Tadej Pogacar secured a substantial overall lead in the 2026 Tour de France following his solo victory on stage six to Gavarnie-Gèdre. The Slovenian rider powered to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, leaving his rivals behind in the Hautes-Pyrénées.
Pogacar’s performance was described as imperious, with only his long-standing competitor, Jonas Vingegaard, initially able to give chase. However, by the end of the stage, Vingegaard’s resistance proved insufficient, as he ceded 2:38 to Pogacar. The lead of under half a minute at La Mongie ski station expanded to almost three minutes by the time Pogacar reached Gavarnie-Gèdre.
The pace set by Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates XRG team at the foot of the Tourmalet was intense, transforming the 17 kilometers of climbing into a platform for Pogacar’s attack and a challenging section for other riders. The peloton was significantly reduced to 16 riders midway through the climb. Among those who struggled to maintain the pace were Thymen Arensman of the Netcompany Ineos team and Tom Pidcock from Pinarello Q36.5. The then-race leader, Torstein Traeen, also experienced a difficult day, falling behind the group of favorites with 11km remaining on the Tourmalet.
Five kilometers from the Tourmalet summit, as the lead group entered La Mongie, Pogacar and teammate Isaac del Toro moved ahead, with Pogacar then pushing on alone. Vingegaard’s initial pursuit helped limit the damage on the climb’s final ramps, but Pogacar’s sustained attack highlighted his dominance.
Marc Reef, team director for Vingegaard’s team, acknowledged the challenging day. “It wasn’t the day I had hoped for,” Vingegaard reflected after the stage. “It was a very tough day. When Pogacar attacked on the Tourmalet, I stuck to my own pace. However, the descent towards the final climb did not suit me, and I lost a lot of time there. It wasn’t my best day on the bike. I am disappointed, but that’s the way it is.”
Reef noted that Vingegaard fought to the finish to limit the gap to Pogacar and also managed to keep the group behind him at a distance. The team’s pre-stage plan to have a rider in an early breakaway to support Vingegaard after the Tourmalet did not materialize, requiring an adjustment in their approach during the race. On the Tourmalet, Vingegaard maintained his own pace after Pogacar’s attack, staying within ten seconds for an extended period before easing off slightly with two kilometers to the summit.
Pogacar’s advantage over the peloton is now both physical and psychological. With two stages already won by Pogacar and one gifted to his teammate Del Toro, he is in control of the race. This early dominance, combined with the Pyrenean climbs and hot conditions, is already impacting the race, with an increasing number of riders abandoning daily. Among those who abandoned was Cian Uijtdebroeks of the Movistar team, who had been experiencing gastrointestinal problems and a fever since the race began.
For Traeen, the day was particularly challenging. His prediction of losing touch proved accurate, and he later clipped the wheel of a rider in front of him on the descent of the Tourmalet, resulting in a fall. After receiving medical attention, he completed the stage almost 30 minutes behind Pogacar.
Pogacar’s victory on stage six marks his 23rd stage win in the history of the Tour, including 11 in the Pyrenees.
Read Also
Source: theguardian.com
