“We had expected to be a little behind” – Jonas Vingegaard loses yellow but stays calm after Tadej Pogacar strikes on Stage 3 at 2026 Tour de France
CyclingMonday, 06 July 2026 at 18:08
Jonas Vingegaard’s yellow jersey was gone at Les Angles, but the Tour de France duel with Tadej Pogacar had not tilted as sharply as the podium ceremony suggested.
Pogacar won stage 3 after UAE Team Emirates – XRG dragged the race back together and superstar teammate Isaac del Toro launched him into the final kick to the line. Vingegaard finished second, lost the race lead, but crossed the line still level with Pogacar on overall time, with only countback separating the two rivals after the opening three days.
“Of course that is disappointing”
Within minutes, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader was already pointing to the part of the result that mattered beyond the jersey. “It ended up being quite a hard stage, but I think we came through it well and defended ourselves well,” Vingegaard told TV 2 Sport after the finish. “Obviously, I lose the leader’s jersey, and of course that is disappointing, but on a finish like this I actually think I can be quite satisfied with it.”
The stage had turned into a UAE chase after a long and aggressive breakaway fight, with Alex Baudin briefly threatening yellow before later securing the polka dots. UAE eventually brought the move back, Del Toro led Pogacar into position, and the Slovenian had enough punch to take both the stage and the jersey.
Vingegaard followed the move but could not match the final acceleration. The gap on the road, though, never opened.
“It is a good starting point for us”
Vingegaard’s most revealing line came when he looked beyond the podium ceremony and the change of yellow. “We are on the same time now, and that is actually fine for us,” he added. “We had maybe expected to be a little behind at this point, so it is a good starting point for us.”
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That leaves the first Pogacar-Vingegaard exchange with two different readings. Pogacar has already won a direct finish against Vingegaard, UAE have taken back-to-back stages through Del Toro and Pogacar, and yellow is now on the Slovenian’s shoulders.
But Vingegaard is not chasing seconds yet. After three stages, he and Pogacar remain locked together on the clock, with Remco Evenepoel third at 23 seconds, Del Toro fourth at 24 and Juan Ayuso fifth at 27.
Pogacar left Les Angles with the stage win and the yellow jersey. Vingegaard left without either, but also without the early deficit Visma had prepared for.
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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- In Cycling since i started watching 30 years ago ( i am 45), the richests team always had the upper hand, like in all Professional Sports team Sky, Team Postal, Festina.. Big Budgets = Best riders= Best Perfomances like in footbal, see the budgets of the winning teams, and compare to the others... And ist all Petrodollar money (except Real Madrid, Barcelona)Alexcavalera06-07-2026
- UAE, Bahrain and Jayco Alula (and in the future China)should not be allowed to infinite budgets, but thats the WORLd we live in! Sportwashing its all over the world, its everywear! Footbal, golf, MMA, Pool, Formula 1,...etc... Cycling is no different from the others Sports! So wake up to the new world of sports!! But i believe there should be Budget Limits in UCI (like UEFA does and Primier league also..) to make the sport more competitive.. Thats a different story..Alexcavalera06-07-2026
- Dear Kieran, There is an error in article on General Classification Standings after Stage 3 Table (Cian Uijtdebroeks vs Voisard) its MOVISTAR then TUDOR. But the next table is rigth!! Just to prove i am reading all of your articles till de very end..... :)Alexcavalera06-07-2026
- On Carapaz, like Martinez, his head says no but his legs say yes. He's just outside the top 10, having moved up 7 spots today
Rafionain-Glas06-07-2026 - What about the United States of America? Do they have democracy there? No they don't. THEY HAVE TRUMP!!!mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales06-07-2026
- This was another stage that Del Toro could have competed for the win, if he didn't have the lead out responsibilities for Pogacar. I think this is what's going to make him seriously consider leaving for another team where he's the top dog. He's got a legacy to create for himself. His prime time is right now and it's passing under the shadow of Pogacar unless he goes out on his own.
PogiFan2Day06-07-2026 - Be interesting to see how IdT does in the big mountains. Last year he was level with Carapaz and Yates which means he certainly wouldn't be troubling Jonas. But it does look like he has progressed since then.mobk06-07-2026
- Now, if you look at the ProCyclingStats home page, you'll see an intriguing sight. It shows Elite World Champion Tadej Pogačar, having won stage 3 of the Tour de France. Directly below it shows U23 World Champion Lorenzo Finn, having taken his second Pro win in as many days at the Sibiu Tour (a race which was won, in previous years, by Florian Lipowitz and Matthew Riccitello). Of course, both are wearing their rainbow jerseys, but the comparison shows the difference. Finn's jersey looks terrific, with the rainbow bands proudly on his chest. Pogačar's is truly ugly, as the bands have been lowered to make space for the UAE logo, which is the most prominent thing on the jersey. It is not a nice look at all. Nothing against Pogačar, but it is quite disgustingRafionain-Glas06-07-2026
- Perhaps the fact that their human rights abuses are regularly named (like you do) means that more people hear about them.RidesHills06-07-2026
- I was expecting bigger gaps both yesterday and today for sure. The stage profiles seemed ideal for Pogi to take serious time, I am surprised to see Jonas right there.DAS06-07-2026
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