There’s no rest for the wicked on stage six of the Tour de France, a 201km run from Bayeux to Vire Normandie littered with punchy climbs.
Six categorised climbs - five cat-threes and a final cat-four - alongside plenty more unofficial lumps in the road account for 3,500m of climbing. Any numbers of riders could capitalise on the difficult terrain, while many others are set for a bruising and unpleasant day out as they wait for the next sprint day.
This one looks ideal for a breakaway, but we said that about stage four - a stage with a similarly hilly, punchy finish - and it was the general classification riders instead who contested that won, with Tadej Pogacar coming out on top.
The Slovenian moved into the overall lead yesterday as Remco Evenepoel won stage five’s time trial, and with his 100th win coming in the world champion’s rainbow stripes, could Pogacar be looking at taking his 101st in yellow today?
Follow all the action with our liveblog below:
Tour de France 2025 Stage 6 LIVE
- Stage 6: 201km from Bayeux to Vire Normandie | Live on TNT Sports and ITV4
- Ben Healy wins maiden Tour stage with phenomenal solo effort
- How to watch the Tour de France 2025
- Stage 6 route map and profile
- Stage 5 recap: Remco Evenepoel wins time trial as Tadej Pogacar takes yellow
Stage seven route map and profile
17:47 , Flo Clifford
Jersey standings for stage seven
17:37 , Flo CliffordMathieu van der Poel will be back in bright yellow tomorrow, although by the narrowest margin in some time: just one second.
Pogacar will likely be in the KOM jersey again after his brief spell earlier in the race, having handed over yellow.
Jonathan Milan leads the points jersey standings and Remco Evenepoel is the best young rider in white.
Pogacar: "We rode our pace"
17:26 , Callum Rice-CoatesTadej Pogacar on Stage 6: “Visma went hard so we just followed. The first two hours were super hard, incredibly fast and then we were deciding if we go for the stage or not, and we decided not to spend the bullets so we rode our pace.
“Nils [Politt] did an incredible job, then Marc [Soler] and the rest of the team. Visma on the last two kickers were just riding all out.
“Maybe they had info that Van der Poel was suffering in the front, losing time, and maybe they wanted to give me yellow, but I think Mathieu has it for one second so chapeau to him. It was a super ride from him today.”
Stage 6 report
17:15 , Callum Rice-CoatesHere is our report from an eventful Stage 6 at the Tour de France:
Ireland’s Ben Healy breaks clear to win Tour de France stage six
Points classification
17:08- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), 112pts
- Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), 108pts
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), 106pts
- Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty), 102pts
- Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) 72pts
Healy on the podium
16:57👏 Ben Healy's victory, the victory of an entire team!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 10, 2025
👏 La victoire de Ben Healy, la victoire de toute une équipe !#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/wYGeFQFTR3
Van der Poel digs deep
16:48 , Callum Rice-CoatesA gruelling day for Mathieu van der Poel, whose reward is to wear the yellow jersey again tomorrow. But did he expend a little too much energy? Tadej Pogacar still looks in pole position as things stand.
General classification
16:39 , Callum Rice-Coates- Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 21hrs 52mins 34secs
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +1sec
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) +43secs
- Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +1min
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 14secs
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 23secs
- Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +1min 59secs
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) +2mins 1sec
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2min 32secs
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2min 36secs
Ben Healy on stage win
16:34 , Callum Rice-CoatesIt's unbelievable - really what I've worked for, not just this year, the whole time. Really, really incredible - hours and hours of hard work from so many people and to pay them back today is amazing. I switched on from the start, maybe spent too much trying to get into the break. Once I was in there I really had to work for that gap, and I was on the pedals all day. I picked my moment and timed it well. I knew what I had to do - just head down until the finish.
A day to remember for Healy
16:28 , Callum Rice-CoatesWHAT THE HEALY 😱#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/XrCgYVG0TO
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 10, 2025
Van der Poel takes yellow jersey!
16:25 , Callum Rice-CoatesIt was extremely close, but Mathieu van der Poel has the yellow jersey again, one second ahead of Tadej Pogacar in the general classification.
