Pogacar powers to third stage victory as Tour de France explodes in Le Lioran
Tadej Pogacar tightened his grip on the 2026 Tour de France with a commanding victory on Stage 10, delivering a late, clinical attack that secured his third stage win of this year’s race. On a hilly, punishing day into Le Lioran, the Slovenian once again proved untouchable, while teammate Isaac Del Toro suffered the biggest setback among the GC contenders.
The stage ignited from the gun. Lidl–Trek lit up the opening kilometres with a fierce tempo designed to isolate Mads Pedersen’s rivals before the intermediate sprint. Their plan worked: Pedersen swept maximum points, Max Kanter followed, and Tim Merlier was distanced almost immediately.
A chaotic fight for the break followed, eventually producing a large front group of around 30 riders. Mathieu van der Poel, Romain Grégoire, Ben O’Connor, Ben Healy, Fred Wright, Kévin Vauquelin, Thymen Arensman and Alex Baudin were among the big names represented. But UAE Team Emirates – XRG refused to give the move any breathing room, keeping the gap pinned at roughly 90 seconds and ensuring the leaders never settled.
The relentless pace meant constant reshuffling at the front. Harold Tejada and Javier Romo were the first to animate the climbs, and Romo eventually struck out alone with 74 km remaining. His effort was brave but hopeless against the UAE-driven peloton; he was reeled in at the foot of Pas de Peyrol with 38 km to go.
That climb triggered the next wave of action. Richard Carapaz launched a sharp attack, carving out a 30-second advantage as Decathlon CMA CGM moved up to control the chase. UAE remained measured, allowing others to close the gap while keeping their GC cards protected.
On the Col de Pertus, the rhythm shifted again. Adam Yates briefly tightened the screws before the pace eased, and Visma took over with Davide Piganzoli. Only in the final kilometre did Pogacar make his move — a delayed strike that immediately made sense when Isaac Del Toro was seen slipping out the back of the GC group. Jonas Vingegaard opted not to respond directly, instead pacing steadily with his remaining rivals.
Pogacar surged past Carapaz, cresting the climb alone and diving into the descent with clear daylight. On the final categorized rise, the damage deepened: Del Toro’s losses grew, and Remco Evenepoel momentarily cracked under Vingegaard’s pressure before rejoining on the descent.
VIDEO: 2026 Tour de France Stage 10 Highlights
2026 Tour de France Stage 10 Top 10
1 Pogacar Tadej UAE Team Emirates-XRG 210 03:58:08
2 Evenepoel Remco Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe 150 + 32
3 Seixas Paul Decathlon CMA CGM Team 110 + 34
4 Lipowitz Florian Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe 90 + 34
5 Ayuso Juan Lidl-Trek 70 + 38
6 Skjelmose Mattias Lidl-Trek 55 + 38
7 Vingegaard Jonas Team Visma | Lease a Bike 45 + 44
8 del Toro Isaac UAE Team Emirates-XRG 40 + 01:31
9 Pidcock Tom Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 35 + 01:59
10 Martinez Lenny Bahrain Victorious 30 + 02:03
2026 Tour de France GC after Stage 10
1 Pogacar Tadej UAE Team Emirates-XRG 36:15:02
2 Vingegaard Jonas Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 03:36
3 Evenepoel Remco Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 04:06
4 Ayuso Juan Lidl-Trek + 04:22
5 Seixas Paul Decathlon CMA CGM Team + 04:35
6 Lipowitz Florian Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 04:44
7 del Toro Isaac UAE Team Emirates-XRG + 05:08
8 Skjelmose Mattias Lidl-Trek + 05:45
9 Martinez Lenny Bahrain Victorious + 06:34
10 Pidcock Tom Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 11:49