First outlier victory at the Tour de France 2025: Ben Healy won the 6th stage after Virus Normandy after a 42-kilometer solo. Like Mathieu van der Poel, the Irishman belonged to an eight -member group. The Dutch brought the yellow jersey back after only one day.
For HEALY it was the first day of the day on the Tour of France. The 24-year-old was one of the most active drivers of the day, the outlist group had initiated, settled by a surprising attack by the colleagues and was able to look forward to a well-deserved victory. Quinn Simmons took second place with a gap of 2:44 minutes, and Michael Storer finished third. Van der Poel finished eighth and last the outlier with a deficit of 3:58 minutes.
Pogacar now a second behind van der Poel
Tadej Pogacar crossed the finish line as ninth (+ 5:27 minutes) and with the first larger group. In the overall classification, the Slovenian is now a second behind van der Poel. Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Florian Lipowitz were in the group with Pogacar.
The 6th stage was the most demanding of this year’s tour so far. On the 201 hilly kilometers from Bayeux to Vire Normandie, 3,550 meters of altitude had to be mastered. Six mountain ratings from the 3rd and 4th category and a short, steep final increase were waiting for the professionals.
Formerly intermediate sprint: Milan ahead of van der Poel and Girmay
At the start there was an unusual picture. The Intermarché-Wanty team made a pace from the first kilometer, but also received support from Lidl-Trek. There were reasons: for the first time there was an early intermediate sprint after 22 kilometers, and the two teams wanted Biniam Girmay and Jonathan Milan to sprint for the maximum points. Extensions were therefore successfully prevented.
The intermediate sprint won sovereign Milan ahead of Mathieu van der Poel and Girmay. Milan scored 20 points. Interesting here: Apparently van der Poel also looks at the jersey of the point best. He passed Girmay on the last few meters and got 17 points.
Average stamp at 49.5 km/h after an hour
After the sprint it started immediately with the first attacks. Ben Healey and Quinn Simmons were the first to break away. Later, Victor Campenaerts and Harold Tejada joined. After a few kilometers, however, the attempt to escape was already over, at the first mountain ranking the field swallowed the quartet again – and the whole game started again.
Attacks and early intermediate sprint ensured that after an hour the average stamp was 49.5 km/h. In the second mountain ranking after 56 kilometers, the main field was already only around 30 drivers. And there was still no escape group.
Top group with van der Poel and Giro winner Yates
Healey, Simmons and Tejada then had enough strength for a second attempt, this time van der Poel also belonged to the top group. The Giro winner Simon Yates later made the connection. Also: Michael Storer, Eddie Dunbar, William Barta. The group’s lead only grew very slowly because there was still no peace in the field. But it stayed with the eight -member group, 100 kilometers before the finish she had a good minute lead. The Sprinter group around Milan already had more than eight minutes behind.
For van der Poel, it was also about the yellow jersey. He had gone into the stage with a gap of 1:28 minutes. The question was whether Pogacar would voluntarily submit the leadership jersey – perhaps even for tactical reasons. Because the heavy stages and therefore a lot of work for his UAE team are waiting for the tour, especially in the second half.
Healy surprises with an early attack
At the top of the now slightly larger peloton, Pogacar initially only had Nils Politt doing the work. And the outliers expanded the lead – 58 kilometers before the finish, it was over three minutes for the first time. It was more and more indicated that the day’s victory will go to one of the outliers. However, Uae then did not want to grow the lead. Now Pogacar ordered other professionals of his team to the top, but the front continued. And yet the lead of the top grew.
Healy then surprised his colleagues with an attack 42 kilometers before the finish. The ire quickly settled and had already driven out 28 kilometers before the finish. Simmons and stores then tried again to get to Healy – to no avail.
7. stage: that is waiting for Mûr de Bretagne
The 7th stage will go to Brittany on Friday. And again the profile is particularly demanding in the final. The route leads from Saint-Malo over 194 kilometers to Mûr de Bretagne. In the destination, a two -kilometer climb awaits up to 12 percent climb. Van der Poel is a candidate for the stage victory. With the Dutchman, the final should arouse beautiful memories. In 2021 he won the 2nd stage of the tour on the Mûr de Bretagne and won the yellow jersey for the first time. Pogacar finished second at the time.