Tadej Pogacar Wins Stage 3 of Tour de France, Ties Jonas Vingegaard in Overall Lead

On July 6, 2026, Tadej Pogacar secured victory in the third stage of the Tour de France, matching Jonas Vingegaard in the overall standings. The 196-kilometer stage from Granollers, Spain, to Les Angles, France, featured significant climbs including three category 3 ascents and one category 1 climb at Col de Tosa. Pogacar capitalized on a strong pace set by teammate Isaac del Toro on the final 1.7-kilometer climb with a 6.5% gradient, breaking away in a sprint finish to win by two seconds over Vingegaard.

This win marked Pogacar's 22nd career Tour de France stage victory, tying him with French cyclist André Darrigade for fifth place in all-time stage wins. Despite finishing with the same overall time of 8 hours, 46 minutes, and 55 seconds as Vingegaard, Pogacar claimed the yellow jersey due to a tiebreaker based on fractions of a second. Veteran Richard Carapaz finished third in the stage, while 19-year-old French rider Paul Sykes impressed with a fourth-place finish.

The race began in Barcelona and transitioned from Spain to France, with the peloton catching the breakaway about 11.5 kilometers from the finish. Del Toro's aggressive pacing prevented attacks, enabling Pogacar to sprint ahead. The general classification sees Remco Evenepoel in third place, 16 seconds behind, followed by del Toro, Juan Ayuso, and Sykes.

The fourth stage promises another challenging day with 181.9 kilometers from Carcassonne to Foix, including four categorized climbs, two of which are category 2. The final climb spans 6.9 kilometers at an average gradient of 6.6%. Pogacar remains 13 stage wins shy of Mark Cavendish's record of 35.

"During the stage, we realized a win was within reach," Pogacar said in a post-race interview, highlighting his team's strategy and del Toro's crucial role in setting the pace.

The Tour de France continues with intense competition expected as riders tackle the demanding terrain in the coming stages.