The Tour de France delivered a dramatic and tactical sixth stage, stretching 201 kilometers from Bayeux to Vire Normandie. Featuring 3550 meters of elevation gain punctuated by six climbs, this was terrain ripe for aggression, and for the first time in this edition, a high-quality breakaway successfully made it all the way to the finish.
The day`s honors went to 24-year-old Irishman Ben Healy of EF Education-EasyPost, who launched a decisive attack a formidable 41 kilometers from the line. Healy`s solo effort proved unstoppable, securing him a magnificent victory with a significant lead over his former breakaway companions. Magnus Sheffield Simmons finished second at 2 minutes 43 seconds, with Hugh Carthy Storer third at 2 minutes 50 seconds. Ben O`Connor Dunbar was fourth at 3 minutes 21 seconds, and Simon Yates rounded out the top five, 3 minutes 24 seconds behind the winner.
Healy is no stranger to tough, hilly races, having previously won a stage at the 2023 Giro d`Italia and achieved strong results in prestigious Classics like the Amstel Gold Race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, and La Flèche Wallonne. His attack today was a clear demonstration of his strength and tactical acumen on this kind of parcours.
The breakaway, which formed relatively early around 140 kilometers from the finish, included formidable names such as Healy, Van der Poel, Simmons, and Simon Yates – notably riding in support of Jonas Vingegaard at Visma-Lease a Bike, perhaps not quite a `domestique` but certainly not riding for himself on GC. Despite the strength and speed of the lead group, which pushed a high average speed of 45.6 km/h for the stage, the peloton containing the main General Classification contenders kept them on a relatively tight leash, allowing the gap to grow but never become insurmountable for the jersey battle.
A Yellow Jersey Shuffle
While the stage win was decisive, the battle for the Yellow Jersey provided a late twist. Mathieu Van der Poel, who was part of the initial breakaway but lost significant time to Healy in the closing kilometers (nearly 4 minutes), managed to reclaim the coveted Maillot Jaune. His group finished 3 minutes 58 seconds behind Healy. The main peloton, containing previous Yellow Jersey Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), finished 1 minute 29 seconds behind Van der Poel.
This result saw Van der Poel take the overall lead by a mere 1 second over Pogacar. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step) sits third, 43 seconds adrift.
Interestingly, the dynamics in the main group seemed to play a role in the final gap. With Van der Poel`s lead diminishing due to his late fade from the breakaway, the peloton`s pace dictated whether Pogacar would retain yellow. Jonas Vingegaard`s teammates notably accelerated in the final kilometers, which had the effect of reducing the peloton`s deficit to Van der Poel`s group. This maneuver, potentially aimed at shedding the logistical burdens of the Yellow Jersey (podiums, interviews, anti-doping control) from Pogacar`s shoulders and placing them onto Van der Poel, seemed to visibly nettle Pogacar, who reacted with a sharp sprint on the finish straight.
Pogacar, who had held all three jerseys after recent stages (Yellow, Green, and Polka Dot), lost all of them today. The Green Jersey for the points classification goes to Italy`s Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), while the Polka Dot Jersey for the mountains classification is taken by Pogacar`s own UAE Team Emirates teammate, Tim Wellens.
Looking Ahead: Brittany and the Mur de Bretagne
Tomorrow`s Stage 7 is a 197-kilometer journey from Saint Malo to Mur de Bretagne (Guerledan), featuring 2450 meters of elevation. The stage is rated three stars for attackers and marks the Tour`s arrival in Brittany, a region deeply steeped in French cycling history.
The day will also serve as a tribute to Bernard Hinault, the last French winner of the Tour (1985). The route passes through his hometown of Yffiniac and later through Saint Brieuc, where Filippo Pozzato secured a memorable Italian stage win in 2004.
The stage culminates on the Mur de Bretagne, sometimes dubbed the `Breton Alpe d`Huez`. While not exceptionally long at 2 kilometers, it pitches up to a steep 6.9% average with gradients hitting 15% early on. The relatively wide road can be deceptively difficult. This climb holds recent history for Van der Poel, who won here in 2021 to take the Yellow Jersey, holding off none other than Tadej Pogacar by 6 seconds. It was also the site of a key battle between Cadel Evans and Alberto Contador in 2011. Tomorrow promises another showdown well-suited to explosive riders like Pogacar and potentially Van der Poel, depending on how he recovers from today`s breakaway effort and the burden of the Yellow Jersey.
Gilbert Pendleton