BEN HEALY was over the moon after becoming the first Irishman in five years to win a stage at the Tour De France.
The 24-year-old follows in the footsteps of Sam Bennett in 2020, and is just the seventh Irishman to accomplish the feat in history.
And speaking afterwards, a beaming Healy couldn’t contain his delight, joking after crossing the line: “That hill made me f***ing work for it.”
He added: “It’s unbelievable.
“It’s what I’ve worked all for, not just this year, the whole time, it’s incredible.
“Hours and hours of hard work from so many people, so to pay them back today is amazing.
“I grew up watching the Tour and one day wishing I could be there, to even be here is an achievement, so to win is amazing.”
“I grew up watching the Tour and one day wishing I could be there, to even be here is an achievement, so to win is amazing.”
Healy produced a storming final stretch to steal victory in Normandy.
The EF Education-EasyPost cyclist peeled away on a solo attack from an eight-man breakaway to take victory on the 201.5 km stage six.
He won by 2 minutes and 44 seconds, and joins Bennett, Shay Elliott, Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley and Dan Martin as Irishman to have won a Tour De France stage.
Eddie Dunbar came in fourth, a position he pipped on the line after being part of the eight-man breakaway.
Healy now sits eighth in the General Classification – having started in the day in 33rd – after six stages, 2:01 behind Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.
Dunbar, meanwhile, sits in 29th.
