Irish Rider Takes Yellow Jersey as Simon Yates Storms to Stage 10 Win

The 2025 Tour de France took a dramatic turn on Bastille Day, with Irish rider Ben Healy claiming the first yellow jersey of his career and Simon Yates taking a thrilling stage 10 win. The stage ended with an Englishman victorious, an Irishman in the coveted yellow jersey, and a French hope faltering, as Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard called a truce on the eve of the first rest day.

The Tour de France, one of the most prestigious cycling events in the world, is a grueling three-week competition that covers over 3,500 kilometers of French terrain. The 2025 edition features a challenging route that includes 21 stages, with a mix of flat and mountainous terrain that will test the riders’ endurance, strength, and tactics.

Healy, 24, started the day almost four minutes behind the race leader, Pogacar, but his team’s relentless efforts to keep the pace high paid off as he leapfrogged the Slovenian in the standings. The young rider’s success was well-deserved, and he was quick to credit his team for their hard work. “This is more for the team,” Healy said. “They had to work hard today to put me in this position. Winning a stage was the first dream, but don’t get me wrong, this yellow jersey is unbelievable.”

Yates, meanwhile, took his third career stage win in the Tour, dropping the last of his breakaway companions on the uphill finish to Puy de Sancy. The Englishman’s victory was a testament to his strength and endurance, and he was full of praise for Healy’s impressive performance. “It’s really impressive how strong he is,” Yates said. “It’s not the first day I have felt his strength. I was also in the breakaway a few days ago when he won the stage and I was quite blown away with how much time he took.”

The stage was marked by a series of grueling climbs, and the still air of the Auvergne was thick with the smell of roadside barbecues. Despite the Bastille Day celebrations, there were mixed fortunes for the home nation, with Kévin Vauquelin losing ground in the classification and dropping to sixth place. Lenny Martinez, however, had a day to remember, taking the King of the Mountains jersey with his aggressive riding on the eight climbs.

As the stage entered the final 10km, a select group that included Healy, Yates, and Martinez moved clear, and while Yates rode to victory, Healy clung on to ensure he retained his time advantage over Pogacar. The Irishman will get a well-deserved rest day in Toulouse on Tuesday, but his EF Education-Easy Post team will be looking to defend the race lead into the Pyrenees.

The Tour de France is known for its iconic stages, including the famous Alpe d’Huez and the grueling Mont Ventoux. The competition is fiercely contested, with the top riders pushing themselves to the limit in pursuit of the coveted yellow jersey. Healy’s success marks a major upset in the competition, and he will be looking to consolidate his position in the standings as the Tour enters its second week.

The 2025 Tour de France will continue on July 15, with a rest day in Toulouse followed by a grueling stage to the Pyrenees. The competition is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years, with a talented field of riders vying for the top spot. Will Healy be able to hold onto the yellow jersey, or will Yates or another rider seize the opportunity to take the lead? Only time will tell.