TDF 6
Our continuing coverage of the other big event going on this month.
Irishman Healy Breaks Away 42km Out, Wins Stage 6, While Van de Poel Reclaims Yellow by 1 Second
Tour de France 2025: Stage 6 Recap
Healy’s Solo Masterclass as Van der Poel Reclaims Yellow
Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour de France, a grueling 201.5-kilometer hilly stage from Bayeux to Vire Normandie, delivered a thrilling display of breakaway racing and strategic maneuvering, with significant implications for the general classification.
The longest stage of the 2025 Tour, featuring six categorized climbs and 3,500 meters of elevation gain, culminated in a punishing 700-meter ramp averaging 9.3% to the finish line. The rolling Normandy terrain set the stage for aggressive racing and favored attackers with climbing prowess.
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) showcased his trademark attacking style, launching a decisive solo move 40 kilometers from the finish to claim his first Tour de France stage victory. The Irishman’s relentless pace in the breakaway group, which included Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), saw him go clear with 42 kilometers remaining, holding off the peloton to win solo. Mathieu van der Poel finished in the breakaway group, doing enough to reclaim the yellow jersey from Tadej Pogadar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) by a slim one-second margin. Pogacar, alongside GC rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), finished in the main peloton, conserving energy for upcoming challenges.
In the general classification, Mathieu van der Poel now leads by one second over Tadej Pogacar, with Remco Evenepoel in third (+43s), Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) in fourth (+1:00), and Jonas Vingegaard in fifth (+1:14). Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) inherited the green jersey after Philipsen’s withdrawal, while Tadej Pogacar retained the polka-dot jersey. Kévin Vauquelin held onto the white jersey, and Ben Healy was awarded the combativity award for his audacious solo effort.
As the Tour heads into Stage 7, featuring the iconic Mûr-de-Bretagne, the GC battle remains tight, with Van der Poel’s lead precarious and Pogacar poised to strike on the punchy climbs ahead.
| 2 | Sun 07/06 | Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) | Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) | Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) | Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) | Brent van Moer (Lotto Dstny) |
| 4 | Tue 07/08 | Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) | Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) | Tadej Poga?ar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) | Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) | Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) |
| 6 | Thu 07/10 | Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) | Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) | Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) | Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) | Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) |
Jersey and Award Definitions
- Yellow Jersey (Maillot Jaune): Worn by the rider with the lowest overall time in the general classification (GC), the race leader and frontrunner for the Tour’s overall victory.
- Green Jersey (Maillot Vert): Awarded to the points classification leader, earned through stage finishes and intermediate sprints, typically favoring sprinters.
- Polka Dot Jersey (Maillot à Pois): Given to the mountains classification leader, based on points from categorized climbs, recognizing the best climber.
- White Jersey (Maillot Blanc): Worn by the best young rider (under 26) with the lowest GC time, highlighting emerging talent.
- Combativity Award: Awarded daily to the rider showing the most aggressive or spirited effort, such as breakaways or attacks, as voted by a jury. Not typically awarded in time trials.
Explainer on what the poster meant about “Grupetto”:
In cycling, particularly in races like the Tour de France, a grupetto (also known as the autobus or laughing group) is a group of riders, typically sprinters, domestiques, or non-climbers, who band together during mountainous stages to finish within the stage’s time limit. These riders, less adept at climbing, work collaboratively to maintain a steady pace, conserve energy, and avoid being eliminated for missing the cutoff time, which is calculated as a percentage of the stage winner’s time (usually 15-25%, depending on the stage’s difficulty).The grupetto forms organically as riders drop from the main peloton on tough climbs, focusing on pacing themselves to stay within the time limit rather than competing for the stage win. It’s a strategic and social effort, often led by experienced riders who calculate the necessary pace to ensure the group finishes safely. The term originates from Italian, meaning “small group,” and reflects the camaraderie among riders who share the goal of surviving the stage.