TdF stage 6: Healey storms to victory, Look back: La Vie Claire

Healey on a mission

Ben Healy took his biggest victory of his career so far and gave EF Education EasyPost a sensational winning ride on stage 6. The Irishman was in the key breakaway after 130km of racing, collaborated with this breakaway companions and with 42km to go, attacked and put the hammer down. He was unstoppable as he soloed to finish in Vire Normandie.

"It's unbelievable. It's really really incredible and hours and hours from so many people, and to pay them back today it's just really really amazing. I watched lots of race footage and it really paid off today I think. I switched it on from the start. I spent too much energy trying to get into the break, but it's just the way I do it and once I was in there we really had to work hard for that gap. We were on the pedals the whole day and I knew I needed to be away from that group, pick my moment and I think I timed it well. I think I caught them by surprise a bit as well. 

It suited me down to the ground. It's a stage I circled in the book since the start and to do it on the first one it feels really really amazing. I grew up watching the Tour and one day wishing I could maybe one day be there, so to even be there is an achievement, so to win a stage is just so, so amazing."
-Ben Healey

"It was a little bit of disbelief at the beginning because we heard he had a two-and-a-half minut gap and we just could not believe that because even in the peloton we were all suffering a bit from how hard the day was but Ben was off the front, pushing wind, taking chunks of time out, so it was just incredible to hear the performance he was putting on out there. This why our team came to this race - to win stages - and goal achieved."
-Nielson Powless


Ben Healy winning stage 6 with a huge 42.6km solo attack out of the breakaway, winning by 2:44!


 

Look back...

TdF 1985 - La Vie Claire wins the 75 km TTT Vitre - Fougeres. The powerhouse team includes Bernard Hinault, Greg LeMond, Steve Bauer (white jersey) and others places 8 of its riders in the top 10 of the GC!




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