Ireland's Ben Healy became the first Irish cyclist to win a Tour de France stage in five years when he pedaled to victory today in the tour's sixth stage in Normandy.
Healy pushed ahead in a solo effort 40 kilometers from the finish and he was never caught. Ireland's Eddie Dunbar finished fourth.
The Healy win was a joint Irish and American effort as the former two times Irish national champion competes for the U.S. EF Education-Easy Post team.
Healy's win was his first tour stage triumph and it came on the 201.5km stage from Bayeux to Vire Normandie.
Healy, 24, was born and raised near Birmingham in England. After being dropped from the British cycling ranks he opted for Ireland. He was able to do so because of his father's family which is rooted in Cork and Waterford.
The Irish Independent reported: "It is the biggest win of his career to date, eclipsing his breakaway win on stage eight of the 2023 Giro d’Italia into Fossombrone. He becomes the first Irishman to win a stage on the Tour since Sam Bennett in 2020 and joins an illustrious list that also includes Dan Martin, Martin Earley, Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly and Shay Elliott."
“It’s just unbelievable really. It’s what I’ve worked for not just this year but the whole time really, it’s really incredible, hours and hours of hard work from so many people and to pay them back today is really amazing. This was a stage I had circled in the book from the start and to do it in the first one is amazing,” said Healy.
