Pogačar drops Vingegaard to take dominant stage 10 win

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stamped his authority on the Tour de France 2026, attacking on the final climb to take a solo victory on stage 10. The Slovenian distanced all his general classification rivals on the mountainous run to Le Mont-Dore.

Behind him, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) proved best of the rest, finishing 32 seconds in arrears to claim second place. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) took a surprise third, a further two seconds back.

The major story in the GC battle was the gap back to Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), who crossed the line in seventh place. Vingegaard lost 44 seconds to the dominant stage winner and race leader.

The 167 km mountain stage began aggressively, with a 29-rider breakaway forming in the early kilometres. The large group, containing multiple teams, quickly built a significant advantage over a peloton that seemed content to let them go.

Within the move, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) successfully targeted the King of the Mountains points, collecting enough to secure the polka dot jersey. As the race neared its conclusion, however, the dynamic shifted when Team Visma | Lease a Bike came to the front of the peloton.

Matteo Jorgenson set a punishing pace that crumbled the breakaway's advantage and set up a GC showdown. On the final ascent, Tadej Pogačar launched a blistering attack that no one could follow, riding clear for the win as Jonas Vingegaard cracked behind.

• Tadej Pogačar's victory was a major statement. He not only won the stage but took significant time from Jonas Vingegaard, demonstrating superior form in the first true mountain showdown.
• Team Visma | Lease a Bike's strategy of setting a high tempo to isolate Pogačar backfired. Vingegaard was unable to match the final acceleration, suggesting he may not be at his absolute best.
• Remco Evenepoel's second place confirms his status as a top contender. By finishing ahead of Vingegaard and limiting his losses to Pogačar, he showed he can fight for the overall podium.
• The performances of youngsters Paul Seixas and Florian Lipowitz, finishing third and fourth from the elite GC group, were the day's revelation and a potential career breakthrough.
• Lenny Martinez's successful raid for the polka dot jersey was a masterclass in achieving a secondary objective from the breakaway, giving his team a coveted prize to defend.