Tadej Pogačar strengthened his bid for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title with an emphatic victory on stage six, reclaiming the coveted yellow jersey in the process.
The reigning champion delivered a commanding performance on the race’s first major mountain stage, launching a decisive attack on the iconic Col du Tourmalet during the 186.2-kilometre route from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre.
The 27-year-old Slovenian is now firmly on course to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the only riders to have won cycling’s most prestigious race five times.
Pogačar made his move five kilometres from the summit of the Tourmalet, quickly distancing his closest rivals. By the top of the climb, he had gained 30 seconds over Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, while Belgian Remco Evenepoel and French youngster Paul Seixas were left trailing by one minute and 45 seconds.
He eventually crossed the finish line two minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Vingegaard. UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac del Toro finished a further 19 seconds behind the Dane, alongside Evenepoel and Seixas.
The victory propelled Pogačar back into the overall race lead after former yellow jersey holder Torstein Træen lost significant time following a crash. The Norwegian rider was later forced to abandon the race after medical examinations confirmed he had suffered a concussion and multiple rib fractures.
Vingegaard was unable to respond to Pogačar’s trademark acceleration on the Tourmalet, with the Slovenian once again demonstrating the climbing strength that has made him the benchmark in Grand Tour racing.
The Danish rider had returned to top form after recovering from the serious injuries sustained in a crash ahead of the 2024 Tour de France, going on to win both last year’s Vuelta a España and this year’s Giro d’Italia. However, Thursday’s performance underlined the gap that has emerged between the two rivals since Vingegaard last defeated Pogačar at the Tour in 2023.
Reflecting on his victory, Pogačar described it as one of the finest of his career.
“It is one of my top five wins,” he said. “The Tourmalet brought back memories of 2022 when I raced here with a broken hand. This is an incredible victory and one of the sweetest I’ve ever achieved.”
He also praised the work of his teammates, revealing he had been eagerly anticipating the stage from the moment he woke up.
The result gives Pogačar an overall advantage of two minutes and 42 seconds over Vingegaard in the general classification, while Del Toro occupies third place, three minutes and 27 seconds behind his team leader.
Britain’s Tom Pidcock sits 15th overall, nine minutes and 50 seconds adrift after losing contact with the leading group on the Tourmalet. The 26-year-old admitted that illness during his preparations had hampered his condition but remains confident of targeting individual stage victories before the race reaches Paris.
Former Tour champion Egan Bernal is currently the highest-placed rider for the British-based Ineos Grenadiers team, occupying 11th place overall, nine minutes and 15 seconds behind Pogačar.
Træen’s Tour Comes to a Painful End
While Tadej Pogačar celebrated a memorable victory, the day ended in heartbreak for Norway’s Torstein Træen, whose remarkable spell in the yellow jersey came to an abrupt conclusion.
Træen had enjoyed a dream moment on stage four after a successful breakaway earned him the race lead, marking only the second occasion Uno-X Mobility had claimed the Tour’s iconic yellow jersey. His achievement carried added significance given that the 30-year-old overcame testicular cancer, which was diagnosed following a routine anti-doping blood test in 2022.
Uno-X Mobility general manager Thor Hushovd paid tribute to the Norwegian after the race.
“This is not the ending we had hoped for during our time in yellow,” Hushovd said. “Torstein created a historic moment for the team, but after further medical examinations it became clear that he could not continue.”
The incident occurred during the descent of the Col du Tourmalet, with Træen following teammate Anders Halland Johannessen. Attempting to maintain his position, he braked later than Johannessen approaching a tight left-hand hairpin, briefly hesitated over his line and appeared to make slight contact before losing control and crashing heavily onto his right shoulder.
Visibly shaken by the fall, Træen briefly attempted to get back on his feet before stopping in the middle of the road, clearly distraught by the accident while wearing cycling’s most prestigious jersey.
Despite the crash, he remounted and completed the stage after undergoing the race’s concussion assessment, eventually finishing 51st. However, subsequent medical evaluations confirmed a concussion and multiple rib fractures, forcing him to withdraw from the remainder of the Tour de France.
