“I still believe in myself” – Jonas Vingegaard refuses to concede Tour de France defeat despite brutal Tadej Pogacar destruction on Stage 6
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard refused to concede the 2026 Tour de France after suffering a brutal defeat to Tadej Pogacar on Stage 6, insisting he still believes his form can improve later in the race.
The Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader is already 2:42 behind Pogacar in the general classification after the first high-mountain stage of the race. Vingegaard was unable to follow when Isaac del Toro launched Pogacar clear on the Col du Tourmalet, with the UAE Team Emirates – XRG leader pressing on alone to claim his 23rd career Tour stage win and move back into yellow.
Vingegaard admits Pogacar attack was too much
Speaking after the stage, Vingegaard did not try to dress up the scale of the damage. The Dane had limited the first gap over the top of the Tourmalet, but Pogacar continued to extend his advantage on the descent and final climb towards Gavarnie-Gedre.
“It was a very tough day,” Vingegaard admitted. “Not the day I wanted, obviously, but that’s how it is sometimes. They put in a big attack on the Tourmalet and I couldn’t follow. I had to settle into my own pace.”
UAE had already reduced the favourites’ group through Tim Wellens, Felix Grossschartner, Brandon McNulty and Adam Yates before Del Toro made the acceleration that finally split the race.
Pogacar followed his teammate, then pressed on alone once Del Toro had finished his work. Vingegaard initially kept the gap close enough to suggest the damage might be manageable, but the stage moved further away from him after the summit. “Over the top, I wasn’t that far away, but on a downhill like this, it’s not really suited for me,” Vingegaard explained. “It was not my best day, but that’s how it is.”
Vingegaard speaks to the media post-stage
“My legs will get better throughout the race”
The result leaves Vingegaard second overall, but already facing a major deficit after only the first true mountain stage of the Tour. Visma must now find a way to put Pogacar under pressure, rather than simply trying to follow him in the mountains.
Vingegaard, though, stopped well short of conceding defeat. The two-time Tour de France winner was clearly frustrated by the time loss, but pointed to the racing still to come.
“I’m obviously disappointed – I have to be – but sometimes that’s life, and I can’t change it,” he said. “I still believe in myself. My legs will get better throughout the race.”
Pogacar now has yellow, two road stage wins, a 2:42 lead over his biggest rival, and UAE looking deeper than any other GC team. Vingegaard remains second, but Stage 6 has left him chasing the race from a long way back after the first day the Tour truly reached the high mountains.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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