Tadej Pogacar captured the yellow jersey after winning the third stage of the Tour de France on July 6, 2026.
The Slovenian cyclist's victory came after a mid-race tactical shift by his UAE Team Emirates squad.
The win placed him level on time with Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification.
Pogacar took the overall lead because he finished higher in the previous stages than the Danish rider from Visma-Lease a Bike.
Belgian rider Arnaud De Lie abandoned the race due to illness after falling more than 40 minutes behind.
Dutch sprinter Arvid de Kleijn narrowly beat the time limit by seven minutes.
Team Effort Secures Victory
Pogacar's team delivered a strong performance, allowing them to seize the opportunity despite initial expectations that a breakaway group would contend for the win.
"We decided mid-race that we could go for the win," Pogacar said. "I got some extra power after Del Toro's victory yesterday.
I'm extremely happy we started with two wins in three days."
Pogacar secured both the yellow and green jerseys following the day's results. "It's every cyclist's dream.
I don't know how many times I've worn it, but it remains special to feel it on my shoulders.
I don't know how long I'll keep it, but we enjoy every moment," he added.
Team Movistar reported that Belgian rider Cian Uijtdebroeks struggled through the last two stages with a fever.
He finished one minute behind Pogacar to limit the overall damage to his standings.
"It's not the start we expected in the Tour, but Cian can count on the support of all his teammates and staff in these difficult days," Movistar stated.
Sepp Kuss, the primary lieutenant for Vingegaard, expressed satisfaction with his developing form. "I feel good, my form is starting to come.
It's still early in the race, my part is yet to come," Kuss said.
Alex Baudin secured the polka dot jersey after a hard-fought performance. The white jersey remained with 22-year-old Isaac Del Toro, who won the previous stage.
In a separate event in Romania, riders Lorenzo Finn and Byron Munton encountered a bear crossing the road on the final climb of the Sibiu Tour, but the incident ended without injury.
