Ben Healy makes Waterford and Ireland proud as he dons Yellow Jersey in Tour de France
New overall leader, Ireland's Ben Healy celebrates on the podium after the tenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 165.3 kilometers (102.7 miles) with start in Ennezat and finish in Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, France, on Monday, July 14. Photo: AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy
Ben Healy, who won the Yellow Jersey in stage 10 of the Tour de France as he competes for Ireland, has made Irish and Waterford people very proud.
Born and raised in Wordsley, Dudley, West Midlands, near Birmingham in England, although British by birth Ben Healy has Irish heritage through his grandparents.
His dad, Bryan, is the youngest of three siblings and the only one to be born in England after his Irish-born parents, his father hailing from Waterford and his mother from Cork, moved to London in the 1960s.
Having raced a bit himself, Bryan introduced his son to cycling.
As a teenager, for the purposes of competitive cycling, Ben opted to pledge his allegiance to Ireland.
Healy chose to represent the country of his Waterford- and Cork-born paternal grandparents, and races with Irish stripes on his sleeves courtesy of being a former national road race champion.
Now aged 24, Ben made history on Monday as only the fourth Irishman to wear yellow in the Tour de France, and the first since Stephen Roche in 1987.
As the 2025 Tour de France approaches the halfway mark, his securing of the coveted yellow jersey on Stage 10 is a landmark moment both for the 24-year-old and for Irish cycling, marking the first time since 1987 that an Irish rider has led the general classification in the world’s biggest bike race.
On Stage 6 of this year’s race, Healy joined the list of previous Irish stage winners, including Shay Elliott, Martin Earley, Dan Martin, Stephen Roche, and Carrick-on-Suir’s own Sean Kelly and Sam Bennett.
Healy, who was born in England but declared for Ireland in 2018 thanks to family roots in Waterford and Cork, has steadily built a reputation as one of the pro peloton’s most aggressive and exciting talents.
His move to represent Ireland was strongly supported by Carrick-on-Suir’s Martin O’Loughlin, who was the Cycling Ireland coach during that time - well-known for helping shape the career of fellow Irish star Sam Bennett.
Now, with the yellow jersey on his shoulders and the mountain stages looming, Healy finds himself not just riding for stage wins, but defending the lead in the greatest race of them all.
For Irish and Waterford fans, it’s a moment to savour - and for Healy, it’s a new chapter in what’s already becoming a remarkable career for the 24-year-old.
