Ireland has a new cycling hero. Ben Healy has become 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.

After an opening week of skirmishes expect battle to seriously commence among the GC contenders today as the race hits the mountains

It is sometimes taken as a given that a lack of success has inhibited the nation's enthusiasm for its home race. Not a bit of it