How it finished
16:201. Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost)
2. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) +2mins 44secs
3. Michael Storer (Tudor) +2mins 51secs
4. Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla) +3mins 21secs
5. Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) +3mins 24secs
Pogacar storms to the line
16:18 , Callum Rice-CoatesPogacar, in the yellow jersey, finishes ahead of everyone in the peloton after a strong late surge.
Dunbar finishes fourth
16:16 , Callum Rice-CoatesEddie Dunbar takes fourth ahead of Simon Yates. Barta comes in fifth, ahead of Tejada and Van der Poel.
Simmons takes second
16:15 , Callum Rice-CoatesSimmons (Lidl-Trek) crosses the line second, just ahead of Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) after a late burst from both riders to the finish. An excellent battle between them, even if they’ve been overshadowed by Healy.
HEALY WINS STAGE 6!
16:12 , Callum Rice-CoatesThat’s it! Healy crosses the line. What a day for him and for EF Education-EasyPost. Some ride from the Irishman, who smiles in delight despite the pain of a steep hill to the finish line.
1km to go
16:09 , Callum Rice-CoatesHealy is nearly there. The peloton have closed the gap to the original breakaway group that includes Van der Poel.
3km to go
16:08 , Callum Rice-CoatesVan der Poel is dropping off, struggling in these final few kms. Storer now attacks Simmons but the latter stays with him.
4km to go
16:06 , Callum Rice-CoatesThere’s a category 4 climb just before the finish. Healy, of course, takes the KOM point and edges closer to a memorable victory.
5km to go
16:04 , Callum Rice-CoatesHealy now leads by 2’15” but he’s not relaxing. He’s been unerringly focused and determined since he made the break with about 42km remaining.
7km to go
16:01 , Callum Rice-CoatesSimmons attacks and tries to get away from Storer in the battle for second. Healy is now close to 2 minutes ahead.
Final 10km
15:57 , Callum Rice-Coates10km to go: Healy’s lead is only growing, up to 1’50” now. Surely a stage win for the Irishman now.
Gap widening
15:51 , Callum Rice-Coates15km to go: It’s looking very good for Healy now, barring any catastrophe. He’s 1’28” ahead of Simmons and Storer, and showing no signs of slowing up.
Healy looking strong
15:43 , Callum Rice-Coates22km to go: It looked like Simmons and Storer might begin to cut into Healy’s lead, but he remains 55 seconds clear of them, and a further 1’27” ahead of the breakaway, where Van der Poel remains, still on course for the yellow jersey.
KOM points for Healy
15:37 , Callum Rice-Coates27km to go: Healy grimaces after keeping the pace up while climbing Cete de Saint-Michel-de-Montjoie, and taking the two KOM points. Simmons and Storer attack and form a two-man group in pursuit of Healy.
Tough finish
15:30 , Callum Rice-Coates30km to go: After a gruelling day, the last stretch of this stage will really test the legs.
PROFILE LAST 14KM 🔎
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 10, 2025
The last few kilometres will be particularly brutal, ideal for the puncheurs 💥
Les derniers kilomètres seront particulièrement brutaux, un enchainement idéal pour les puncheurs ♨️#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/SBuBy8nLDv
Gap grows
15:29 , Callum Rice-Coates32km to go: This is some effort from the seemingly indefatigable Healy. He’s now 48 seconds ahead of everyone else, while the breakaway are close to five minutes clear of the peloton.
Healy digging in
15:20 , Callum Rice-Coates38km to go: Healy is really stepping on it here. He wants to get clear of the breakaway group, and he’s got a lead of 25 seconds. Can he keep this up on a stage where he’s already put in a huge effort?
Healy goes
15:16 , Callum Rice-Coates42km to go: Ben Healy has attacked and surged away from the breakaway group, who set off in hot pursuit.
Storer gets latest KOM points
15:1147km to go: A burst of energy from Michael Storer gets him over the line at the end of the category three Cote de Juvigny-le-Tertre, with Eddie Dunbar in pursuit.
Close call!
15:05 , Callum Rice-Coates50km to go: Almost a crash in the breakaway, where it’s been plain sailing for the most part. Tejada’s back wheel and Healy’s front wheel nearly come together, but disaster is avoided. The lead is now 3’42” into the final 50km.
