Tour route, stage 6: Pyrenean classics challenge favorites
What: Eurosport
After the top favorites pinned their hopes of winning the Tour de France on yesterday’s flat stage to Pau, it’s time to get down to business today on the only real stage of the Pyrenees in 2026. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are 7:53 minutes behind Thorstein Troen in the overall standings. in a yellow T-shirt. In addition, triumph on the section along the legendary Col du Tourmalet is a matter of prestige.
The Red Bull – BORA-hansgrohe team is showing its cards today. Who is the strongest man on the team: Remco Evenepoel or German contender Florian Lipowitz? “After tomorrow we’ll know roughly where we are as a team when it comes to climbing. After that we can develop a clearer strategy,” Red Bull sporting director Patsy Vila told radsport-news.com on Wednesday after the fifth stage.
Mountain excursion: the last ascent in the Pyrenees on Gavarnie-Gedre.
What: Eurosport
Description of the route of the 6th stage of the tour
The first almost 100 kilometers after the start in Pau are mostly flat. However, the intermediate sprint takes place after the Côte de Lucroux (1.8 kilometers at 7.2 percent). A sprinter strong in the mountains could again score important points there.
After a wave with a different mountain classification, Aspen Pass begins at 106 kilometers in Arro (12 kilometers at 6.5 percent). This mountain is often skied in conjunction with the Tourmalet (17.2 kilometers at 7.3 percent) – just like this time.
This year, the Jacques Goddet souvenir will also be presented on the Tourmalet at an altitude of 2115 meters. The first ascent was included in the program in 1910, and since then it has been climbed 87 times.
Last year Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) became the first driver. The road from Sainte-Marie-de-Campagne is particularly steep, especially in the middle section. Decisive attacks could take place here.
Tour de France 2026 – Profile 6. Stage
Photo credit: ASO
Arrival at the “flat” mountain after the Tourmalet fireworks.
A descent of almost 20 kilometers leads to Luce-Saint-Sauveur. This is where the final climb to Gavarnie begins. The last 18.7 kilometers have an average gradient of just 3.7 percent. The steepest section, about two kilometers long, is located about four kilometers from the finish. There are two serpentines leading through Gavarni-Gedr with a slope of just over six percent.
The destination is then Gavarnie, overlooking the Cirque Gavarnie. This large stone pyramid is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located almost directly on the border with Spain. The Grand Cascade Falls plunges more than 400 meters into the depths. This will probably be one of the most beautiful finishes in Tour de France history.
A smooth start to the stage, like every year in the same place, will make it difficult to form a breakaway group. However, this time there will be at least several waves. The group of the day must try to establish their advantage over the Col du Tourmalet.
This is where things are about to get really serious for the first time for riders who want to be at the top of the overall standings. If you want to try something on this day, you should do it here.
The tour is cancelled! Evenepoel gets off his bike on Tourmalet
What: Eurosport
Anyone having trouble here could end up losing a lot of time on the long journey to the finish line. If a small group of GC favorites forms before the final climb, things will get tactically exciting on the way to Gavarnie.
Eurosport is streaming every stage of the 2026 Tour de France live on free-to-air TV from start to finish, every stage is available live and on demand on HBO Max, and we’re streaming every stage LIVE in full – Wednesday from 2pm ET.
Stage 6 of the compact Tour de France:
Po – Gavarni-Gedr, 186.2 km, 4100 Höhenmeter
Start time: 12:25
Target time: 17:46
Sprint rating:
Puzak (59.1 kilometers)
Mountain rating:
Côte de Lucroup (category 4, 50.9 kilometers)
Côte des Mauvezins (cat. 3, kilometer 77.3)
Col d’Aspin (cat. 1, km 118.1)
Col du Tourmalet (HC category, kilometer 147.8)
Gavarni-Gedr (cat. 2, 186.2 km)
You may also be interested in: Tour de France T-shirts and ratings: points distribution and mountain ratings. Directly on radsport-news.com
Voigt: “Pogakar better start catching up tomorrow”
What: Eurosport