Hautes-Pyrénées: Pogacar extends Tour de France lead on Tourmalet

By Liam Tremblay — 10 July 2026 — 3 min read

Tadej Pogacar achieved a significant victory on stage six of the Tour de France, riding solo to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet in the Hautes-Pyrénées before securing the stage win in Gavarnie-Gèdre. This performance established an emphatic overall lead in the 2026 race.

Pogacar’s dominance was evident as he embarked on a solo effort, extending his lead over rivals. His closest competitor, Jonas Vingegaard, attempted to keep pace but ultimately lost ground. The gap, which was under half a minute at La Mongie ski station, grew to nearly three minutes by the time Pogacar reached Gavarnie-Gèdre.

Pogacar’s Dominance on the Tourmalet

The pace set by Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates XRG at the base of the Tourmalet was intense. The 17 kilometres of climbing provided an opportunity for Pogacar to assert his control, while many other riders struggled. The peloton was reduced to 16 riders midway through the climb.

Among those unable to maintain the pace were Thymen Arensman, leading the Netcompany Ineos team, and Tom Pidcock of Pinarello Q36.5. The then-race leader, Torstein Traeen, also had a difficult day, falling behind the group of favourites with 11km remaining on the Tourmalet.

Five kilometres from the Tourmalet summit, as the lead group entered La Mongie, Pogacar and his teammate Isaac del Toro moved ahead. Pogacar then continued alone, further solidifying his position. His lead continued to grow on the descent from the Tourmalet, kilometre by kilometre.

Vingegaard acknowledged the difficulty of the day, stating, “It was not the day I wanted, obviously, but that’s how it is sometimes.” He explained that he couldn’t follow Pogacar’s attack on the Tourmalet and had to maintain his own pace. Vingegaard finished the stage almost three minutes behind Pogacar, ceding 2:38 to the leader.

The Danish rider admitted that he did not produce his best power numbers on the 186.2km stage between Pau and Gavarnie-Gèdre. Despite the setback, Vingegaard expressed his belief in his ability to improve throughout the race, stating, “I still believe in myself. I still believe my legs will get better throughout the race, so the fight is not over.”

Impact on the Race

Pogacar’s advantage over the peloton is now both physical and psychological. His performance has led to comparisons with dominant athletes like Michael Jordan and Novak Djokovic, though Pogacar himself cited Usain Bolt.

With two stages already won and one gifted to his teammate, Pogacar is in control of the race. His 23 stage wins, including 11 in the Pyrenees, make him the fifth most prolific stage winner in the history of the Tour.

The combination of Pogacar’s strong performance, the challenging Pyrenean climbs, and the heat is impacting the race, with an increasing number of riders abandoning. Among those who withdrew was Cian Uijtdebroeks of the Movistar team, who had been suffering from gastrointestinal problems and a fever.

Traeen’s day worsened on the descent of the Tourmalet when he clipped the wheel of another rider and fell. After receiving medical attention, he remounted and completed the stage nearly 30 minutes behind Pogacar.

The end of the first week of the 2026 Tour feels like the end of the second week in other years due to the intensity of the competition.

Source: theguardian.com