Turgis wins epic Tour stage as Ireland's Healy plays big role | Video

Ben Healy spent most of the gravel stage at the Tour de France up the road and played a starring role in an epic stage (Photo: Billy Ceusters)

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has again played a starring role on a stage of his debut Tour de France, spending most of today's gravel stage into Troyes up the road before eventually placing 5th.

The victory, long overdue, went to Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) in a sprint from the breakaway after that group broke the heart of Jasper Stuyven (Lidl Trek). The Belgian attacked from the breakaway and was only caught in the final kilometre.

Healy put in a serious effort to catch Stuyven and also attacked twice in the final; putting all his money on a bid to get clear solo, but ultimately coming up short. And when those efforts were snuffed out by the others in the breakaway group, Healy was always going to be up against it in a sprint.

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In the end, Turgis hit the front early in the sprint and just about held off a fast-finishing Tom Pidcock. The Ineos Grenadiers man looked very frustrated with 2nd place, though perhaps was not at absolutely top form today.

Derek Gee (Israel Premier Tech), who did a lot of the damage in bringing back Stuyven, along with Healy and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), placed 3rd on the stage.

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Though general classification leader, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), put his rivals under serious pressure several times, especially on the final sectors of gravel, all the main men in the battle for the final yellow jersey finished in the same group some 1:46 behind the leaders at the finish in Troyes.

More to come.

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