LE MONT-DORE, France (14 July 2025) – In the shadow of the dormant volcanoes of the Massif Central, where the ancient lava flows have long since cooled to form the undulating terrain of the Auvergne, cycling history was rewritten on this most symbolic of French national days. Simon Yates emerged from a day-long battle of attrition to claim his third Tour de France stage victory, while Ben Healy’s audacious gamble delivered the maillot jaune and Ireland’s first Tour leader since Stephen Roche’s mythical triumph of 1987.
The 165.3-kilometre odyssey from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy presented a relentless succession of eight categorised climbs totalling 4,450 metres of elevation gain – a parcours designed to fracture the peloton and reward the boldest. On a day when tactical orthodoxy was cast aside, UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s curious passivity in the opening kilometres allowed a 29-man breakaway to slip the shackles, setting the stage for a revolution that would shake the general classification to its foundations.
The Anatomy of an Escape
The initial skirmishes began the moment the flag dropped in Ennezat, with Victor Campenaerts serving as the catalyst for what would become one of the most consequential breakaways in recent Tour memory. The early attritional battle stretched across 17 kilometres, encompassing the Côte de Loubeyrat, before the escapees finally consolidated their advantage.

The composition of the break read like a who’s who of stage hunting specialists and ambitious general classification contenders. Alongside the eventual victor Yates and the man who would claim yellow, Healy, the group boasted a formidable French contingent seemingly ordained for Bastille Day glory: Valentin Paret-Peintre, Alex Baudin, Lenny Martinez, Quentin Pacher, Julian Alaphilippe, Bruno Armirail, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, and Clément Champoussin.

Pablo Castrillo’s late adhesion at kilometre 31 brought the count to 29, while behind them, UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Tim Wellens and Nils Politt found themselves in the unusual position of chasing shadows that would prove increasingly elusive. The tactical miscalculation would prove costly, as Healy – trailing by just 3’55” on the general classification entering the stage – soon found himself in the virtual yellow jersey.

Martinez’s Hereditary Quest
The day’s narrative threads wove together past and present as Lenny Martinez, grandson of 1978 King of the Mountains winner Mariano Martinez, embarked upon his own polka-dot crusade. Forty-five years after his grandfather’s Bastille Day victory in Morzine, the young Bahrain Victorious rider swept the points atop the Côte de La Baraque, Côte de Charade, and Côte de Berzet with methodical precision.

“When I broke away, I was thinking about both the stage and the polka dot jersey,” Martinez reflected. “But I quickly realised that I would come short to fight for the stage, the others were just too strong. I didn’t want to leave empty-handed, so I focused on the sprints on the climbs to collect points.”
The succession of climbs served as a natural selection process, whittling the break down to 15 survivors by the Col de Guéry at kilometre 115.4. Here, Martinez effectively secured the mountains classification, while the peloton languished five minutes in arrears – a gap that would prove insurmountable for the favourites.
The Tightening Vise
As the road pitched skyward toward the Col de la Croix-Morand, the breakaway’s advantage swelled to a maximum of 5’55” – a cushion that transformed Healy’s yellow jersey aspirations from fantasy to tangible reality. The final selection had been made: Healy and Yates remained, accompanied by Quinn Simmons, Michael Storer, Ben O’Connor, and Thymen Arensman.

Behind them, Visma-Lease a Bike finally stirred from their defensive posture, deploying Sepp Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson in a desperate bid to ignite the race of races. Yet UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s control remained suffocating, neutralising each acceleration with methodical efficiency.
The tactical chess match reached its crescendo on the Col de la Croix-Saint-Robert, where Simmons finally succumbed to the relentless pace. More significantly, Visma-Lease a Bike’s renewed aggression had stripped Tadej Pogačar of his final domestiques, leaving the defending champion isolated for the decisive finale.

