​Tadej Pogacar edged closer to another Tour de France triumph with a commanding stage win on stage six, seizing the yellow jersey as the race reached its first significant mountain test. The defending champion handled the Col du Tourmalet with authority, taking control early on the 186.2-kilometer mountain route from Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre and building a decisive gap over the rest of the contenders. At 27 years old, Pogacar is chasing a fifth Tour title that would tie him with some of cycling’s most legendary figures, including Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain, by equaling the record for most wins at the event.
His attack began around five kilometers from the top of the Tourmalet, and from there he forged ahead, gaining 30 seconds on his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, and widening the gap to the trail behind him by a substantial margin. Pogacar’s surge also left rivals Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and young French hopeful Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM well adrift, as the Slovenian rode clear with a combination of tempo and explosive power that proved too much for the field. The stage culminated with Pogacar crossing the finish line two minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, while Pogacar’s teammate Isaac del Toro of Mexico—his designated domestique—came in 19 seconds behind, and Evenepoel and Seixas trailed further back.
With the stage win, Pogacar assumed the overall lead in the general classification, finishing nearly half an hour ahead of the previous wearer, Torstein Traeen of Norway, who had crashed and was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the Tour after evaluation found a concussion and multiple rib fractures. Traeen’s Uno-X Mobility team announced the diagnosis and confirmed that he would not continue in the race. Vingegaard, 29, offered no meaningful counter as Pogacar’s distinctive early surge and steady pacing kept the time gap steady, reaffirming Pogacar’s status as the reigning favorite for the title.
Vingegaard has been working to rebound from a serious crash in 2024 that affected his lungs, but he has since demonstrated resilience by winning two other three-week Grand Tours—the Giro d’Italia in May and last year’s Vuelta a Espana—reasserting his form as he chased his third Tour crown. Thursday’s battle on the Tourmalet underscored a considerable gap between Pogacar and his challenger, illustrating how difficult it will be for Vingegaard to overturn a deficit built by Pogacar’s superior tempo and consummate race management.
“I think it’s one of my top five wins ever,” Pogacar said after the stage, reflecting on the victory and the memories of the Tourmalet from 2022, when he broke his hand. “It’s a really incredible victory—one of the sweetest. I woke up today at seven o’clock and my mind was already racing. I was really excited for today—everyone was fired up. I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork that brought me here.” Pogacar’s victory not only boosted his confidence but also extended his lead in the GC, giving him a two-minute and 42-second advantage over Vingegaard, with del Toro sitting third, three minutes and 27 seconds behind Pogacar.
The stage also carried a hint of what lies ahead for other contenders. Britain’s Tom Pidcock, who started the day among the general classification contenders, finished 15th on the stage and sits ninth minutes and fifty seconds off the yellow jersey after being dropped from the lead group on the Tourmalet, while dealing with illness during preparation for the Tour. Pidcock’s result leaves him with a stern reminder that maintaining form and health throughout the three-week race is a delicate balance, one Pogacar’s team exploited with tactical precision on the Tourmalet.
As the Tour de France enters its deeper mountain chapters, Pogacar’s performance on stage six signals his intent to clinch a historic fifth title. The pink-and-blue jersey of the race’s leader now rests firmly on his shoulders, and if he can keep executing efficiency combined with controlled aggression in the mountains, he could push his record-tying pursuit to a successful conclusion. The cycling world will be watching closely as Pogacar and Vingegaard renew their rivalry in the coming days, with the Slovenian currently holding a clear edge in the overall standings and the momentum in his corner.