That’s all from me, thanks for all the messages. Tadej Pogacar is back in the yellow jersey and on top at the Tour. Was there ever any doubt? Jeremy Whittle’s report will be along shortly.

There’s still a long way to Paris and a lot could still change through misfortune, mechanical problems or misjudged form, especially considering the race’s diabolical last week in the Alps.

Join Luke McLaughlin for tomorrow’s seventh stage from Hagetmau to Bordeaux, a sprinter’s paradise. Try winning that one, Tadej.

How to level the playing field? Roland Marshall has an entertaining idea:

“Given that the Pog is head and shoulders above the rest and some people have been wondering how to make the race more competitive, maybe, in this suffocating heat, he should be forced to wear the Yellow and Polka Dot Jerseys at the same time? And why not the White Jersey since he had a helping hand in putting Del Toro in it?”

For readers wondering about Tom Pidcock, he was dropped on the Tourmalet and finished 15th, 8mins 18secs behind Pogacar in the next group after Evenepoel, Seixas and company. He was staying positive, talking with a smile on his face to TNT Sports post-race:

In those situations, you just want to bury yourself in a hole and hide away. I just don’t have it on the long climbs, it was very tough, I went as hard as I could and we’ll see what we do the rest of the race.

I knew that was going to happen today, they [UAE Team Emirates] wanted to keep the jersey the day they lost it, it didn’t happen. I think today was all the cards on the table. I said this morning, Tadej can win the Tour de France and with two minutes’ [lead], yeah…

I hope to get better and better. The biggest thing for me is difficulty on the long climbs, crashing in Catalunya, missing the mountain stages, getting sick for a week and then missing [Tour de] Suisse, it doesn’t help. I think to be jonest, my performance was not that bad, the level here is just super high. It’s not the end of the world, just got to keep the spirits high.

Looking every bit a Top Gun protagonist, Emmanuel Macron applauds as Tadej Pogacar waves to the fans from the podium in Gavarnie-Gèdre. He picked a seismic stage to show up.

Paul Seixas is the best-placed Frenchman, sixth and right in the fight for the podium and the white jersey.

The Pogi debates rages on in my inbox. Tom Paternoster-Howe’s view:

“It’s deeply unfair on Pogacar to compare him to Verstappen. Pogacar has never acted like a spoilt whiny baby when things don’t go his way, and the edge he has over his rivals is all his own, rather than thanks to Adrian Newey & 100+ brilliant engineers.

Pogacar races with apparent joie de vivre and attacks for fun, making most stages an event. Much better than taking yellow in a big TT then just wheel-sucking for most of the rest of the race like Big Mig used to do.”

Raf Kaplan is not a fan of this Pogacar shock and awe year after year. Writing in, he says:

“Feels like the Tour is already over, and maybe the Tour in 2027 too. Pog just too superior to everyone else. This can’t be good for maintaining interest over three weeks - is there anything the organisers can do to handicap the Pog train for next year at least?

”This is like if Nadal and Djokovic didn’t exist and the ‘big three’ era of men’s tennis was just Federer vs Andy Murray for years on end. You can have too much of a dominating champion...”

Torstein Træen crosses the finish line, almost 30 minutes behind Pogacar. He musters a smile after his rough, second day in yellow. That crash looked very painful, hopefully the Uno-X Mobility rider can carry on in this race.

I’ll be frank: even if he hadn’t crashed, he would not have kept his jersey. Blown away, like most of the peloton, by the Pognado.

Jonas Vingegaard tried to put a brave face on a disappointing day, reflecting to TNT Sports:

“It was a very tough day. Not the day I wanted obviously, but that’s how it is sometimes. They put in a big attack on the Tourmalet and I couldn’t follow, I had to settle in my own pace.

Over the top, I was not that far but on a downhill like this it’s not really suited to me. I don’t think it was my best day. Obviously, I’m disappointed but sometimes that’s life and I cannot change it … I still believe in myself, my legs will get better throughout the race, the fight is not over.”

