Tadej Pogacar captured the overall race lead and won Stage 3 of the Tour de France on Monday, July 6, 2026, after a decisive late acceleration on the final climb to Les Angles.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider completed the 195.9-kilometer mountainous route from Granollers, Spain, to southern France in 4 hours, 45 minutes, and 11 seconds.
This victory marked the 22nd career Tour de France stage win for the 27-year-old reigning champion.
He crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of his primary rival, Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike.
Decisive Team Effort
Searing heat and nearly 4,000 meters of total elevation gain thinned the peloton before UAE Team Emirates-XRG caught Alex Baudin, the last rider of an early 18-man breakaway, past the Col du Calvaire.
Stage 2 winner Isaac del Toro led a sustained pull on the Les Angles ascent until the final 300 meters, allowing Pogacar to launch his winning effort.
"It's because of Isaac [del Toro] today, I got some extra power in the final. He committed more than 100% 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."
EF Education-EasyPost rider Richard Carapaz took third place, while Decathlon CMA CGM debutant Paul Seixas finished fourth, ahead of Tobias Halland Johannessen in fifth.
Before Stage 3, Vingegaard held the general classification lead by six seconds over Pogacar, following Del Toro's victory in the second stage of the 113th edition.
