The short sixth stage in France proved to be a brutal one. Team Visma | Lease a Bike stayed well-positioned near the front and took control halfway through the stage, leading the peloton. After several accelerations, a select group of favorites emerged for the final climb to Combloux, including Vingegaard, Jorgenson, and Ben Tulett.

An attack by Pogačar on the slopes of the Côte de Domancy left his rivals behind. The Slovenian rode unthreatened to the stage win and the yellow leader’s jersey. Vingegaard crossed the line in second place, while Jorgenson distanced Remco Evenepoel to secure fourth. Teammate Tulett followed shortly after in ninth place.

Sports director Grischa Niermann: “Pogačar was the strongest today. In the end, the time gaps at the finish were significant. Of course, we had hoped Jonas could stay closer on the final climb. This was a stage that really suited Pogačar, and it was clear from the start that Team UAE had a plan today. When someone is stronger, all you can do is accept it and congratulate him on the victory.”

Tomorrow, another tough mountain stage awaits the yellow-and-black formation, with a summit finish at Valmeinier 1800. Vingegaard now trails Pogačar by 43 seconds in the general classification. “We’ll give it another try tomorrow. It won’t be easy, but I’m happy with our way of racing and the fighting spirit of the team. We’ll take that into the next stage”, Niermann concludes.