Harry Sweeny’s Tour de France Heroics Fly Under the Radar
So, let’s talk about Harry Sweeny—because if you’re watching the Tour de France and not paying attention to riders like him, you’re missing some of the most incredible stories of the race. Sweeny, an Aussie riding for EF Education-EasyPost, isn’t always at the front of the headlines, but what he did in Stage 18 and again in Stage 20 is nothing short of extraordinary.
Stage 18 was a brutal queen stage—nearly 175 kilometers and over 5,000 meters of climbing. The kind of day where most riders are just trying to survive. Sweeny crossed the line in 30th place, nearly half an hour behind the winner, but what the results sheet doesn’t show is just how vital his effort was. He was working selflessly all day for his teammate Ben Healy, who’s been fighting to hold onto a top-ten position in the general classification.
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Sweeny was glued to Healy’s side through the Col du Glandon and Col de la Madeleine, pacing him up when the attacks came hard and fast. When Healy started to fade, Sweeny essentially became his lifeline—shielding him, pacing him, and keeping him in the game. On the valley road to the Col de la Loze, he even rode a solo time trial with Healy tucked in behind him. And the power numbers? They were wild—351 watts normalized over nearly six hours. That’s the kind of effort most people can barely do for a few minutes, let alone all day.
He even pulled out nearly 400 watts for a full hour climbing the Madeleine, and 424 watts for a 20-minute stretch leading into the final climb. It’s insane. He spent almost an hour and a half above 400 watts. Oh, and he burned over 6,200 calories that day—then crushed 700 grams of pasta and 400 grams of apple crumble for dinner to recover. That’s how deep into the red he went.
Fast forward to Stage 20—Sweeny’s back in the spotlight. This time, he’s not just supporting someone else—he’s attacking. On the penultimate climb, he drops the rest of the breakaway, pushes through slick roads and rain, and holds a solo lead for kilometer after kilometer, even slipping at one point but somehow managing to stay upright. And he’s taking polka-dot points along the way, pushing as hard as he can with a group of chasers just seconds behind.
This is what being a pro at the Tour de France looks like when you’re not on the podium or in the yellow jersey. It’s relentless, it’s selfless, and it’s absolutely punishing. Harry Sweeny might not be in the limelight every day, but performances like these prove he’s the kind of rider every team dreams of having—strong, loyal, and unbreakably determined.
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