Simon Yates Seizes Bastille Day Glory on Tour de France Stage 10’s Mountain Showdown
Simon Yates (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) lit up Bastille Day with a sensational victory on Stage 10 of the 2025 Tour de France, conquering the rugged slopes of Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy to claim his third career stage win on cycling’s grandest stage.
On a day where national pride and mountain ambition collided in the Massif Central, the British climber produced a tactical masterclass to outwit and outlast a breakaway packed with top talent, before holding off a late charge from Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) to secure a memorable win on French soil.
⚡ Fireworks from the Breakaway
The 165.3km route from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore promised fireworks — and it delivered. An aggressive breakaway featuring Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Michael Storer (Jayco AlUla), and Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) animated the early kilometres, with Healy especially relentless as he scooped up precious King of the Mountains points across multiple climbs.
As the peloton, led by Decathlon-AG2R and UAE Team Emirates, kept the gap manageable, attacks began to fly with 30 kilometres remaining. Simmons made a bold solo move, only to be reeled back by a determined chase led by Healy, Storer, and Yates.
The Final Ascent: Puy de Sancy Delivers Drama
The decisive moment came at the foot of the final climb to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy. Yates launched a blistering attack with 2.5km to go, swiftly distancing his fellow escapees. Arensman valiantly chased but could not close the gap, while Healy fought gamely to secure a well-earned third on the stage.
Yates stopped the clock in 4h 20′ 05″, with Arensman crossing the line nine seconds behind, and Healy a further 22 seconds adrift.
It marked a career-defining third Tour de France stage win for Yates, adding to his victories in 2019, and reaffirming his place among the elite climbers of the modern peloton.
🚴♂️ GC Battle Ignites Behind
While the breakaway fought for stage honours, the general classification contenders turned up the heat in the final kilometres.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) ignited an explosive attack inside the last 5km, prompting immediate responses from Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), and Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike).
Though no decisive gaps opened in the overall standings, the skirmish hinted at the GC battles still to come in the high Alps.
🇮🇪 Healy’s Heroics and KOM Shake-up
Ben Healy’s aggressive ride not only earned him a podium place but also vaulted him into second in the virtual King of the Mountains standings behind Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious).
The Irishman’s relentless tempo over the Col de Guéry and Col de la Croix Saint-Robert kept the peloton on edge all afternoon and positioned him as one of the standout performers of this year’s Tour so far.
📊 Stage 10 Top 3 Results:
Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
🥇 1 | Simon Yates | Visma | Lease a Bike |
🥈 2 | Thymen Arensman | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00′ 09″ |
🥉 3 | Ben Healy | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00′ 31″ |
📅 What’s Next?
Tomorrow rest will do the rest, the Tour de France continues over tomorrow with Stage 11 from Le Mont-Dore to Mende, a 181.5km route featuring another lumpy profile and an uphill finish tailor-made for puncheurs and opportunists.
Expect the GC contenders to stay sharp as fatigue begins to bite in the second week, and the battle for the Maillot Jaune edges ever closer to the decisive Alpine stages.
