Ireland’s Ben Healy Claims First Yellow Jersey on Bastille Day – A Tour de First!
Jul 14 | 2025
Photo by Florian Schmetz for Unsplash
When the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016, it was the first time in over a hundred years. As one die-hard fan explained, “Anyone can have a bad century.”
It’s only been 38 years since an Irish athlete won the Tour de France, France’s prestigious bicycle race, but for that land of green hills and crystal rivers, it felt just as long as a century. The excitement and celebrations from Letterkenny to Killarney matched anything Chi-Town could offer.
The cause of all the freakout? 24-year-old Ben Healy who, on Bastille Day, Quatorze Juillet, made it first across the Tour de France finish line and slipped on the bright yellow jersey traditionally worn by the winner. Healy joins Stephen Roche, who won the race in 1987, among Ireland’s athletic elite.
Healy lit up the peloton back on July 10, during Stage 6 between Bayeux and Vire Normandie. With 42km to go, he attacked solo from a breakaway group of eight and crossed the finish nearly three minutes ahead of his furiously-pumping competitors. Healy’s first stage win at the Tour de France. The young cyclist found himself catapulted to the fore.
July 14 Is Bastille Day
During Stage 10 through the rugged Massif Central, Healy once again proved himself to be très fort et très déterminé by coming in third – enough to steal the overall lead.
At the end of the day, Healy was in yellow, snagging his victory with a 29-second lead over the watch-out-for Tadej Pogačar.
As they say in Cork: “C’est incroyable.“
Healy joins un club très exclusif composed of past Tour de France champions Shay Elliott (1963), Sean Kelly (1983), and the aforementioned Stephen Roche (1987).
That Healy copped the Maillot Jaune on what is essentially France’s Independence Day is one of those twists of history one can only marvel at.
Champagne and Guinness for the house!