The Final Reckoning
With 3.3 kilometres remaining and the road rearing up at 8% toward Le Mont-Dore, Yates played his winning card. The move was perfectly timed – audacious enough to gain a decisive advantage, calculated enough to avoid the fate of so many premature attacks on similar finales.
“I took an advantage in the final corners before the climb started,” Yates explained. “I was looking for a bit of a head start. My initial feeling was relief because I was really running out of legs and thought I would get caught on the line.”

Arensman’s valiant pursuit brought him to within five seconds entering the final kilometre, but the Dutchman’s legs could not match the British climber’s accelerating tempo. Yates crossed the line with arms raised, claiming his first Tour stage victory since 2019 – a triumph that felt both long overdue and thoroughly deserved.
“It’s been a long time since I last won in the Tour! I’m glad to be back here. It’s a great year for me after the Giro victory,” Yates reflected, his relief palpable after six years in the wilderness.


The Emerald Revolution
For Healy, finishing third at 31 seconds proved more than sufficient to claim the greatest prize in cycling. The 24-year-old from County Cork had gambled everything on a single throw of the dice, and the cycling gods had smiled upon him.
“This is just a fairytale, a dream come true,” Healy said, his voice thick with emotion. “Had you told me before the Tour de France that I was going to be here, in the Yellow Jersey after winning a stage earlier on, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
The Irishman’s tactical acumen was evident in his stage-long calculations, measuring his effort against the time gaps with the precision of a Swiss chronometer. “At some point, the stage became a fight against myself. I know I was taking some risks by digging so deep for so long but how often does an opportunity like this come around?”
Behind them, the final act of the day’s drama unfolded as Pogačar launched his inevitable attack with 1.5 kilometres remaining. Jonas Vingegaard’s immediate response spoke to the Dane’s returning form, yet their subsequent détente suggested mutual respect rather than fear. The duo crossed the line together, 4’51” behind Yates, leaving Healy’s yellow jersey secure by a margin of 29 seconds.
The Reckoning
As the sun set over the Massif Central, the implications of the day’s racing began to crystallise. Healy had become the fourth Irish rider to lead the Tour de France, joining an exclusive club that includes Seamus Elliott, Sean Kelly, and the legendary Stephen Roche. His emotional tribute to his homeland resonated with the poetry of the moment: “I’m super proud to represent Ireland. This success is still sinking in, and I’m pretty emotional.”
For Pogačar, the 29-second deficit represents both opportunity and warning. The defending champion’s tactical misjudgement had cost him dearly, yet his closing surge demonstrated the form that has made him cycling’s most feared competitor. The real Tour de France, it seemed, was only just beginning.
In the broader context of the race, Stage 10 served as a masterclass in the art of the possible. When conservatism gives way to audacity, when calculation yields to instinct, the Tour de France reveals its most compelling truths. On this Bastille Day in the Auvergne, those truths wore the green of Ireland and spoke with the accent of Cork – a revolution both sporting and poetic.
By The Numbers
2,185: YATES IS BACK!
Simon Yates raises his arms for the 3rd time on the Tour after two victories in 2019, at Bagnères-de-Bigorre (stage 12) and Foix-Prat d’Albis (stage 15). This last victory came 2,185 days ago. The winner of the Giro d’Italia 2025 also claims his 36th professional victory.
1987: HEALY AND IRELAND ON TOP
Ben Healy takes the Yellow Jersey from Tadej Pogačar by 29 seconds. An Irishman leads the general classification for the first time since the Tour 1987, when Stephen Roche won the race 37 years, 11 months, and 18 days ago.
4: MEMBER OF A VERY SMALL CLUB
Ben Healy, having the Yellow Jersey for the first time, is only the 4th Irishman to wear it after Seamus Elliot (four stages in 1963), Sean Kelly (one stage in 1983), and Stephen Roche (three stages in 1987). He is also only the 3rd Irishman to lead the young rider classification after Sean Kelly in 1978 and Stephen Roche in 1983.
22: YOUNGEST FRENCH WITH THE POLKA DOT JERSEY
At 22 years and 3 days, Lenny Martinez is the youngest French rider to wear the polka dot jersey. He did better than Richard Virenque, who took the jersey at 22 years, 7 months and 17 days (stage 2 of the Tour 1992 in Pau). René Vietto won the best climber classification at 20 years, 5 months and 12 days in 1934, but the jersey didn’t exist.
