Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour de France offered a stark lesson in what it takes to win from the breakaway. After four days of explosive racing and a time trial, this was the first day a move up the road went all the way — and it was EF Education-EasyPost's Ben Healy who seized the moment.
But what did it actually take? Thanks to the power data shared by Healy, we can dig into the numbers behind his relentless ride, from the chaotic early fight for the break to his stunning 43 km solo move, which saw him sustain a normalised power of nearly 5.6 W/kg for the almost-hour long attack.
As is unsurprising given his abilities on hilly courses, Healy's victory came a day that gained more elevation than the course profile may suggest. Although there were only five Category 3 and one Category 4 climbs, those and numerous uncategorized ascents and various ups and downs across the 201.5 km stage helped the total elevation gain climb to over 3,500 metres. For perspective, that's some 300 metres more climbing than the Amstel Gold Race, which is 55 km longer and considered a hilly one-day race.
Healy’s win is the first of this year’s Tour to go in favour of the break, and the Irishman was in a class of his own, extending his lead over his former breakaway companions all the way to the line after making a bid for glory with 43 kilometres to go.
Establishing the break
The break was a long time coming on the rolling roads of Normandy. For the first 57 kilometres of racing, no groups managed to establish a gap. In the opening hour, multiple riders tried and failed with the likes of Wout Van Aert, Victor Campenaerts, and Harold Tejada – along with Healy himself – making attempts to get away.
Healy was an early animator of the day, jumping at 179 km to go, before the race arrived at the first climb of the day in an attempt to force a split to form; however, only Lidl-Trek's Quinn Simmons followed and the move was caught 11 km later. For the next 23 km, there was a smattering of short-lived attacks, all shut down by the peloton or through attempts to bridge up to it.
| What happened | Duration | Speed | Power | Normalised power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haller - opening 57 km before the break formed | 01:13:53 | 46.6 km/h | 350 W (4.86 W/kg) | 426 W (5.92 W/kg) |
| Armirail - opening 57 km | 01:13:51 | 46.7 km/h | 331 W (4.66 W/kg) | 392 W (5.52 W/kg) |
| Healy - opening 57 km | 01:13:48 | 46.8 km/h | 296 W (4.55 | 359 W (5.52 |
It wasn’t through lack of trying that the break took so long to form, with the opening 57 kilometres before the day's break finally formed being an aggressive and fast-paced affair. Tudor rider Marco Haller’s data shows just what it takes to challenge for the break with a monstrous normalised power of 426 watts for almost an hour and a quarter.
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