Roland Marshall messages in, possibly/probably from France. There’s a lot of racing left in this Tour:

“Despite a rather crushing victory for the Slovenian, on French TV former rider Laurent Jalabert is telling anyone who will listen that Le Tour is not over, that this was a Pyrenees Lite section (only two summit finishes) and that there are 4 monstrous high altitude finales in the Alps in week 3, saying that if a rider has aimed at peaking towards the end of the race, Pogacar could still have a fight to defend his lead.

Personally, I think it’s wishful thinking: Vingegaard already has a grand tour in his legs this year, so failing an accident for the Pog, I think he’s going to have to aim for second again. The most interesting fight will probably be for third place on the podium between Remco, Del Toro, Ayuso and Seixas; a slightly depressing prospect not even at the finish of the first week in competitive terms…”

Having bowed at the finish, ever the showman, Pogacar paused his celebrations and had a sporting handshake (and respectful tap on the bum) for the passing Jonas Vingegaard at the finish. A contrast in body language and feeling.

Pogacar leads Vingegaard by 2mins 42secs, with Del Toro third at 3mins 27secs. An emphatic stage win begets a whopping lead – on day six, let’s not forget!

Kristina Smirnova writes in, and I’ve had a few more messages echoing this sentiment: “I don’t know if it is just me, but I find that the Tour has become increasingly more boring / predictable to follow because ultimately it is always Pogacar who wins. And as you rightfully mentioned in your coverage today, there is practically no one who can oppose that.

I guess he’s become a “Max Verstappen” of the TDF (not that Max is doing well this season though), which I think is rather frustrating, as the GC battle has a very predictable outcome unless something prevents Pogacar from finishing a stage, basically. Good for him, of course, but boring for the fans, I suppose.”

Second place for Jonas Vingegaard, stopping the clock 2mins 39secs behind his big rival. He did not have any teammates to help him but fought all the way down the Tourmalet and to the finish, holding off the chasers.

Del Toro outsprints Evenepoel, 2 min 59secs behind his UAE leader. Paul Seixas comes in at the back of the group, what a ride from the 19-year-old debutant.

1km to go: Tadej Pogacar rides under the flamme rouge. He sticks his tongue out, it is hurting. He is going to win this stage by a country mile. Well, not quite, but he leads Vingegaard by a kilometre or so. And still, his lead ticks up over his rivals.

2km to go: If he avoids injury, mishap or a bad day, this monstrous performance will surely be the foundation stone in Tadej Pogacar’s construction of his record-equalling fifth Tour de France victory.

2min 17secs to Vingegaard, 2min 50secs to the Evenepoel-led group.

4km to go: Pogacar still looks strong and powerful, arms on the hoods and legs going like pistons as he climbs. This is a devastating show of power that will surely demoralise rivals.

He is up 2min 6ecs up on Vingegaard and 2min 41secs ahead of Seixas, Evenepoel, Lipowitz, Ayuso and company.

6km to go: Now the road steepens on the way to the village of Gavarnie-Gèdre. It goes without sayings: the other contender (and maybe some race followers) will have hoped for smaller time gaps on the first big mountain stage.

A complete bike racer, he put more time into Vingegaard going down the Tourmalet than up it. How do you solve a problem like Pogacar if you are him or Visma-Lease a Bike management?

8km to go: UAE Team Emirates-XRG set a punishing pace over the first two cols and Pogacar did the rest. This could be the largest winning margin he has had on a Tour de France stage. Vingegaard is trying to resist, but he is 1min 50secs down, still staving off the Seixas-Evenepoel group by 40 seconds.

11km to go: Tadej Pogacar necks a gel and has a quick drink of his water bottle. Still his lead rises, 1min 33secs. He is on the way to having a lead of two minutes on Jonas Vingegaard, let alone everyone else. Seixas leads an eight-man group, 2min 20secs down. Half-hearted contributions in the fight for third place, seemingly.

14km to go: This climb is pesky false flat until the last six kilometres when it goes up to six percent.

Evenepoel wants better collaboration in the third group on the road. He is visibly frustrated, looking round at Skjelmose. They are not going all-out, 2 mins behind Pogacar, who leads Vingegaard by 1min 21secs.

17km to go: Crash for race leader Torstein Træen on the descent of the Col du Tourmalet, overlapping a teammate’s back wheel. He is being checked over by Tour doctors. He gingerly gets going, no doubt keen to finish. Any GC hopes he may have still harboured are up in smoke.

