Ben Healy winning stage 6 of the Tour de France to Vire Normandie before taking the yellow jersey four days later and now he wins a prestigious ‘end of Tour’ prize (Photo: Szymon Gruchalski-Cor Vos)

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) won the combative rider award on no fewer than three stages of the Tour de France – as well as winning stage 6 and taking the yellow jersey on stage 10 for two days. And now the Irish rider has been crowned ‘super combative’ rider of the race overall.

The prize – voted for by the public on social media and also by a race jury – is for the most aggressive rider through the Tour de France. Healy was shortlisted for the prize with seven others but before the start of the final stage to Paris on Sunday it was confirmed the Irish rider had won.

The prestigious award, which was also won by Dan Martin in 2018, comes with a trophy, a €20,000 cash prize and also a trip to the final podium in Paris today.

Healy becomes be only the fifth Irish rider to feature in the final podium presentations of the Tour for an individual prize after Stephen Roche won the race in 1987, Sean Kelly claimed the points classification in 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1989, Martin’s super combative award in 2018 and Sam Bennett’s points classification win in 2020.

The full list of those nominated with Healy was as follows:

  • Ben Healy EF Education-EasyPost
  • Jonas Abrahamsen Uno X Mobility
  • Quinn Simmons Lidl Trek
  • Jordan Jégat Total Energies
  • Thymen Arensman Ineos Grenadiers
  • Bruno Armirail Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
  • Tim Wellens UAE Team Emirates XRG
  • Michael Storer Tudor Pro Cycling

Four of the eight riders have won stages on this year’s Tour; Arensman on Superbagnères and La Plagne, Abrahamsen into Toulouse, Healy into Vire Normandie, and Wellens in Carcassonne.

However, while all eight riders rode very strongly in the Tour, and went on the attack multiple times, Healy was the most aggressive and most entertaining, enjoying a breakthrough ride in the Tour.