'Unbelievable' Healy takes centre stage

IRELAND'S Ben Healy soloed to victory on stage six of the Tour de France — as Mathieu van der Poel took the yellow jersey back from Tadej Pogacar by ONE second.

- Ian PARKER

Healy (left) went clear from an eight-strong breakaway group with 42km left of the deceptively-difficult 201.5km stage from Bayeux to Vire Normandie to claim his maiden Tour stage win and Ireland's first since Sam Bennett enjoyed two in 2020.

The 24-year-old quickly built a lead and a counterattack from American pair Quinn Simmonds and Michael Storer failed to make significant inroads, with Healy ultimately winning by two minutes, 44 seconds from the former.

Victory

It is the biggest win of his career, eclipsing his victory on the 2023 Giro d'Italia into Fossombrone.