Gap to three minutes
14:5558km to go: The breakaway now have a lead of three minutes. UAE are unconcerned, even though Pogacar could be set to surrender the yellow jersey to Van der Poel. In the long term, Pogacar will remain in a very strong position, with mountainous stages to come.
Dunbar takes KOM points
14:48 , Callum Rice-Coates63km to go: A brutal climb comes to an end for the leading group and it’s Jayco–AlUla’s Eddie Dunbar who takes the two KOM points.
Next climb starts
14:43 , Callum Rice-Coates65km to go: The third classified climb of the day begins. It’s a steep hill to begin as the breakaway group approach a three-minute lead.
UAE give breakaway all clear?
14:37 , Flo Clifford68km to go: “It’s okay like this, we don’t need to push too much,” the UAE team car tells their riders. That sounds promising for the breakaway...
Breakaway attacks
14:34 , Flo Clifford71km to go: The breakaway gets through a feed zone and promptly kicks on, with Marc Soler grimacing as he drags the peloton through it too. Remco Evenepoel, now in the best young rider’s white jersey, is right up there with the Spaniard. The gap now is 2’38”.
Gap out to two minutes
14:24 , Flo Clifford78km to go: UAE are on the front, still controlling things, but they’ve let the gap go out to over two minutes now.
The crowds are out in force to cheer the riders on, on a frankly beautiful day for it.
The green jersey of Jonathan Milan and his fellow beleaguered sprinters are now nearly 11 minutes back.
Van der Poel into yellow again?
14:11 , Flo Clifford90km to go: Briefly, van der Poel was in the virtual lead for a minute, before UAE pegged them back ever so slightly. The break’s lead is 1’23” or thereabouts.
Breakaway a minute clear
13:59 , Flo Clifford97km to go: It looks like things have settled down now. Here’s how the eight-man breakaway looks, 1:15 ahead of the bunch:
- Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike)
- Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost)
- Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling)
- Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla)
- Will Barta (Movistar)
- Harold Tejada (XDS-Astana)
- Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)
Van der Poel is the best placed on GC, at 1:28. Could he be riding back into yellow?
Burgaudeau attacks
13:49 , Callum Rice-Coates106km to go: Mathieu Burgaudeau attacks as UAE attempt to slow down the pace of the peloton. The TotalEnergies rider gets away and goes in pursuit of the breakaway group, now 40 seconds in front.
30 seconds
13:42 , Callum Rice-Coates111km to go: The breakaway group are now 30 seconds ahead now. UAE Team Emirates are at the front of the peloton and the pace is perhaps slowing slightly.
Van Aert trailing
13:30 , Callum Rice-Coates121km to go: Wout van Aert has fallen back into a group of riders behind the peloton, and the furthest back are now more than 7 minutes off the pace. This is an unforgiving day.
Gap at 10 seconds
13:28 , Callum Rice-Coates122km to go: Still no real breakaway established. Michael Storer is up with the group, now consisting of eight riders. But the peloton aren’t letting them get away.
Peloton stretching
13:20 , Callum Rice-Coates130km to go: The pace of the peloton is relentless, in an attempt to stop any breakaways. Simon Yates pushes to join up with the front group but the gap is a mere 7 seconds.
Dunbar goes
13:17 , Callum Rice-Coates132km to go: Eddie Dunbar finds a burst of energy and joins up with the breakaway group, but they are still struggling to pull away.
Gap cut
13:13134km to go: The breakaway group of five have seen their lead cut to 15 seconds. It’s still a game of cat and mouse at the front of the peloton as others look to get away.
Another breakaway
13:05 , Callum Rice-Coates141km to go: Healy, Simmons, Van der Poel, Barta and Tejada have formed the latest attempt at a breakaway. They’re 35 seconds ahead and the peloton appears to have slowed somewhat. Guillaume Martin is chasing on his own, 18 seconds back.
Pogacar to the front
12:59 , Callum Rice-Coates145km to go: Tadej Pogacar emerges from the pack and comes towards the front. Healy and Simmons are still there. EasyPost are riding aggressively here. But it’s Tim Wellens who times his burst perfectly to take the latest KOM points on offer.
