On France's national holiday, the riders faced a demanding stage. Covering 166 kilometers between Aurillac and Le Lioran, the route featured seven categorized climbs. It took a long time for the day's breakaway to establish itself, but the peloton never allowed the group to build a significant advantage.  

With just under 40 kilometers remaining, the peloton, led by UAE Team Emirates – XRG, reeled in the last remaining breakaway rider, Javier Romo. At that point, Richard Carapaz launched an attack, opening up a lead of as much as one minute.  

On the Col de Pertus, the penultimate climb of the day, Pogačar made his decisive move. The GC leader caught Carapaz before riding solo to the stage victory. Behind him, Vingegaard set the pace of the chase for much of the climb. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider ultimately crossed the line in seventh, 44 seconds behind Pogačar.  

"I decided to ride at my own pace when Tadej accelerated," Vingegaard said afterward. "Looking back, we definitely managed to limit the damage. I got some help from the others on the final climb, which kept the gap from growing much larger. My legs certainly don't feel bad, but I'm looking forward to the longer climbs later in this Tour."  

"We knew this scenario was a possibility," sports director Marc Reef added. "We came to this Tour to win, but we also have to be realistic. Right now, Pogačar is the strongest rider, and we have to accept that. We'll keep fighting all the way to the final stage in Paris. Unfortunately, Matteo Jorgenson crashed today, but the positive takeaway is that he was able to continue."