Vaughters: 'This Tour was probably the most fun race that we have had'

A week before the Grand Départ in Lille, EF’s Tour was turned upside down when Richard Carapaz was forced to withdraw. Losing their GC leader meant abandoning the original plan and starting from scratch. “We had to say, ‘Ok, we’re not going to have a GC guy, so we’re just racing every day,’” Vaughters recalled. “The guys really took that to heart and made the most of it. For me, this Tour was probably the most fun race that we have had.”

From the opening stages, EF attacked with intent. Ben Healy’s early stage win lifted the pressure and opened the door to something bigger. “From there on out, everyone could race in a more relaxed manner,” Vaughters said. “We were like, ‘Okay, so what are we going to do next?’” A few days later, they claimed the maillot jaune. “Carrying the yellow jersey is the most important thing you can do in cycling. Even if it is just for one or two days, it is still a career-defining moment,” 

Vaughters said. “Ben went from being a really exciting rider to Ben the superstar. All of a sudden, Ben’s dog was a superstar. It all came together for a few days - and it showed what cycling can be.”

Healy’s ride into the top 10 was as unconventional as it was effective, built on long-range attacks, the occasional blow-up, and both time trials treated as recovery days. “He is an all-or-nothing kind of guy, not a do-not-lose dude,” Vaughters said. “He can race GC his own way and still get a really good result.”

For Vaughters, the way Healy raced is non-negotiable. “If someone said to me, ‘I’ll trade you Ben having the race he had for a super conservative ride that gets him fifth on GC instead of ninth, but without Ventoux, without the stage win, without the yellow jersey,’ I’m not taking that trade. That’s a bad trade.”

The Tour also revealed Harry Sweeny’s potential. Freed from early nerves, the Australian began to race with more fluidity. “As he became more relaxed, the underlying engine was there in abundance. I have no doubt he will win a stage of the Tour de France,” said Vaughters.

What stood out most to Vaughters was the unity within the team. “It is very rare to go three weeks without a disagreement between riders. These guys moved as one unit from day one,” he said. “Every single time there was an opportunity, we were there and we weren't there with individual riders, we were there as a team.”

For Vaughters, the biggest lesson was adaptability. “Don’t mourn what you’ve lost for too long, or you’ll miss what’s great sitting right under your nose.”

With no relegation pressure, EF will use the rest of the season to experiment. “We are going to throw a bunch of spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks,” Vaughters said. While Healy targets the World Championships, the rest of the squad will test new roles and tactics ahead of 2026. “Let’s just throw it all out there, see how many mistakes we can make from now to the end of the year, so we can correct those mistakes for next season,” he concluded.

For Vaughters, the priority is clear: keep the spirit that defined this Tour, and carry it into the team’s next chapter.