The long climb to Gavarnie-Gèdre begins. Pogacar leads Vingegaard by 1min 15secs and 1min 40secs to the large Seixas-Evenepoel-Del Toro-Ayuso group behind. They could well catch the Dane.

20km to go: DNF for Cian Uijtdebroeks, the Movistar GC man suffering with fever and sickness.

Jonas Vingegaard is now 1min 5secs behind the four-time Tour winner. This is Pogacar doing extraordinary Pogacar things. James Austin writes in: “It’s not just how far Tadej is from Jonas here that’s remarkable, but how are ahead Jonas is from the rest.

Remco, Seixas Del Toro etc. are all generation[al] talents and... they’ve had 1 minute put in by Jonas on them on a single climb. Utterly dominant except for that bloke in the rainbows.

The two are so far ahead and you really have to feel sorry for Jonas; he should be spoken of in the same way we view Induráin but just totally overshadowed by a bloke who is increasingly clearly the greatest we’ve seen.”

25km to go: It’s a long descent before the 18km drag through the valley to the finish at Gavarnie-Gédre. Pogacar is now the virtual race leader. Torstein Træen’s nigh-on eight-minute lead has disappeared in the distance of about 20 kilometres. Scary.

Evenepoel, Ayuso, Martinez, Skjelmose and Kuss catch Seixas, Lipowitz and Del Toro. Red Bull and Lidl-Trek now have numbers and can share the work, 1min 49secs behind leader Pogacar.

32km to go: “I know it’s Pogi… but isn’t it a bit early for Pogi to go solo with 40 odd Ks to go?” Kate Puttock asks. I’d say not, he’s made it mano-a-mano, no other team has any domestiques left to help their leader.

Vingegaard’s race radio is broadcast: “Come on Jonas, you have to keep fighting.” But as Pogacar flows like water round the twists and turns of the descent, he loses a little more time. 39 seconds his deficit.

37km to go: World champion Tadej Pogacar crosses the Col du Tourmalet in front, not even flinching at a bare-bummed supporter in a green mankini. In the last few kilometres of the ascent, his great adversary Vingegaard cedes more time, starting the descent 30 seconds behind. Then it is Seixas, leading Lipowitz and Del Toro, 1 min 27secs in arrears.

Race leader Torstein Træen is almost seven minutes behind him. Barring mishap, the sport’s superstar will surely be regaining the yellow jersey afternoon.

40km to go: Jonas Vingegaard is not giving up the fight, matching Pogacar for a few kilometres, just 20 seconds down. It’s another duel between the protagonists of the decade. But we have seen this before on the Galibier a few years ago: I reckon the Slovenian is the faster descender and he put time into his rival down that lofty Alp.

Then it’s Lipowitz, Del Toro and 19-year-old Seixas, about to catch their group, 55 seconds down.

43km to go. No teammates left for Seixas. Vingegaard is just down to ol’ faithful Sepp Kuss. Advantage UAE, who still have pace-setter Yates and Del Toro ahead of Pogacar.

“I’m good, guys, I’m good,” Pogacar says over the race radio. He is waiting to launch a thermonuclear attack. Teammates Lipowitz and Evenepoel ride next to each other.

Paul Taylor writes in, giving us a view from the top: “I rode the Tourmalet two days ago. Brutal. What isn’t clear is that the temp on the road is nothing like the mid or late 30’s. I saw 43 on the valley road at 1:30pm. Loved Rod’s photo, used to ride with him about 18 years ago. Hello Rod!”

45km to go: Britain’s Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) is dropped on 11 per cent gradients and is 25 seconds down. Perhaps he will go from thinking about GC to stage-hunting if he loses significant time today. It could be worse: Torstein Træen is 1min 45secs down.

Brandon McNulty takes over on the front as Prodhomme moves Seixas up next to Vingegaard. Just 15 riders left in this front group, Carapaz and Bernal toiling at the back. Still seven kilometres to the top.

51km to go. Relating to Kate’s time cut question for sprinters, Ger Nugent writes in: “If I’m in the green jersey and I don’t make the time cut, however at the end of the Tour, I’ve still more points that the next best, who does finish the Tour, do I still win the green jersey although I’ve not been able to complete the Tour?”

