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Ben Healy, centre, in yellow during today's gruelling stage. Alamy Stock Photo
Cycling
Ben Healy loses yellow jersey after first mountain stage of the Tour de France
Irish rider struggled with the pace in Pyrenees today.
LAST UPDATE | 17 Jul 2025
BEN HEALY RELINQUISHED the yellow jersey as Tadej Pogacar reclaimed the lead at the Tour de France with an imperious stage 12 triumph on the Hautacam mountain in the Pyrenees today.
💛 Ben Healy tries to hang on to his Yellow Jersey, supported by @harry_sweeny
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 17, 2025
🇮🇪 Ben Healy tente de s'accrocher à son Maillot Jaune, soutenu par @harry_sweeny#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/CfDzVoZ977
Pogacar skipped away on an 11km solo ascent of the fabled climb to finish 2min 10sec ahead of key rival Jonas Vingegaard while overnight leader Healy wilted to a 13min deficit on the day.
Overnight leader Healy took a beating on his second day defending the yellow jersey as the EF rider slipped off the pace on the first climb, while doggedly trying to limit his losses.
He is now 11th, over 13 minutes behind Pogacar.
French president Emmanuel Macron was on hand at the mountaintop finish to congratulate the Slovenian Team UAE rider.
Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel dug deep after being dropped on the first of three climbs to claw back level, before eventually losing 3min 35sec on the day’s 180.6km ride from Auch, finishing seventh.
🏁 The last few metres of this ascent where the world champion put on a real show!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 17, 2025
🏁 Les derniers mètres de cette ascension où le champion du monde a offert une véritable démonstration !#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/TOadldKMtr
In the overall standings Pogacar now leads the Tour de France by 3min 31sec over Denmark’s Vingegaard while Evenepoel is third at a daunting 4min 45sec.
Worse for any pretenders hoping to stop the defending champion is that Friday’s stage 13 comes in the shape of an uphill individual time-trial that the Slovenian said this week he was looking forward to.
Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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