Ben Healy ‘super proud’ to represent Ireland in yellow jersey of Tour de France

Congratulations have been paid to Irishman Ben Healy who has become the first Irish cyclist to take the yellow jersey of the Tour de France since 1987.

The 24-year-old, born and raised near Birmingham, said he was “super proud” to represent Ireland after he clinched the lead of the prestigious cycling race after the 10th stage, sporting the Tricolour on each sleeve.

Speaking after the stage on Monday, he said: “It’s a fairy tale. If you told me this before the Tour, I think I wouldn’t have believed you – it is incredible and beyond belief, really.”

Healy’s paternal grandparents, from Waterford and Cork, moved to England in the 1960s.

His father Bryan, who had an interest in cycling, first brought him to a local track when he was aged five.