Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has been the star that shone brighest several days since the start of this Tour de France. But when the road relentlessly kicked up in the Pyrenees today his yellow jersey fairytale came to an end.
The 24-year-old appeared to feel the effects of the heat, even before the favourites' group reached the base of the feared summit finish climb of Hautacam. Though his team mate, Harry Sweeny waited for him, and poured copious amounts of water over the race leader in a bid to cool him down, the damage was done.
And when defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) went nuclear immediately the final 13.5km climb began, the stage - likely the 2025 Tour - was over.
Healy's challenge had concluded much earlier in the day. He lost contact with the favourites' group - the remains of the peloton chasing the breakaway - on the penultimate climb of the day; the Col des Bordères just over 50km from the finish.
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And once he was off the back of that group, he slowly lost time all the way to the line. He reached the finish - after the most glorious days of his career - in 25th place, some 13:38 down on Pogačar, who is now back in yellow.
Healy has slipped to 11th overall at 13:19, though after stage 6 victory and two days in yellow: the first time an Irishman has led the race since Stephen Roche's historic win in 1987. Healy also has every right to believe he can win another stage before his race is out, though his stock has already soared since the Tour began.
Today, depending on your viewpoint, Pogačar either (a) delivered a breathtaking performance to stamp his authority on the race or (b) killed general classification battle stone dead on the first proper climb of Tour 2025. Perhaps he did both?
Either way, he made the other best riders in the world like look also-rans. His UAE Team Emirates-XRG team mates led him into the base of the final climb, with Jhonatan Narváez the last man standing for him. By the time Narváez was done on the front, only two riders were still on his wheel; Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike).
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When Narváez had done his fairly brief turn - with the whole climb still ahead - Pogačar surged forward and Vingegaard was immediately distanced. And that was that.
? Ben Healy gave his all to honor the @MaillotjauneLCL. Bravo Ben for two great days in Yellow!
? Ben Healy a tout donné pour honorer le @MaillotjauneLCL. Bravo Ben pour ces deux belles journées en Jaune !#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/Z062FqOm94— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 17, 2025
Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) was still leading the stage solo having been in the huge early breakaway. But Pogačar closed him down in less than 1km, passing him and riding to the stage win and yellow jersey.
By the top of the climb, Vingegaard was 2:10 down in 2nd place, with four emerging riders taking positions 3rd through 6th.
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) was 3rd at 2:23, followed by Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) and Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL); 4th and 5th at 3:00. Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) was 6th at 3:33.
And then came Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quickstep) in 7th place. He was dropped on the penultimate climb, battled back on, but was dropped again on the last climb and ultimately lost 3:35.
In the overall, Pogačar now leads by 3:31 from Vingegaard, with Evenepoel 3rd at 4:45. There is a long way to go and anything can happen in cycling (and other clichés). But the fight for yellow in the 2025 Tour looks like it's over, with nine stages to go.
