished the overall lead strategically, while van der Poel conserved energy after Healys attack.

AI generated

NORMANDY, France – Ireland’s Ben Healy won Stage 6 of the Tour de France in Normandy on July 10 with a long solo break, as Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel reclaimed the overall leader’s yellow jersey by one second.

Sixth at the start of the day, van der Poel climbed above overnight leader Tadej Pogacar to retake the race lead.

Healy, 24, became the first Irish stage winner since Sam Bennett on the Champs-Elysees in 2020.

American champion Quinn Simmons came second, and Michael Storer put Team Tudor on the Tour podium for the first time in third.

Healy said: “It’s really what I’ve worked all for – not just this year, but the whole time. It’s really incredible, and hours and hours of hard work from so many people, so to pay them back today is really, really amazing.”

Healy and van der Poel were part of a nine-man mid-race escape. The Irishman broke