Stage 6 of the 2026 Tour de France ventures into the high Pyrenees with the Col du Tourmalet as its defining climb, setting the scene for the first major confrontation between general classification rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar. The pair sit level on time heading into the stage, while Norwegian Torstein Træen leads the race in the yellow jersey, holding a margin of nearly eight minutes over both contenders.
The 17.1-kilometre ascent of the Tourmalet, reaching 2,115 metres, comes after the Col d'Aspin, with the finish in Gavarnie-Gèdre lying 38 kilometres beyond the Tourmalet's summit. Experts expect UAE Team Emirates to apply heavy pressure on the climbs to isolate Vingegaard, who may need a teammate in the breakaway to counter attacks — a tactic UAE manager Matxin Joxean Fernandez anticipates Vingegaard will use to test Pogačar.
Pogačar, who claimed his 22nd Tour stage victory on stage 3 to take the race lead from Vingegaard, has called their duels spectacular.