Tadej Pogacar Dominates Stage 3 of Tour de France 2026, Claims Yellow Jersey

On July 6, 2026, Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG won the third stage of the Tour de France, held at the ski resort of Les Angles, and took over the coveted yellow jersey as the general classification leader. Pogacar finished the stage two seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard from Visma-Lease a Bike, with Ecuador's Richard Carapaz and Frenchman Paul Seixas closely behind. This victory marks Pogacar's 22nd stage win in the Tour de France, equalling André Darrigade for fifth place in the all-time stage wins ranking.

Following this stage, Pogacar leads the general classification with a total time of 8 hours, 46 minutes, and 55 seconds, just 3 seconds ahead of Vingegaard. Remco Evenepoel from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe stands in third place, 23 seconds behind Pogacar. Notably, Isaac del Toro, Pogacar's teammate, holds fourth place, only 24 seconds off the leader, while Juan Ayuso from Lidl-Trek is fifth, 27 seconds back.

Pogacar also dominates the points classification with 55 points, trailed by Vingegaard's 44 points and del Toro's 39 points. Alex Baudin of EF Education EasyPost leads the mountain classification with 12 points, while Isaac del Toro is the best young rider, recording 8 hours, 47 minutes, and 19 seconds for the stage.

The third stage was marked by a strong performance by Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who worked strategically throughout the day to control the race after allowing del Toro to win the previous stage. However, the stage experienced lower spectator turnout due to a significant fire in the region, with local authorities advising against gatherings near the route. Despite this, riders received warm applause from residents and tourists along the way.

In the team classification, UAE Team Emirates-XRG leads with a cumulative time of 26 hours, 25 minutes, and 34 seconds. The Tour started in Barcelona with 23 teams and 184 cyclists, but some riders, like Arnaud De Lie from Lotto-Intermarche, have already abandoned.

Pogacar's win at Les Angles underscores his status as a formidable favorite in this year's Tour, maintaining a tight competition with Vingegaard and Evenepoel in the early stages.