Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) won't forget the 165km stage 10 of the 2025 Tour de France to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy for the rest of his days. He took the yellow jersey, making July 14th - Bastille Day - the day that changed his life.
And he did it as only he could. He got up the road with 150km to go, later splitting the group and the towing the handful of riders who could stay with him for most of the last hour of racing. In the end, he still, somehow, claimed 3rd on the stage and did enouigh to wrestle the yellow jersey from Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) by 29 seconds.
"That was such a tough stage, I'm pretty emotionless right now because I'm just so tired," Healy laughed as he prepared to go to the podium to be presented with the iconic yellow jersey and the white jersey for leading the young rider classification.
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"It's really beyond belief, this…. If somebody told me I'd be in yellow and won a stage in the Tour, and by the first rest day as well, I'd say I wouldn't have believed you."
When the breakaway began to fracture, Healy said he knew he had to take it on himself with about 40km to go. He did most of the work on the front of the group in a bid to gain the 3:56 he needed on Pogačar, back in the bunch, to jump from 11th overall into the race lead.
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"I knew they were playing for the stage win and they'd take advantage of that," Healy said of the other breakaway men leaning on him because they all knew he was riding for time.
"And I think I just had to get my head down and go. It's a fairytale. To wear the yellow jersey is incredible, and beyond belief."
He is the first Irishman to wear the yellow jersey since Stephen Roche in 1987, when the Dubliner won the race. Sean kelly had held it for a day in 1983 and in 1963 trailblazer Shay Elliott became the first Irishman to ever lead the race.
"It's pretty crazy footsteps to follow," said Healy. "And I'm just super proud to represent Ireland and wear the yellow jersey for them and hopefully I can do it some justice.
"I have some good legs at the moment. UAE surprisingly let a big break go up the road, and we had four guys in there. I've got to say a massive thank you to Harry Sweeny and Alex Baudin today; they were just incredible. And I am just so glad that I was able to finish it off at the end."
Asked if he would still maintain a focus on winning stages, rather than trying to defend the race lead, Healy said: "You have to respect the jersey and I'm in quite a nice position now to try and hold on for as long as possible."
