“We had Roche and Kelly, now we have Ben Healy” – EF Education-EasyPost star joins legendary group at the Tour de France
Cycling
There are ways to take the yellow jersey at the Tour de
France. And then there’s what Ben Healy did on Stage 10.
“He was just like a motorbike on his own,” said Adam Blythe
on, summing up what the cycling world witnessed as Healy rode clear of
expectation and into history. “Towing these guys… until 3ks to go. The way that
he won it just, you got to take your hat off to him. That man is like an Irish
motorbike.”
Healy didn’t just take yellow. He controlled the breakaway
in a way that seasoned GC riders might not have managed. “Zero help in that
last, what, 40 km,” Blythe said. And still, he finished third on the stage,
less than half a minute down on the winner, Simon Yates.
The achievement is monumental. Orla Chennaoui pointed out,
“He is the fourth Irishman in history to wear the yellow jersey. We had Shay
Elliott. We had our very own Sean Kelly. We had Stephen Roche. And now we have
Ben Healy. It’s incredible.”
And it’s not just the jersey, it’s how it was won. “Go back
to stage six, which he won—I think gave him the freedom today to make a really
clear decision,” Ewen said. EF Education–EasyPost had four riders in the break.
They made a plan, and Healy executed it. “They said, ‘Okay, this is what we’re
going to do because we know we got Ben. We can get yellow, maybe win the stage
as well.’”
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At some point, Healy made a tactical pivot. “He said,
‘That’s it. I’m going for yellow. Got the gap. I’m going to make sure I
maintain it.’ And he did it. And he was just phenomenal,” Ewen said. “The other
riders in that breakaway… they need to give him a pat on the back because
without him there, completely different situation.”
It wasn’t just Healy, either. His teammates emptied
themselves for him, and made the yellow dream possible. “They all fully sold
out for him. And it’s cool to see. That was really a team effort.”
Then there’s the UAE question. Did Pogacar’s team willingly
let the jersey go?
“I don’t care what anyone says on this, they beat UAE
today,” Blythe declared. “There’s no way UAE wanted that yellow jersey to go
off Tadej’s shoulders. Not one bit of me believes that.”
Ewen wasn’t so sure: “I’m saying they’re happy for it to go,
going into the rest day. Long transfer tonight. No podium, get on the bus, get
gone.”
In the end, as the panel agreed, maybe both were right. UAE
may have started the day trying to win, but once they saw their resources
dwindling, “they thought, well actually maybe it’s not so bad.”
Beyond tactics, this was a day that could shape cycling’s
future in Ireland. “Seeing this man in the yellow jersey, I remember as a kid,
Stephen Roche in yellow,” said Orla Chennaoui. “I didn’t know what it meant… I
just knew there was an Irishman beating the world’s best somewhere in France.”
That kind of visibility matters. “That can start today,”
they added. “It does start today and I think Ben is a very good example of it
as well. He’s not a Tadej Pogačar… He’s Ben Healy. Separate to all of that.”
That’s exactly what makes Healy’s story so compelling. He’s
not the prototype, and that’s the point according to Blythe. “It’s an example
of there’s so many different ways to be successful at bike riding… Ben is a
very good example of that because there’s not many of him around.”
It may not last forever, especially given Pogacar and
Vingegaard are looming, but what Healy did was more than just a performance. It
was a statement. A 29-second lead, and a nation watching.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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