Pogačar reclaims Tour de France yellow jersey with dominant Tourmalet solo ride

Tadej Pogačar produced a devastating solo ride over the Col du Tourmalet on Thursday to claim his 23rd Tour de France stage victory, reclaiming the yellow jersey and opening a commanding lead over Jonas Vingegaard after just six days of racing at the 2026 Tour de France.wtop+1

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader crossed the Stage 6 finish line in Gavarnie-Gèdre 2 minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, turning what had been an overall deficit into a 2:42 lead in the general classification. His teammate Isaac del Toro finished third on the stage, 2:57 back, with Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas rounding out the top five.wsls+1

A Solo Masterclass on the Tourmalet

The 186-kilometer stage from Pau took riders over two iconic Pyrenean climbs — the Col d'Aspin and the hors catégorie Col du Tourmalet — in scorching heat. After del Toro set tempo for his leader, Pogačar launched his attack approximately 4.5 kilometers from the Tourmalet summit, quickly distancing the field.domestiquecycling+1

Vingegaard dug deep to limit his losses but could not close the gap. Pogačar reached the summit with a 30-second advantage that only grew on the treacherous descent and the final climb to Gavarnie-Gèdre, a finish location the Tour has never visited before.wsls+1

Overnight yellow jersey holder Torstein Træen was dropped before Pogačar's attack and later crashed on the Tourmalet descent. He was assessed by the race medical team before continuing but lost his overall lead.wsls

The Road Ahead

With his latest display, the two-time world champion and four-time Tour winner took a large step toward a record-equaling fifth Tour de France title, joining the company of Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil, and Bernard Hinault as the only riders to achieve the feat.wsls

According to the Associated Press, Pogačar "sent a clear message to his rivals that he remains in a class of his own." The race now leaves the Pyrenees with Pogačar firmly in control and Vingegaard facing a steep deficit with the Alps still to come.wsls