Tadej Pogačar delivered a masterclass on the Col du Tourmalet on Thursday, crushing his rivals with a solo attack that reclaimed the Tour de France’s yellow jersey and left the race effectively decided after just six stages. The defending champion, chasing a record-equalling fifth Tour victory, crossed the line in Gavarnie-Gèdre 2 minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, extending his overall lead to 2:42 in a performance he described as one of the sweetest of his career.

Pogačar’s dominance was absolute. Five kilometres from the summit of the iconic Tourmalet—2,115 metres above sea level—the 27-year-old launched his decisive move, leaving even Vingegaard, his closest rival, struggling to respond. By the finish, the Slovenian had not only secured his 23rd Tour stage win but also sent a clear message: this year’s race is his to lose. “I would say this one goes in the top five of my Tour de France victories,” Pogacar said. “This is an incredible victory, and one of the sweetest for sure. I was not calculating seconds or minutes, I just wanted to go full gas all the way to the finish.”

The stage’s early drama centred on Norwegian Torstein Træen, who had briefly held the yellow jersey after winning Stage 4. Træen’s hopes ended in disaster on the Tourmalet’s descent, where he crashed and was later diagnosed with concussion and multiple rib fractures. His Uno-X Mobility team confirmed he would not continue, ending a fairytale run in yellow just two days after he claimed it.

Vingegaard, the 2024 Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España winner, offered little resistance. Despite his return to form after a near-fatal crash in 2024, the Dane admitted defeat. “Of course I’m disappointed,” he said. “But that’s life sometimes. I can’t change it.”

Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG controlled the race from the front, with teammates setting a relentless pace that whittled the peloton to a select group of contenders. By the Tourmalet’s summit, only Pogacar and Vingegaard remained in contention, but the Slovenian’s solo effort on the descent and final climb left no doubt. His lead over Vingegaard now stands at 2:42, with teammate Isaac del Toro in third place, a further 19 seconds back.

The stage’s two Hors Catégorie climbs—the Col d’Aspin and Tourmalet—proved too much for all but the elite. Pogacar’s explosive acceleration on the Tourmalet’s slopes echoed his 2022 victory on the same climb, when he raced with a broken hand. “I had flashbacks to the Tourmalet in 2022,” he said. “It’s a really incredible victory.”

With Pogacar now just three stage wins away from equalling the record five Tour victories held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, the question is no longer *if* he will win, but by how much. His nearest rivals, Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, trail by over two minutes, and Pogacar’s form suggests they will struggle to bridge the gap. As Pogacar’s team manager Mauro Gianetti’s handshake with a dejected Vingegaard at the finish line underscored, the Tour de France is effectively over.

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Articles

Tour de France: Pogacar konnte Solo kaum abwarten: „Habe mich so gefreut Pogacar stürmt am Tourmalet davon und schnappt sich das Gelbe Trikot – was sein Team am Vorabend plante und warum Vingegaard trotzdem nicht aufgibt.

tagesspiegel · about 3 hours ago

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rtv slovenia · about 3 hours ago

Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar stamped his authority on the Tour de France on Thursday, winning the mountainous sixth stage and reclaiming the race leaders yellow jersey from Torstein Traeen, who was forced out of the race with concussion. u.afp.com/SKEV

bluesky_AFP English · about 5 hours ago

Zevende etappe lijkt op het lijf van Olav Kooij geschreven, haalt hij zijn tweede ritzege?

de volkskrant · about 5 hours ago

Rippenbrüche, Gehirnerschütterung, Aufgabe – der folgenschwere Sturz im Gelben Trikot Torstein Traeen sorgte für einen historischen Moment, als er sich am Dienstag überraschend das Gelbe Trikot sicherte. Zwei Tage später stürzte der Norweger auf der Abfahrt vom Tourmalet und kann die Tour de France nicht mehr fortsetzen. Ein Drama.

welt.de · about 6 hours ago

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tagesspiegel · about 6 hours ago

Pogačar zadovoljen, Vingegaard še verjame v zmago, Evenepoel jezen na Lipowitza "Izkupiček je boljši od načrtov. Vsi smo se držali načrta, ki smo ga sestavili. Vsi smo bili motivirani, že na zajtrku je bila super energija, vsi smo vedeli, kaj moramo narediti. Šli smo na vse ali nič, na koncu smo dobili vse," pravi Tadej Pogačar.

rtv slovenia · about 7 hours ago

Eén keer valt Pogacar aan op de flanken van de Tourmalet – en de Tour de France lijkt beslist Al op dag zes lijkt de Tourwinnaar van dit jaar vast te staan. In de Pyreneeën won Tadej Pogacar zoveel tijd op zijn rivaal Jonas Vingegaard dat de eindzege hem praktisch niet meer kan ontgaan. „Vingegaard deed zijn best.

nrc · about 7 hours ago

Noorse wielrenner Træen moet Tour verlaten na val in gele trui op Tourmalet

de volkskrant · about 7 hours ago

Pogacar crushes Tour de France rivals and storms the Tourmalet to regain overall lead Tadej Pogacar produced a tremendous solo ride on the iconic Col du Tourmalet on Thursday to earn a 23rd Tour de France stage victory, reclaim control of the…

japantoday · about 7 hours ago

Pogacar dominates on Tourmalet as leader crashes out Tadej Pogacar takes a big step towards winning the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time with a dominant victory on stage six, regaining the leaders yellow jersey.

bbc sport · about 7 hours ago

Video | Geletruidrager Traeen botst met ploeggenoot en valt in afdaling Tour

nu.nl · about 7 hours ago

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faz · about 8 hours ago

Tadej Pogacar triumphs on Tourmalet to reclaim Tour de France overall lead reut.rs/4eVej5G

bluesky_Reuters · about 8 hours ago

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tagesspiegel · about 8 hours ago