No, Ger. You’ve got to be in it to win it. Fail to finish the race in Paris and you haven’t completed the whole course therefore you’re no longer part of that classification. You’d be sat at home, binge-eating Jaffa Cakes (or your snack of choice), wishing you had gone that little bit faster.

53km to go: And there is Emmanuel Macron waving from the race director’s car, no doubt hoping for a strong Paul Seixas performance. Well, confirmation that Martinez pipped Paret-Peintre for the Aspin KOM. And we are onto the more benign early slopes of the Col du Tourmalet. The last 13km rarely dip under eight per cent gradient. Foul.

“Pog’s gonna go wild, absolutely crackers on the Tourmalet and try to split things up,” TNT Sports’ Adam Blythe predicts.

Read Richard Williams’ excelent piece from the archives with stories of Tourmalet folklore and history:

58km to go. Kate Puttock mails in with a very relevant worry: “Do not want to be a sprinter on a day like today. What’s the chances we’ll have mass withdrawals due to missing the time cut-off?”

We’ve already lost Arvid de Kleijn and Bert Van Lerberghe, Merlier’s lead-out man, has just DNFed too. So far, the green jersey gruppetto is 12 minutes down, so plenty of time and it’s “only” three late climbs. They should be ok today, but it is an even more legitimate concern in week three’s brutal Alpine stages, with added fatigue.

66km to go: Over the Aspin and onto the bendy descent. Valentin Paret-Peintre – older brother of Aurelien – dangles off the front too early before the top. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) just about holds him off in the sprint for 10 King of the Mountains points, or does he? Photo finish.

69km to go: The bunch is lined out. Paul Seixas is positioned mid-pack and his climbing helper Aurelien Paret-Peintre is off the back, as is King of the Mountains leader Alex Baudin, white jersey Mathias Vacek and Sean Quinn, second-placed in GC. With race leader Torstein Træen glued to the back wheel of Vingegaard, it looks like the American will not be taking the yellow jersey.

72km to go: UAE Team Emirates-XRG look lean and mean. Four domestiques in a line leading the 40-strong bunch, followed by Pogacar then Del Toro. Tim Wellens has taken over pace-setting from Politt. O’Connor is back in the fold.

Matthew Lysaght sends me an email, asking: “At what stage will we see the expected acceleration from Tadej that destroys the peloton, crests the Tourmalet alone, and hammer up the final climb into the Maillot Jaune?

Also, every time I see Quinn Simmons in his garish National Champs jersey and that on-brand hair/moustache combo, I actively wish for a puncture.”

In the middle of the Tourmalet, the steepest section where pitches reach 10 per cent would be my best guess. There will be a slight tailwind on the climb too.

74km to go: We’re halfway up the Aspin. Lidl-Trek leader Juan Ayuso had a mechanical problem at the foot of the climb and took a few kilometres to get back on.

A stage winner in all three grand tours, Ben O’Connor has 25 seconds. A latecomer to cycling, I believe he used to bat in his Perth school cricket team with Cameron Bancroft, he of “sandpapergate” notoriety.

77km to go: Scott Wedel writes in with a very relevant question: “Are they chasing O’Connor or setting up their later efforts by setting a hard pace? Could be looking to have a very select group over Col d’Aspin and then blow the race apart on the Tourmalet.”

Bit of both. I reckon UAE Team Emirates, whose enforcer Nils Politt is currently on the front onto the Col d’Aspin, fancy themselves as the strongest team here and imposing a tireless pace hurts their rivals and their domestiques, robbing them of some staying power on the Tourmalet. Then, keeping O’Connor at arm’s length means the stage win is within reach.

81 km to go: Andy’s now back from lunch to take the glory on the Col d’Aspin and the Tourmalet, etc. Enjoy.

84km to go: Sean Kelly is wondering why Uno-X Mobility are riding. Is it payback for the being allowed to take the yellow jersey with Torstein Træen, he asks Voigt on the Discovery Plus motorbike.

“The only reason I can see is they want to say thank you to Pogacar for handing over the jersey,” says Voigt.