Van Aert and Castrillo caught
12:56146km to go: Van Aert and Castrillo are the latest to try unsuccessfully at a breakaway. The peloton are together again for the next climb.
Average speed
12:50 , Callum Rice-Coates150km to go: The average speed of the race so far is 49.68km/h, and that’s after a category 3 climb.
Two riders ahead
12:42 , Callum Rice-Coates157km to go: Wout van Aert and Pablo Castrillo are 12 seconds ahead of the peloton. Can they establish the next breakaway?
Riders falling behind
12:36 , Callum Rice-Coates162km to go: There are some riders dropping off after a relentless start to this stage. The furthest back are over a minute behind now.
Breakaway reined in
12:33 , Callum Rice-Coates165km to go: A commendable effort from the quartet at the front but they’ve been swallowed up by the peloton. Simmons takes the two KOM points at the end of the climb.
Campenaerts joins
12:30 , Callum Rice-Coates167km to go: Now Victor Campenaerts is with the breakaway.
Tejada joins breakaway
12:29 , Callum Rice-Coates168km to go: Harold Tejada has joined up with Healy and Simmons, but there isn’t much ground being made.
Cat 3 climb
12:28 , Callum Rice-Coates169km to go: We’re into the first major climb of the day. The breakaway pair are only 10 seconds up the road but others are trying to join them, taking it in turns to attack from the front of the peloton.
Sprint action
12:23 , Callum Rice-Coates172km to go:
💚 Jonathan Milan wins the intermediate sprint and takes back the lead in the points classification! 🇳🇱 @mathieuvdpoel and 🇪🇷 @GrmayeBiniam are 2nd and 3rd.
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 10, 2025
💚 Jonathan Milan remporte le sprint intermédiaire et reprend la tête du classement par points ! 🇳🇱 @mathieuvdpoel et 🇪🇷… pic.twitter.com/UpRaGa6h7m
Milan wins sprint!
12:15 , Callum Rice-Coates179 km to go: Jonathan Milan, in the green jersey, takes the 20 points in the intermediate sprint.
Sprint coming up
12:09 , Callum Rice-Coates184km to go: The intermediate sprint is less than 5km away now. It’ll almost be a restart to the race after that.
Prediction for stage six
11:31 , Flo CliffordLike on stage four, there are any number of riders who could find some joy in Vire Normandie today. Tadej Pogacar loves a climb and a stage win, particularly in yellow, and the 10% gradient on the final climb will appeal to him - if the GC teams control the stage, which UAE certainly tend to do whenever the big man has a victory in his sights.
Mathieu van der Poel equally excels on punchy terrain, although this may be a hill too far for the Dutchman, while the likes of Romain Gregoire - fifth on stage four - would be a popular winner among the French crowd.
But let’s go with Kevin Vauquelin, for the sake of being different. The Bayeux-born rider will surely fancy a win on his home roads, and after a brilliant performance in yesterday’s time trial - a fifth on the stage moving him up to third overall - should be brimming with confidence.
General classification after stage five
11:07 , Flo Clifford1) Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 17:22:58
2) Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) +42”
3) Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +59”
4) Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1’13”
5) Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1’22”
6) Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +1’28”
7) Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +1’53”
8) Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2’30”
9) Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2’31”
10) Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) +2’32”
Stage five recap
10:49 , Flo CliffordRemco Evenepoel won the stage five time trial at the Tour de France as Tadej Pogacar seized yellow and saw his rival Jonas Vingegaard lose more than a minute on the roads around Caen.
Evenepoel, the world and Olympic time trial champion, had talked up his chances of victory on this stage and delivered, if not by the margin needed to make good on his suggestion he could take yellow himself.
The Belgian completed the largely flat 33km course in 36 minutes and 42 seconds, at an average speed of 54kmh, to win by 16 seconds from Pogacar.
With Mathieu van der Poel, who started the day on the same overall time as Pogacar, 18th on the day, Pogacar pulled on the yellow jersey with Evenepoel his closest challenger, 42 seconds down in the overall standings.
Remco Evenepoel wins stage five time trial as Jonas Vingegaard loses time
