Tadej Pogacar's 2026 Tour de France campaign is now officially up and pumping after the reigning champion claimed his first stage win of this year's race and the leader's yellow jersey on Monday.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider produced a flying finish to Stage 3, leaving Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in his wake as the Pogacar crossed the line two seconds ahead of his old rival.
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) came in third, while 19-year-old French debutant Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) claimed fourth place.
Both Pogacar and Vingegaard are level in the general classification but the Slovenian's time bonus meant he had snatched the overall lead from his Danish rival by the thinnest of margins.
Victory also meant UAE Team Emirates-XRG had secured two stages on the spin after Tour debutant Isaac del Toro's win on Sunday which had seen Pogacar finish second, cutting Vingegaard's overall lead down to six seconds.
Mexican Del Toro then expertly led out his teammate in the final kilometre On a sweltering hot day in the Pyrenees on the border between northern Spain and southern France.
The Slovenian superstar earned his 22nd Tour stage win with a devastating surge for the finish line in Les Angles after a gruelling 195.9km mountainous ride featuring nearly 4,000 metres of climbing and the race's return to France.
“It's because of Isaac [del Toro] today, I got some extra power in the final. He committed more than 100 per cent per cent in the final climb,” said Pogacar.
“All the team, actually, in the middle of the stage we decided that it was possible to go for the stage win. I'm really happy that we started the Tour like this, and it was an incredible finish today.
“If we can win like we did today, and the team feels super good then we have to take the opportunity and we tried and we give it all today and we win.
“To take the yellow jersey is the dream for any cyclist of each age. So for me every time I can get it already is really special. I don't know how long it [the lead] will last, but we try to enjoy every moment.”
Before Monday's race, Tour fans had been urged to stay away from the final 40km of stage 3 because of wildfires in the South of France. “An exceptional fire calls for exceptional measures for the Tour,” said race director Christian Prudhomme. “We invite the public not to come to the edge of the race or to the finish site.”
Tuesday's Stage 4 is a 181.9km race from Carcassonne to Foix, covering four categorised climbs during which temperatures are forecast to reach a scorching 41°C.
Stage 3 results
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4 hrs 45 mins 11 secs
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +2 secs
3. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) ”
4. Paul Seixas Decathlon (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) ”
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) XRG 8:46:55
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) Same time
3. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +23 secs
4. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +24 secs
