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.
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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.
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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.
