Stage 6 of the 2026 Tour de France took the riders over the Col du Tourmalet, the climb that has featured more times than any other in the history of the race, and for good reason - it delivers days like this. As the Tour's first major mountain stage, it was always likely to shape the general classification, and it did exactly that.
Torstein Træen started the day with a lead of almost eight minutes, but there was never any real doubt that Tadej Pogačar had his sights set on the stage and the maillot jaune. Isaac Del Toro set a blistering pace while he could, but it wasn’t long before Pogačar launched his trademark acceleration, even if this time it was earlier than usual.
One by one, the competition cracked. Jonas Vingegaard was the only rider able to respond initially, but even he eventually let the gap grow to 30 seconds over the summit and more than a minute by the end of the descent.
Pogačar wasn't finished there. He attacked the descent with the same aggression, extending his advantage all the way to the finish to take the stage, reclaim the yellow jersey, and put more than 2 minutes 30 seconds into his biggest rival and the rest.
Ned Boulting and David Millar break down Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2026
🎶 Music courtesy of BMG Production Music
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