2: LENNY LIKE HIS GRANDFATHER
Lenny and Mariano Martinez are the first grandfather and grandson to have both worn the polka dot jersey. Mariano has worn it 16 times, notably winning the best climber classification in 1987.
12: VISMA FINALLY BACK!
The Visma – Lease A Bike team earns its 73rd Tour victory, the first since Jonas Vingegaard at Le Lioran last year. Since then, the team had accumulated no fewer than 12 stage podiums – including 9 second-place finishes! These podiums went to Vingegaard (7), Wout van Aert (3), Matteo Jorgenson (1), and Edoardo Affini (1).
5×10: FIGHTING FOR THE YELLOW JERSEY
For the first time since 2010, there have been 5 Yellow Jersey changes during the first 10 stages. Back then, Fabian Cancellara wore it after the prologue and stage 1, Sylvain Chavanel after stage 2, Cancellara again from stages 3 to 6, Chavanel after stage 7, Cadel Evans after stage 8, and Andy Schleck from stage 9. For 2025, it was Jasper Philipsen (stage 1) followed by Mathieu van der Poel (stages 2 to 4), Tadej Pogačar took it on stage 5, Van der Poel reclaimed it the next day, then Pogačar held it from stages 7 to 9, before Ben Healy snatched it from him today.
4: A NATION BEHIND HIM
Aggressive during this Bastille Day, Lenny Martinez is the 4th Frenchman to take the polka dot jersey on July 14th. The previous three were Pascal Hervé in 1998, Richard Virenque in 2004, and Jérôme Pineau in 2010. The last Frenchman to lead the climber’s classification on July 14th was Warren Barguil in 2017. Ranked 8th today, Martinez also achieved his best Tour result.
22: FRANCE STILL WAITING
It’s been 22 stages since France won a stage, a symbolic figure as it exceeds the 21 stages currently held in a Tour de France. It’s the country’s 4th-longest drought, still far from the 39 stages without a victory between Pau 1998 and Tours 2000. The last victory by a Frenchman dates back to Anthony Turgis last year, on stage 9, which started and finished in Troyes.
8: IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MASSIF CENTRAL
The stage featured 8 climbs, almost a Tour record. The day with the most climbs (9) was stage 15 of Tour 1993, contested between Perpignan and Andorra. Today was also the first time that a route included no fewer than 7 cat.2 climbs. Two more than during stage 8 of the Tour 2019 between Mâcon and Saint-Étienne.
2/5: BEN THE BRAVE
After his combativity award on stage 6, Ben Healy received the prize again this Monday. He is the first rider to receive it two times in a five-day span, since Victor Campenaerts during stages 18 and 19 in 2023.
2: AUSTRALIANS AT THE FRONT
Ben O’Connor (4th) and Michael Storer (5th) missed out on victory, but this is the first time two Australians have finished in the top five since the Tour 2021, stage 1 (Michael Matthews 2nd, Jack Haig 4th). The last Australian victory is Jai Hindley’s triumph at Laruns in 2023 (stage 5).
Stage 10 Results
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- Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) – 4:20:05
- Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) – +0:09
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) – +0:31
- Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) – +0:49
- Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – +1:23
- James Blackmore (Israel-Premier Tech) – +3:57
- Andreas Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) – +4:38
- Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) – +4:51
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – +4:51
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +4:51
General Classification after Stage 10
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- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) – 37:41:49
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – +0:29
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) – +1:29
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +1:46
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +2:06
- Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) – +2:26
- Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) – +3:24
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) – +3:34
- Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) – +3:41
- Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) – +5:03
Jersey Holders after Stage 10
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- Yellow Jersey (General Classification): Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost)
- Green Jersey (Points Classification): Jonathan Milan
- Polka-dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious)
- White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost)