Ben Healy was on the attack early and often, putting in a great effort to try and win today's Tour de France stage (Photo: Thomas Maheux)
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has been getting stronger as the Tour de France has progressed and on today's stage 17, to Voiron, he mounted his strongest challenge yet to take his second career stage win on the race.
Once again, a massive breakaway eventually made it up the road, numbering more than 40 riders, and with Healy taking his place in it with about 90km remaining.
Later, when that front group split up and six went on the attack with over 50km remaining, Healy was there.
With him were: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step), Michał Kwiatkowski (Netcompany INEOS), Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Felix Engelhardt (Team Jayco AlUla).
They worked very hard and pulled out a gap of just over one minute on the chasing group. But when Stuyven sensed the group behind had become more organised and was chasing hard, he attacked.
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💚 Intermediate sprint @WeLoveCyclingFR 💚
🇩🇰 Mads Pedersen gets the job done and takes all 25 points! Behind, Jasper Philipsen scores just 9.
🇩🇰 Mads Pedersen assure l'essentiel et prend les 25 points ! Derrière, Jasper Philipsen n'en marque que 9.#TDF2026 pic.twitter.com/pzxS8TmszT
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2026
The Belgian threw in a big move with 26km to go, and soon had 30 seconds over Healy and the four other chasers. Behind Stuyven, Healy attacked twice in a bid to get across to him but was closed down.
And with 15km to go, the Healy group was caught, with lone leader Stuyven going the same way a few kilometres later.
That regrouping set up a sprint for the stage win, won by Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), from Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team).
Healy pulled the pin the final and eventually rolled home in 35th place, 2:01 down on the winner but almost seven minutes up on the yellow jersey group.
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Ben Healy's day of aggression
Healy was on the attack from very early in the stage, initially getting clear in a small group with 142km remaining, only to be caught and go again.
About 35km later, a group of 18 got away as the attacking continued, with Healy among those who got across, with Jorgenson Matteo (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Le Berre Mathis (TotalEnergies).
The breakaway numbered just over 20 riders when Healy bridged in that three-man move. And when Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) later bridged across, he attacked just 5km later - some 58km from the finish.
Pedersen's attack drew a response from some of the strongest riders in the breakaway, with Healy among them. And that six-strong group looked like it may go to the finish.
🔻 A breathtaking stage and a magnificent final kilometre to crown Jasper Philipsen!
🔻 Une étape époustouflante et un magnifique dernier kilomètre pour couronner Jasper Philipsen !#TDF2026 | @Continental_fr pic.twitter.com/zXhJq49CjP
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2026
However, the group they had left got bigger and bigger behind them. Some of the sprinters were present, and had team mates with them, meaning the dynamics of a peloton took hold.
The speed was ramped up in that large chasing group, by riders working for Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) and others.
And that speed in the final 20km led to Healy and the five others being caught, paving the way for a sprint from the front group, won by Pedersen from stage 13 winner, Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla), and Kooij.
With the general classification group finishing 8:46 down, there was no change at the top of the general classification.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) leads by 4:32 over Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe). Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is in 3rd, at 6:51, and just 20 seconds up on 4th place Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team).
