By Associated Press
Ireland has a new cycling hero.
Ben Healy became the fourth Irish rider to earn the Tour de France’s yellow jersey on Monday with a gritty ride in the fabled race’s first mountainous stage.
Healy led for much of the tough 165.3-kilometer route through the Massif Central — France’s south-central highland region — but had to be content with third place after Giro d’Italia winner Simon Yates broke on the final ascent to take the stage victory.
But Healy’s push — he was nominated the most combative rider of the day on France’s national day — was enough to take a 29-second lead over Tadej Pogačar in the general classification and take the yellow jersey from the three-time Tour champion.
“It’s a fairy tale, you know,” said Healy, who claimed his first stage victory at the Tour on Thursday. “If you’d told me before this Tour, I think I wouldn’t
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