Well, OK then.
As the first real mountain day in the 2026 Tour de France, stage 6 always loomed large in the imagination. And given Tadej Pogačar's well-known penchant for long-range attacks perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised that he would make one high on the Tourmalet, more than 40 km from the finish with a long, draggy climb to the line yet to come.
Joe Lindsey
But still, Thursday's ride and the 2:38 gap he put into rival Jonas Vingegaard stands as one of the most dominant displays we've seen from the four-time Tour winner, and that's saying something given past feats like stage 8 of the 2021 Tour, where he put more than three minutes into the rest of the GC contenders, or his standout Plateau de Beille ride in 2024, where he obliterated a 25-year-old time record for the ascent.
That all raises the question: After just six stages, is the 2026 Tour already done and dusted? It's really the only question that matters on such a day, so rather than multiple questions, we've got a panel of answers.
So, is the Tour over or nah?
Jonny Long: I can be as cynical as they come, but I refuse to call the Tour de France over after the peloton has raced just 33% of the stages. Yes, when either Pogačar or Vingegaard in their era have taken yellow they usually keep it to Paris. Both riders have already had a taste, so that form card is out the window. Plus, we’ve only had one big stonking mountain so far.
Did we do a good job with this story?
