Stage 10 of the Tour de France 2025 delivered the fireworks everyone was waiting for on 14 July. The roads of Massif Central witnessed a flurry of attacks all day long, until Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) dropped his breakaway companions on the final climb to in Le Mont-Dore, claiming his third Tour stage win, six years after the previous two. Also part of the breakaway, Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) gave it his all to chase the Maillot Jaune. Third on the day (+31’’), he becomes the fourth Irish overall leader of the race, the first since Stephen Roche’s mythical year 1987! After Visma-Lease a Bike tried to put him under pressure, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) attacked on the final climb, but Jonas Vingegaard matched his pace. The Slovenian is now 29’’ behind Healy on GC.
It’s Bastille Day and the riders have promised fireworks on an explosive course. The first categorised ascent of the day features early in the stage. From that point, there will be little to no flat roads all the way to Le Mont-Dore. As Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty) and Marijn van den Berg are forced to withdraw, 173 riders take on a 165.3-km route featuring eight categorised climbs and a total elevation of 4,450m.
A French-studded 29-man breakaway
As soon as the flag drops, Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) attacks. The battle for the break is on and it takes 17 kilometres - including the ascent of Côte de Loubeyrat (summit at km 11.8) - for a 28-man group to get away with big names such as Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike), as well as a strong contingent of French attackers: Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Clément Champoussin (XDS Astana).
Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) makes it 29 attackers at km 31. UAE Team Emirates-XRG drive the bunch with Tim Wellens and Nils Politt and the gap gradually increases over the following climbs, until Healy (trailing by 3’55’’ on GC) takes the lead of the virtual overall standings.
Martinez chases the polka dots
On the move 45 years after his grandfather Mariano Martinez won on Bastille Day in Morzine, Lenny Martinez sweeps the KOM points atop Côte de La Baraque (km 54.5), Côte de Charade (km 66.6) and Côte de Berzet (km 78.4). With this succession of climbs, the break explodes.
There are 15 riders at the front over the Col de Guéry (km 115.4), where Martinez all but secures the polka-dot jersey at the end of the stage. At the summit, the peloton trail by 5 minutes.
Visma-Lease a Bike up the ante
The breakaway riders unleash a flurry of attacks. The gap hits a maximum of 5’55’’ at Col de la Croix-Morand (km 124.1). Six riders remain at the front into the last 20 kilometres: Healy and Yates are still there, with Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Michael Storer (Tudor), Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers). Behind them, Visma-Lease a Bike attack with Sepp Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson but UAE Team Emirates-XRG control.
Healy sets the pace at the front as he chases the Maillot Jaune. Simmons is dropped on the ascent up Col de la Croix-Saint-Robert, with 14 km to go. On the same climb, Visma-Lease a Bike up the ante again. Over the top, Pogacar has lost all his teammates.
Yates and Healy light up the last fireworks
Yates attacks just ahead of the final ascent: 3.3km at 8% in Le Mont-Dore. Arensman only trails by 5’’ into the last kilometre but he can’t bridge the gap as the British winner of the Giro flies away to his third Tour stage win, six years after the previous two. Healy finishes third with a gap of 31’’.
Tadej Pogacar puts the hammer down with 1.5 km to go. Jonas Vingegaard matches his acceleration. And the duo slow down. They cross the line with a gap of 4’51’’. Healy thus takes the Maillot Jaune for 29’’. He is the fourth Irish rider to lead the overall standings of the Tour de France after Seamus Elliott, Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche.
