Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has retained the yellow jersey after stage 11 at the Tour de France. It was a day marked by chaotic racing and drama in the shape of a heavy crash for Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and a protestor running out onto the finishing straight as the victory was being fought for.
At one point, in a moment that reflected the wildness of the day, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) attacked with almost 70km remaining and race leader Healy went with him. They were quickly closed down by 2nd and 3rd overall - Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep) - but only after they'd made their way across to a large chasing group that had set off in pursuit of the breakaway men.
The tough finale - with seven small climbs in less than 50km - ensured the remains of the peloton split, with Vingegaard attacking on the last climb, further thinning down the bunch. Pogačar crashed a few minutes later, just outside the 3km safety zone.
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A rider in front of him veered to the right, which effectively swiped Pogačar's front wheel from under him and he hit the deck hard. It took him some time to get going again - neutral service helping get his chain back on. Initially, it appeared he would lose perhaps 30 seconds to the other favourites.
However, once word spread in that favourites' group that the world champion had crashed, they eased back and Pogačar, and the small group he had slotted into, were able to get back on.
? Will @mathieuvdpoel catch the two leaders? Who will claim the win? Relive the last km of this incredible stage!
? @mathieuvdpoel va-t-il rattraper les deux leaders ? Qui s'imposera ? Revivez le dernier km de cette incroyable étape !#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/hMbF4WSI6x
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 16, 2025
Healy and his team defended very well today and they appeared to really enjoy it. The Irishman also seemed like a popular new leader of the race, with many of his peers in the bunch looking pleased to see him in the jersey, especially as they greeted him before the stage.
His parents flew in from their home in the UK while Healy's partner - and their dog - were also on the race; all of them generating intense media attention but taking it in their stride.
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Healy and his team threw the kitchen sink at his look today, with 'yellow everything' very much the order of the day. He was clad in yellow jersey, shorts, socks and gloves and riding a yellow Cannondale LAB71 SuperSix EVO.
In the final of today's stage, after 156.8km of racing into Toulouse, Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) went to the line from the breakaway with a two-up sprint deciding the stage. Abrahamsen just about took it for his team's first ever Grand Tour stage win.
The leading duo were chased all the way to the line by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin - Deceuninck), who had taken off on his own out of an all-star chasing group made up of top sprinters and classics men. Van der Poel got to within seconds of the leaders as the finish approached but couldn't catch them.
? @TamauPogi has crashed but the group of other favorites is waiting for him.
? @TamauPogi a chuté mais le groupe des autres favoris l'attend.#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/wfrc5t6bLI
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 16, 2025
Van der Poel finished just seven seconds back and some 46 seconds later it was Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) who led in the chasing group from Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike), Axel Laurance (Ineos Grenadiers), Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious) and others.
The bunch - which numbered less than 40 riders - was 3:28 down on the winner and was led in - for 11th place - by Kaden Groves (Alpecin - Deceuninck). Healy was in that group, will all of the other GC men, and so easily retains yellow ahead of tomorrow's summit finish to Hautacam; a 180.5km stage with 3,800m of climbing.
Healy still leads by 29 seconds over 2nd placed Pogačar, with Evenepoel 3rd at 1:29, Vingegaard 4th at 1:46 and his team mate Matteo Jorgenson 5th at 2:06. Both Vingegaard and Jorgenson again took turns at attacking Pogačar today. However, tomorrow's final climb, some 13.5km averaging 7.9 per cent, should offer evidence as to whether the 'Visma' duo can really challenge Pogačar.
Healy could hold on to the yellow jersey again tomorrow, though defending the race lead on the big HC summit finish will be a much more challenging task than it was today. But with Healy in such good form, and always proving such good value, nobody would bet against him.
