Tadej Pogacar took a big step towards winning the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time with a dominant victory on stage six, regaining the leader’s yellow jersey.
The defending champion established a lead with ease on the iconic Col du Tourmalet during the first 186.2km mountain stage of the three-week race.
Pogacar, 27, is aiming to become the joint-most successful rider in the Tour’s history, alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Between launching his attack five kilometres from the top of the Tourmalet to the summit of the climb, UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Pogacar gained 30 seconds over his main rival Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark – and a devastating one minute 45 seconds over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and young French hope Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM.
Pogacar eventually crossed the line of the stage from Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre two minutes 38 seconds ahead of Visma-Lease a Bike’s Vingegaard, with Pogacar’s team-mate and chosen lead domestique Isaac del Toro of Mexico a further 19 seconds down, along with Evenepoel and Seixas.
Pogacar takes the overall leader’s yellow jersey after finishing nearly half an hour ahead of former wearer Torstein Traeen of Norway, who crashed and was later ruled out of the rest of the Tour.
“Following further assessment he has been diagnosed with a concussion and multiple rib fractures,” Traeen’s Uno-X Mobility team said late on Thursday, adding that he would not be able to continue.
Vingegaard, 29, had no answer to Pogacar’s trademark explosive initial launch and pace management, which ekes out his time gap in metronomic fashion.
Vingegaard had returned to top form since a serious crash in 2024 in the build-up to the Tour which injured his lungs.
As part of his recovery, Vingegaard won cycling’s other two three-week Grand Tours, including last year’s protest-hit Vuelta a Espana and May’s Giro d’Italia, in which he triumphed by more than five minutes overall.
But Thursday’s battle on the Tourmalet shows the rivals are a long way apart since Vingegaard last defeated Pogacar in the Tour in 2023.
“It is one of my top five wins [ever],” said Pogacar afterwards. “I had flashbacks to the Tourmalet in 2022 when I had broken my hand. It’s a really incredible victory – one of the sweetest.
“I woke up today at seven o’clock and my mind was already going crazy. I was really excited for today – all the guys were hyped. I’m super proud of the crazy teamwork.”
The result gives Pogacar a lead of two minutes 42 seconds over Vingegaard in the general classification, with Del Toro third, three minutes 27 seconds behind his team-mate.
Britain’s Tom Pidcock lies 15th in the GC, nine minutes 50 seconds down after being dropped from the leaders on the Tourmalet, ruing an illness during his preparation for the Tour.
But the 26-year-old is still optimistic for stage wins.
“Today, I thought, Tadej can win Tour – and well…” Pidcock said.
“Getting sick and missing Suisse doesn’t help [me] but our performances are not that bad – the level is just super high.”
Colombia’s 2019 Tour winner Egan Bernal is now the highest placed rider for the British Netcompany Ineos team in 11th, nine minutes 15 seconds down.
