Ben Healy won Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour de France after going solo with 24km to go. There was a shakeup in the GC battle as well as Mathieu van der Poel steals back the maillot jaune from Pogacar with just a one second advantage.
Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour de France is a hilly one: 201.5 kilometres from Bayeux to Vire, with an impressive 3,550 metres of elevation to overcome in order to reach the finish line atop a 700 metres ascent at 10.2%. The profile would not indicate it, but the stage is the 6th hilliest in the 2025 race.
There are certainly a number of riders who took it easy in the ITT yesterday to save their legs for today. Who would animate the stage?
A rider from TotalEnergies tried to attack right off the start, but Biniam Girmay’s teammates take the reins of the bunch. It looks like they want to keep the bunch together for the intermediate sprint in Villers-Bocage (km 22.2). Lidl-Trek was active as well.
It was Jonathan Milan dominating the intermediate sprint with Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) following. And then they tried to make the break.
Healy and Simmons opened a small gap with Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) and Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) trying to bridge at km 33. The peloton trailed by 10”.
The first break was shut down at km39 after an attack by Wout Van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe.
Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) were 10” away from the bunch at km 44. Lots of riders were wanting to join them at the front of the race.
Van Aert and Castrillo were caught at the bottom of the Côte de la Rançonnière (2.2km at 7.9%).
Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was part of a 5-man group trying to get away at km 58 with Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) and Will Barta (Movistar). Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet (Groupama-FDJ) tried to bridge, but got caught. Then it was Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla) joining the five leaders at km 70. Then Simonn Yates and Michael Storer.
No one is giving the break any quarter. After 80 kilometres, Raul Garcia Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Marco Haller (Tudor) were 10” behind the eight leaders. Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) set off in pursuit with Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal Quick-Step) and Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X Mobility). Meanwhile, Wellens and Soler were trying to control the bunch to prevent further counter-attacks.
Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) now drives the bunch behind Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Michael Storer (Tudor), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), Will Barta (Movistar) and Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) had a gap of just 30 seconds at km 93.
With 95km to go, the break finally gained some traction with a 1’35” advantage. Mathieu Van der Poel lead the virtual standings.
Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) still set the pace. And the gap increased to 2’55” just ahead of the cat.-3 Côte de Mortain (summit at km 138).
Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Michael Storer (Tudor), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), Will Barta (Movistar) and Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) were holding on at the bottom of the cat.-3 Côte de Juvigny-le-Tertre (2.2km at 7.3%) with a good advantage.
Healy attacked! With 42km to go, the Irishman went off on his own, soon opening an advantage of 20 seconds over the rest of the break.
By the penultimate climb of the day (Côte de Saint-Michel-de-Montjoie), Healy had a lead of 47”. Simmons and Storer are chasing.
Into the last 25 kilometres, Healy drives on. Simmons and Storer trail by 55” with the remnants of the breakaway at 1’25” behind the leader. The gap to the bunch is almost up to 6′. Van dee Poel will most likely pull on the maillot jaune this afternoon.
12km to go and Healy led by 1’41”!
With 10km remaining, it was still Healy with Storer and Simmons at 1’50” and the Van der Poel group at 2’20”. The peloton was nearly 7 minutes back.
Simmons makes a small attack over Storer. Will he get second?
Healy was on the Côte de Vaudry (1.2km at 7.2%), the final climb of the day. The finish was just 5km away and his lead continued to increase.
Healy was over the climb and Simmons and Storer had summited as well. Van der Poel and Tejada were dropped from the chase group, but Van der Poel’s GC lead was still safe.
Healy wins on a solo breakaway!
Ben Healy
“It’s unbelievable. It’s really really incredible and hours and hours from so many people, and to pay them back today it’s just really really amazing,” Healy told the media.
“Last year was a real eye opener and it really made me believe that I could do it, and just knuckle down and do all the hard work, try to redefine my racing style. [I watched] lots of race footage watched and and it really paid off today I think.
“I switched it on from the start. Maybe I spent too much energy trying to get into the break, but it’s just the way I do it and once I was in there we really had to work hard for that gap. We were on the pedals the whole day and I knew I needed to be away from that group, pick my moment and I think I timed it well. I think I caught them by surprise a bit as well.
“Then I knew what I had to do, just head’s down and do my best ride to the finish.
“It suited me down to the ground. It’s a stage I circled in the book since the start and to do it on the first one it feels really really amazing.
“I grew up watching the Tour and one day wishing I could maybe one day be there, so to even be there is an achievement, so to win a stage is just so, so amazing,” he concluded.
2025 Tour de France: Stage 6 Brief Results
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost)
- Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) +2’44”
- Michael Storer (Tudor) +2’51”
- Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla) +3’21”
- Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) +3’24”
General Classification After Stage 6
- Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), +1”
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), +43”
Ron is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.
Websites:
Bike World News
Ron’s Bike Garage
Current Bike Quiver:
Bird Bikes Zero 29 29″ hardtail mountain bike
Commencal Absolut 26″ Dirt Jump/Pump Track bike
Commencal Tempo 29″ full suspension mountain bike
Felt ZA 700c race bike
Kona Kilauea vintage 26″ mountain bike
Niner RLT9 700c road/gravel bike
Specialized Stumpjumper vintage 26″ mountain bike
Day Job: Digital Marketing
Night Job: Digital Marketing, eCommerce Consultant, Web Consultant, Bike Shop Operator, Husband, Dad, Tenor
Discover more from Bike World News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.