“I will pass the question on to the team car, and I will send you a WhatsApp, so then you will know exactly. Is that a deal?”

Can’t say fairer than that.

85km to go: O’Connor has 1min 10sec on the bunch.

On-bike pundit Jens Voigt: “UAE riding is a clear sign that Tadej wants the stage.”

Hard to argue with that.

86km to go: Ben O’Connor had a chat with Discovery Plus before the stage.

Told that he wasn’t meant to come to the Tour in the team’s original plan for the season [he rode the Giro too], he says: “I was. The first half of season was about the Giro, I just didn’t say much about the Tour, but the plan was always to come here and try and win a stage.”

And what about today?

“Today’s a chance. A small one. But there’s alaways a chance. Things happen, there’s always context … we’ll try and do that today.

“The heat here has been pretty wild. That’s been the biggest factor, one we’ve got to be careful with … I think it’s in the balance between a GC day and a break today. In the final climb, if you are able to get over the Tourmalet, there is a chance on the final climb to maybe slip away … but you’ve got to get there first.”

93km to go: Halfway through the stage. It’s been highly active, to say the least, and the second half of the stage is looking awfully spiky, with a category-one, an HC and a category-two to come.

On the plus side for the riders, it’s not the furnace-like heat of a couple of days ago.

95km to go: O’Connor is 38min 23sec down on GC. He has 43sec on the chasing bunch. McEwen says there is no reason for UAE to be chasing like they are. That clearly isn’t true, but fair enough, you could see the sense in letting O’Connor have more time.

96km to go: It was a while ago now, but the intermediate sprint top five was as follows:

1) Pedersen
2) Campanaerts
3) Kanter
4) Philipsen
5) Girmay

99km to go: My telly tells me O’Connor has a lead of 41sec. The Australian taps out a strong pace, getting out of the saddle and trying to stretch his lead. I didn’t see it but the commentators say he just looked at the camera and shook his head, presumably wondering why UAE won’t let him go up the road and have a proper go at the stage on his own.

101km to go: O’Connor has forged a lead of 1min 12sec. Presumably, UAE Team Emirates are very happy to let a lone rider up the road. They don’t want to bring it back and have everything kick off again, so why not let O’Connor have his fun for a bit?

104km to go: And that Philipsen group out the back has now swelled to 10. Askey, Merlier, Bauhaus, Pedersen, Dillier, Eenkhorn, Otruba, Marsman, Allegaert are there with him.

105km to go: Philipsen and friends are 2min 45sec down on the bunch. Ouch. That is going to be a painful ride to make the time cut.

The average pace of the bunch is over 45km/h. Tim Wellens has taken it up at the front of UAE Team Emirates.

Ben O’Connor, always up for having a dig, is 24sec up on the peloton. Does anyone fancy joining him?

“He needs more men,” says Sean Kelly on commentary … “It’s very late in the day for a breakaway … I am concerned that UAE will keep the pressure on for Pogacar and blow this race apart … he might stamp his authority on the GC: ‘I’m here, I’m in the big shape, look at me.’”

108km to go: Now, it’s pretty much all uphill to the top of the Col d’Aspin. Another full-out descent, then the iconic Col du Tourmalet is next on the menu. There are 4,100m of climbing today, and they’ve done a mere 1,120m thus far.

109km to go: Ben O’Connor (Jayco–AlUla) and Xabier Azparren (Pinarello–Q36.5) have broken away to the top of the Côte de Mauvezin. O’Connor takes two points, Azaparren one. Looks like the pace will stay high …

110km to go: “Sorry to be a pedant,” emails Roland. “But Rob MacFadyen’s stunning photo (11.36am BST) is not the Cirque de Gavarnie from where, to see Spain, you have to rock climb several hundred metres of cliffs. It’s actually on what was the road to Port de Bucharo on the French / Spanish border from the Col des Tentes (where the road now stops, the tarmac on his photo is now an earthen track). That track is also one of the starting points for the hike up to the Brèche de Roland, a literal breach in the cliff face between France and Spain, several kilometres west of the Cirque de Gavarnie.

“To get to the Brèche de Roland, you have to scramble up towards and just below the glacier Rod mentions (the Glacier du Taillon); when I was last there in October 2021, it was still there (though admittedly there was a fair bit of late autumn snow already). I intended to go back in May 2024 but due to late snow and unseasonably low temperatures, we couldn’t even drive up to Col des Tentes due to snow closing the road. Given the current heat, if it is still there, it will be hanging on grimly.”

110.5km to go: That intrepid group of 10, who descended bravely to try and get away, have now been reeled in. Einer Rubio (Movistar) and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quick Step) are both prominent at the front. Still 1.5km go climb on the Côte de Mauvezin.

111km to go: “I am usually insanely jealous of all the folk roadside riding and watching the Tour,” emails Ollie. “In this weather, however, I’m content to be sat at my desk until I head out for week three.

“I’m struggling to understand Campanaerts’ efforts today. Surely he knew he wouldn’t go solo, there wasn’t enough of a group to be a satellite rider, and he will be needed to support Jonas throughout the tour. Are there any other explanations available? Perhaps by supporting Mads in his quest for the Green jersey they are trying to form an alliance with Lidl-Trek for later in the stage and tour?”

112km to go: Massively strung out, and a group of about 10 riders has now broken clear.

114km to go: It’s all strung out at the front as the riders fly down a descent towards the foot of the category-three Côte de Mauvezin. Plenty of riders trying to make it into a meaningful break, after Pedersen’s earlier assault on the intermediate sprint.

116km to go: The bunch is back together. But the pace is very very hot. There’s a group of four riders 90sec down: Philipsen, Gaviria, Marsman and Vanlerberghe.

Earlier, Marc Reef, the Visma – Lease A Bike race coach, was asked for his thoughts on the stage by Hannah Walker on Discovery Plus.

“It’s the first real big one. Something we’ve been looking forward to,” he said. “Unfortunately the only Pyrenees stage … with the Tourmalet, that’s where the action will be today … every race situation is good for Jonas, he’s well prepared with the Giro and with the last camp, and the first days [of the Tour], he’s been showing good shape. It doesn’t matter how it [the race] will be, he will be there on the Tourmalet.

“We’ll have to see how it unfolds, and from the top of the Tourmalet, we look further.”

118km to go: Big split in the bunch after an uncategorised ascent! Get to a telly.

It’ll probably all come back together but at this stage the front group has 16sec.

121km to go: On commentary, Robbie McEwen was saying Evenepoel should have gone for a pee on the bike rather than risk a stop.

122km to go: While I am here, for one hour only, you can mail me.

123km to go: Pedersen made a token attempt to try and stay out front with Campanaerts after the intermediate sprint – that was only polite – but he’s just popped on an uphill section. Campanaerts strikes out alone at the front but there is action behind, with attacks coming from the likes of Ben Healy (EF Education–EasyPost) as they pass Pedersen. The gap for Campanaerts is down to 10sec and he knows it’s only a matter of time.

124km to go: Thank you Andy and bon appetit.

Pedersen and Campanaerts will soon be caught by the bunch. I just said to Andy, imagine trying to go for a ride with those two. Both insanely strong.

127km to go. Fortune favours the brave. Mad dog Mads Pedersen leads Campenaerts across the intermediate sprint line at Pouzac. Twenty-five more points for his green jersey collection. Third for Kanter or Philipsen, photo finish…

At the back of the race, Remco Evenepoel stopped for a nature break and the commissaires created a barrage (a gap, meaning the returning riders cannot use the wake of team cars), so he is 30 seconds behnd the bunch. An avoidable expenditure of energy.

I’m off for lunch and Luke McLaughlin is going to take over and do some turns on the front of this blog.

131km to go. Matteo Jorgenson gives it a dig on the fourth-category Côte de Loucroup , splitting the bunch briefly, and Pedersen/Campenaerts’ lead is down to 30 seconds. Another Visma rider gives it a dig post-climb.

Abandon from Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor) at the back of the race, unable to handle this pace. He has been suffering for several days.

137km to go. So, an update on Artzgate, a dash of controversy enlivening the first hour of racing. TNT Sports pundit Jens Voigt on the race motorbike says the point of conflict was the position of Huub Artz’s hands, inside the handlebars, under the brake levers to get more aerodynamic on the bike. The argument being it is harder to control the bike and reach the brakes and contravenes UCI rules. He may be given a yellow card warning later.

