17-07-2025
Ben Healy loses yellow jersey in searing heat as Tadej Pogacar makes huge statement in Pyrenees
Healy, who had expended serious amounts of energy when winning stage six after a 40km solo ride and then taking the yellow jersey on stage 10 with another 25km solo effort, finally cracked around 6km from the top of the first category Col du Soulor today – with 50km and two more climbs to come on the stage, including the hors category summit finish at Hautacam.
In trouble on the Soulor, Healy held a gap of about 20 seconds to his main contenders for a couple of kilometres but went over the top over three minutes behind second-placed Tadej Pogacar, making the Slovenian virtual race leader on the road.
Healy was nursed over the top and up the next climb by teammate Harry Sweeny who had to pour numerous bottles of cold water over Healy in an effort to cool him down in the 36-degree heat.
The earlier efforts of this Tour soon told however, and it became apparent that Healy's matches were all burned as he headed on to the slopes of the 14km-long Hautacam. From then, it was just a battle to get to the finish, the yellow-clad Healy eventually crossing the line over 13 minutes behind stage winner and three-time Tour winner Pogacar.
Behind Pogacar, other big names fell apart on the climb, with second-placed, two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard losing 2:10 to the new race leader, while Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel remains in third place overall but is now 4:45 behind Pogacar and takes over Healy's lead in the white jersey classification for the best young rider overall..
Young German Florian Lipowitz was the surprise package of the day, taking third place on the stage, just 13 seconds behind Vingegaard and moving into fourth place overall.
Healy has dropped to 11th overall, 13:19 behind new leader Pogacar, and he is now down to fifth in the young rider classification but, having come into only his second Tour de France in search of a stage win, the 24-year-old can be happy with his pickings so far: victory on stage six and two days in yellow.
Healy is fifth overall in the King of the Mountains competition and if anything, his time loss today may, if he can recover from his efforts, see him get a chance to get up the road in a breakaway later in the Tour and chase another stage win or even the climbers' competition.
Tomorrow's stage will be an 11km mountain time trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes.
Tour de France, stage 13
