Pogacar demolishes the field on the Tourmalet and reclaims the Yellow Jersey

From the outset, the UAE team around Slovenian captain Tadej Pogacar controlled the pace. On the Col d'Aspin it already became clear that the squad was aiming for the stage win. Ben O'Connor, who had been leading the breakaway at one point, was caught with 4.8 kilometers to go before the summit. Afterwards, only a small front group containing the general classification riders was still able to maintain contact with the leaders.

The decisive scene unfolded roughly five kilometers before the summit of the Col du Tourmalet. Teammate Isaac Del Toro raised the tempo and, together with Pogacar, launched an attack that no other rider could follow. In the upper third of the climb, the favorites' group still consisted of about 15 riders, but in the decisive phase it was whittled down to the UAE duo, Jonas Vingegaard and a small chasing field. Pogacar needed just 43:12 minutes for the 17.1 kilometers from the foot of the climb to the summit, beating the previous record from 2023 by 2:20 minutes.

The decisive attack

After finally breaking away from his companions in the final meters before the summit, Pogacar threw himself into a 42-kilometer solo ride. Over the following nearly 40 kilometers, including the not very steep final climb to Gavarnie-Gèdre, he extended his lead over Vingegaard to 2:38 minutes. At the finish, the Slovenian celebrated his 23rd Tour stage victory in total and reclaimed the Yellow Jersey, having relinquished it two days earlier to Træen.

Behind Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard reached the finish with a deficit of 2:38 minutes and moved up to second place in the general classification. The Dane had already been unable to contest the stage win at the Tourmalet and lost further time over the final 40 kilometers. Isaac Del Toro completed the podium in third at 3:27 minutes behind his teammate and moved up to third place in the general classification.

New general classification

In the overall standings, Pogacar now leads by 2:42 minutes ahead of Vingegaard. Del Toro follows at 3:27 minutes. Florian Lipowitz, Paul Seixas and Remco Evenepoel lost around three minutes to the dominator. Pogacar also pocketed 25 mountain points, taking over the polka-dot jersey as well, after points had previously been awarded only in minuscule doses.

The previous Yellow Jersey wearer, Torstein Træen, had already run into difficulty on the Tourmalet. About 50 kilometers from the finish, the Norwegian lost contact with the leaders and eventually crossed the line almost 30 minutes down. He was also involved in a collision with a teammate on the descent from the Tourmalet, continuing to ride after brief treatment with a pain-distorted face.

Lipowitz and Großschartner show respect

German cycling professional Florian Lipowitz also put in a strong performance, finishing in the chasing group together with Paul Seixas and Del Toro. At the finish he was around 1:30 minutes behind the stage winner. On ARD, Lipowitz said admiringly of Pogacar: "Bei der Performance kann man nicht viel machen". For the German hopeful, it was a stage that made clear that the overall victory this year is likely to be a fight between only one duo.

Pogacar's Austrian helper Felix Großschartner was relieved after the race: "Wir haben gewusst, dass es eine sehr wichtige Etappe ist, dass es so perfekt läuft, ist natürlich ein Traum." Lipowitz also stressed that the Slovenian's team had taken command throughout the stage and no one had been able to match the pace.

The Slovenian himself ranked the success among his personal top five. "Ich habe einfach bis ins Ziel mit Vollgas durchgezogen", Pogacar said, calling it one of his sweetest victories. He had previously won stages after long solo rides, including the queen stage last year. Looking at the general classification, however, he stressed: "Es ist noch ein langer Weg bis nach Paris."

The stage winner also had to think back to his hand fracture on the Tourmalet from earlier editions. "Er musste oft an seinen Handbruch am Tourmalet zurückdenken, er habe einige Flashbacks gehabt", according to the reporting. Nonetheless, Pogacar was not deterred and rode in a league of his own toward victory.

Outlook on the upcoming stages

After the exertions in the Pyrenees, Friday's seventh stage is on the program, a flat stage covering 175.1 kilometers from Hagetmau to Bordeaux. With only 850 meters of elevation, the leg promises the sprint teams a chance at a bunch sprint. Extreme temperatures of up to 40 degrees are once again expected.

The remaining highlights of the 2026 Tour follow in the third week with the summit finishes at Alpe d'Huez and Plateau de Solaison. As early as next Thursday, the stage to Le Lioran awaits, before the queen stage from Gap to Alpe d'Huez on July 25 crowns the program. Until then, there is no way past Pogacar, who starts as a four-time Tour winner following his victories in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025.

In the overall standings after six of 21 stages, Felix Großschartner lies at 22:01 minutes in the classification, followed by Marco Haller. Lipowitz belongs to the extended front group. The final decision in the fight for Yellow is not expected before the third week, but Pogacar has sent a clear statement with his demonstration on the Tourmalet.

From a sporting perspective: the sixth stage was the moment in which the 2026 Tour de France may have been decided. With a time of 43:12 minutes for the 17.1 kilometers of the Tourmalet, Pogacar significantly beat the record from 2023 and then rode 42 kilometers solo to the finish. The manner of the victory left not only the competition but also observers in awe.

A historic solo ride

Even Vingegaard, who had still been able to keep the gap at 30 seconds at the summit, had no answer in the finale. In the end, his deficit was 2:38 minutes to the stage winner. Pogacar produced not only the fastest time but also the most spectacular attack of the season so far and underlined his claim to a fifth Tour victory.

For Pogacar, it was in his own words "ein unglaublicher Sieg und einer meiner schönsten". Looking ahead to the coming stages, he announced he would continue to go full gas, but also warned against overconfidence: despite the already large lead, one had to remain vigilant and focused every day. Paris is still far away, but the direction is right.

At the end of a memorable Pyrenees stage, the overriding image remains that of an exceptional rider who apparently shook off his rivals on the decisive mountain and delivered a 42-kilometer solo ride of the kind only a few have managed in the history of the Tour de France. Pogacar, in this form, is the man to beat.