"The problem is the difference between Pogacar and the others" - The Tour de France's 'architect' argues that any route would see the World Champion rule
CyclingSaturday, 11 July 2026 at 11:47
The 2026 Tour de France is once again being a 'Poga-show' as the World Champion has won two out of the opening six stages; helped Isaac del Toro to win another and has left the first key block of the race in the yellow jersey. It has happened on a brutal first part of the race, but would've happened in any way, argues Tour de France route designed Thierry Gouvenou.
Gouvenou surprised with the gaps over the Col du Tourmalet
Gouvenou is tasked every year with designing the Tour's route and, with the mountainous sixth day of the race, he didn't expect to see such gaps grow. The stage included the Col d'Aspin, the 17-kilometer long Col du Tourmalet and the slight ascent to the finish at Gavarnie-Gèdre.
On the Tourmalet, UAE Team Emirates - XRG went all out and launched the Slovenian's attack with around 5 kilometers to the summit. From there, he made the winning gap to Jonas Vingegaard. Over the following hour of racing, he extended it to 2:38 minutes on the road to is closest rival.
“We were a little unsure about how difficult Stage 6 would be, because we knew perfectly well that the Tourmalet would be a decisive moment,” Gouvenou said in an interview with TV2. “To be honest, we had not expected such a large gap, and we thought the differences at the finish would be much smaller.”
As the Tour's 'architect', the job is also partly to make for an exciting race, keeping tension high but also delivering routes in which the riders can deliver spectacle from early on. That balance looked ideal throughout the first part of the race, and on the Pyrenean mountain stage he expected the same outcome.
“The spectators would not understand if, for example, we raced through the Pyrenees with a mountain pass that was not too difficult in the middle of the stage and only flat terrain afterwards. We decided to take the route over the Tourmalet and hoped the gap would be smaller. But there was a big difference.”
In Gavarnie, Tadej Pogacar won his second stage at this year's Tour de France
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Even without the Tourmalet, the differences would be made
Hence after six days of racing, the defending champion carried almost three minutes of lead over his closest rival; whilst the rider closing out the Top10 Mathias Vacek already sat over 7 minutes behind in the fight for the yellow jersey.
“As far as the suspense is concerned, you could say it was a failure. But that is also part of cycling.
It has been argued that on social media a different route would make for a tighter race, but Gouvenou can't help but to focus on the bigger picture. "That is simply what Pogacar is like. He is so strong that any route suits him.”
The race is now at full-speed, with a few days for the sprinters following, alongside two hilly stages in the Massif Central. The high mountains return on stage 14 in the Vosges; but the hardest stage of the race is reserved to the final week.
“Yes, I would have preferred the race between them to be much closer. The problem is not the route. The problem is the difference between Pogacar and the others," Gouvenou believes.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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