142km to go. The bunch speeds through Lourdes, the GC outsiders maybe tempted to say a few Hail Marys. It looks good for Pedersen for the points with the bunch over a minute adrift. Apparently, Artz got a verbal warning. Game’s gone, I cannot see what he did wrong.

Paul Griffin writes in: “Regarding nominative deterministic pro-cyclists, I am absolutely apoplectic that you missed Alejandro Valve-rde.” Very good, Paul. There was also Steve Chain-el too before he retired.

150km to go. Sean Kelly has made the calculation and does not understand why Campenaerts is burning his energy in this breakaway on the flat, when he could sit in the bunch and bide his time for a bigger group.

Artz pats Pedersen on the back and sits up. Either he sees the futility of the effort or, as TNT’s pundits suggest, he’s been warned by the commissaires for an unnatural position and told to drop back. Strange.

1min 26secs lead for Pedersen and Campenaerts, averaging 50 kilometres per hour so far. Rapid.

160km to go. Without a Jacques Derailleur or Harry Helmet, Huub Artz is about as close as we will probably get for nominative determinism/bike part names, despite the extra vowel. He clearly has good legs, sprinting to fourth yesterday as Lotto try to make the best of being without leader Arnaud De Lie.

169km to go. Pedersen, Campenaerts and Artz press on, leading the bunch by 53 seconds. Why is the stage four winner out in front? Well, there is an intermediate sprint with 127km to go at Pouzac and he is looking to extend his advantage over Biniam Girmay.

The Eritrean’s NSN team have put a man on the front of the bunch.

177km to go. Hot off my inbox, a stage prediction from Nick Wayne:

“Which means, like all my others, it’ll be wrong: Lenny Martinez.”

He could do it. I wonder whether he is a bit too close to Pogacar/Vingegaard on GC to be afforded such freedom. I’ll pick Egan Bernal today – he’s won the Tour but never won a Tour stage.

183km to go. Victor Campenaerts attacks from the gun, joined by Huub Artz (Lotto Intermarché) and green jersey Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).

The Belgian has been doing some entertaining vlogs daily on Instagram with Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Matteo Jorgenson, full of charm and history facts. You don’t get this kind of homespun, behind-the-scenes stuff from the World Cup, do you?

Bold bicycle placement by Rod in that photo below. A strong gust of wind away from his steed ending up at the bottom of a ravine.

The bunch is bimbling south-east, about to start stage six. Christian Prudhomme waves the flag from his car.

We have mail! Not just that but a stonking photo from Rod MacFadyen of the Cirque du Gavarnie from 1990.

“During a cycling club week away to see the Tour, I cycled up to the Cirque de Gavarnie where the road stops and you can peer into Spain. On that day, a small glacier was visible in the peaks opposite - see my attached photo! What are the chances of that still being there?”

The flag is waved in Pau and the bunch rolls out into the neutralised zone.

Jonas Vingegaard says he “expects fireworks” today, which goes for fighting talk, coming from him. Wonder whether his Visma team will want to get a strong climber in the breakaway, someone who could drop back to help the Dane if he goes on the warpath.

Visma-Lease a Bike helper Bruno Armirail shown on TNT Sports signing in. Disappointingly, they just touch a screen these days rather than scrawling with a pen. Very 2026.

He has the local knowledge for today and no doubt friends and family members on the roadside: stage six passes through his home town of Bagnères-de-Bigorre after 60 kilometres.

Relive the last time the Tour de France finished on the Col du Tourmalet.

Vintage Pinot. Alas, six days later, he abandoned the 2019 race in tears with knee pain when still in contention to end France’s barren run. Where is he now? He is a full-time farmer, hosting some lucky Airbnb guests on his grounds when stage 13 goes through his village.

So, Tadej Pogacar is clapped. Finished. Past it.

Delayed slightly by a crash in yesterday’s finale, he was only 21st over the line. A day after finishing 33rd. He has clearly lost his touch. Incidentally, those are the four-time champion’s two worst performances of 2026. Yesterday was only the third time he has finished outside of the top ten from 21 race days. Bonkers.