Who is Ben Healy, the most stylish cyclist of the Tour de France When a yellow jersey and Issey Miyake pants are enough to create a fashion icon
The 2025 edition of the Tour de France reached its climax with the ascent of Mont Ventoux — the queen climb of the entire Grand Boucle. The victory went to Frenchman Valentin Paret-Peintre, who outsprinted Ben Healy at the finish — the Tour’s undisputed fashion icon. There was a time when athletes were only known in sports, but that era is now officially over. Between Mbappé striking a pose for Jonathan Anderson’s debut, Léon Marchand and his contract with Louis Vuitton, or Jules Koundé, who was not only the star of a Jacquemus campaign last September but also front row at every Fashion Week, athletes are increasingly establishing themselves as modern-day fashion icons. While the same names often recur—usually footballers landing the biggest deals with top fashion houses—it is also interesting to consider lesser-known athletes and unexpected sports like cycling. Beyond being an unexpected trendsetter, cycling—and particularly the Tour de France, which started on July 5 and ends in Paris next Sunday—is a machine for creating icons, as demonstrated by Ben Healy, an Irish cyclist whose Instagram and wardrobe have recently caught the attention of audiences beyond the world of sport. And vice versa.
Through his Dua Lipa-style vacation dumps—cooking pasta in Florence or strolling through Venice—it’s clear that last week’s double yellow jersey winner has a hidden talent beyond cycling: fashion. He recently opened up to I-d magazine about his love for clothes, his Issey Miyake trousers, and key fashion pieces, which he enjoys mixing with more classic staples. “I have a long-standing favorite item that I think everyone has seen me wear, which is my Issey Miyake trousers. They look good, they pack small, they’re casual, they’re smart—they do everything,” he said. His style and personality even reflect in the team he rides for, EF Education Easy-Post, also known for its cool vibe with Palace Skateboard kits and bubblegum-pink jerseys.
Healy doesn’t fit the typical image of the athlete who relies on big-name brands to build his wardrobe. His aesthetic is detail-oriented, refined, and deliberately elegant. Before him, other cyclists like Peter Sagan, Mario Cipollini, and Taylor Phinney had briefly caught the fashion world’s eye with unique styles, although none displayed niche fashion knowledge or were seen in Pleats Please pieces. Who knows, maybe the next Fashion Weeks will be full of cyclists. As far as we're concerned, we can already picture Ben Healy in a linen suit, front row at a Jacquemus show.
