Ben Healy takes Tour de France yellow jersey to give Ireland another cycling hero

LE MONT-DORE, France (AP) – Ireland has a new cycling hero.

Ben Healy became the fourth Irish rider to earn the Tour de France’s yellow jersey on Monday with a gritty ride in the fabled race’s first mountainous stage.

Healy led for much of the tough 165.3-kilometer route through the Massif Central – France’s south-central highland region – but had to be content with third place after Giro d’Italia winner Simon Yates broke on the final ascent to take the stage victory.

But Healy’s push – he was nominated the most combative rider of the day on France’s national day – was enough to take a 29-second lead over Tadej Pogačar in the general classification and take the yellow jersey from the three-time Tour champion.

“It’s a fairy tale, you know,” said Healy, who claimed his first stage victory at the Tour on Thursday. “If you’d told me before this Tour, I think I wouldn’t have believed it. So a stage win and yellow jersey is just incredible and beyond belief, really.”

Healy is preceded by fellow Irish riders Shay Elliot, who won a stage in 1963, Sean Kelly, who led after Stage 9 in 1983, and Stephen Roche, who won the Tour in 1987.

“It’s some pretty crazy footsteps to follow, isn’t it, and I’m just super proud to represent Ireland and wear the yellow jersey for them and hopefully I can do it some justice,” said Healy, who was born in England and qualifies for Ireland through his father’s parents from Cork and Waterford.

Healy was 3 minutes, 55 seconds behind Pogačar when he started Stage 10, but he found himself in a large breakaway from the favorites in the peloton, and then forced the initiative over seven category two climbs.

Supported by UAE Team Emirates colleagues, Pogačar fought back late. Healy watched as the defending champion finished the stage on the ascent of Puy de Sancy – the region’s highest peak – 4:51 behind stage winner Yates. Healy was only nine seconds behind.

“UAE surprisingly let a really big break go up the road,” he said. “We had four guys in there and, yeah, I’ve got to really say a massive thank you to (EF Education-Easypost teammates) Harry Sweeney and Alex Baudin today, you know, they were just incredible and I’m just so glad I was able to finish.”

Healy was not considered among the race favorites – two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard was expected to provide Pogačar with his sternest challenge. But wearing the yellow jersey means Healy will have to be more focused on the general classification than before.

“It would be rude not to be,” he said. “I’ve got to respect the jersey and I’m in quite a nice position now, I guess, to try and hold on for as long as possible.”