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Tour de France 2023: stage-by-stage guide to this year’s race

The Grand Départ will be in the Basque Country this year before crossing the Pyrenees and then heading across the Massif Central

Stage 1, Saturday 1 July: Bilbao-Bilbao, 182km

The Tour starts in Spain’s foremost cycling heartland, with a stage through the Basque Country hills which will give many the jitters. Four stiff ascents in the final 80km with the Côte de Pike less than 10km from the line means an initial sort-out of the field; at least one favourite could lose the race here. The finish is made for Julian Alaphilippe, so France will expect a win and yellow jersey.

Stage 2, Sunday 2 July: Vitoria Gasteiz-San Sebastián, 209km

More straightforward but still hillier than most early Tour stages, with the Alto de Jaizkibel 16km from the finish; this 8km drag is well known to cycling fans as the key point in the San Sebastián Classic. It will shred the field, so a select group should contest the finish, suiting all rounders such as Wout van Aert or Magnus Cort. For the favourites, it’s about limiting any time loss.

Stage 3, Monday 3 July: Amorebieta-Bayonne, 187.4km

Finally, something resembling a normal stage for the Tour’s opening week. There are several nasty little Basque Country climbs but they come early in the stage and the run-out is downhill. So it’s bunch sprint time, which means British eyes will be on Mark Cavendish, although the chances are it will be last year’s sprint star, Fabio Jakobsen, in the spotlight.

Stage 4, Tuesday 4 July: Dax-Nogaro, 181.8km

Even flatter than Monday, so another bunch sprint day; for the overall contenders it’s again about staying upright. A north wind may liven things up, but it’s more likely to be a slog through the heat before Cavendish, Jakobsen, Caleb Ewan, Dylan Groenewegen and company fight it out. Big question: will Jumbo-Visma let Van Aert join in, or will he save his strength to support Jonas Vingegaard when the race enters the Pyrenees?

Stage 5, Wednesday July 5: Pau-Laruns, 163km

Two super-steep and gratingly long climbs in the Pyrenees will give a real idea of who is in for the win. It’s 44 years since the Tour has had ascents this severe this early in the race, and there could be as few as a dozen riders in the hunt at the finish. A fast-finishing climber who can descend fast will win this stage, someone of the calibre of Matej Mohoric.

Stage 6, Thursday 6 July: Tarbes-Cauterets, 145km

Day two in the Pyrenees with the Col du Tourmalet on the menu before a long, draggy uphill finish. The chances are the contenders who made the grade yesterday will watch each other and probe for any signs of weakness, while a break settles the stage, with pure climbers targeting the win and the King of the Mountains jersey: Giulio Ciccone perhaps, or Neilson Powless.

Stage 7, Friday 7 July: Mont de Marsan-Bordeaux, 170km

A complete contrast: pancake flat and probably grimly hot. Bordeaux used to be a classic sprinter’s finish when the race made regular visits, and this will be a throwback to those days. So it’s the same cast as in Nogaro, minus anyone who’s fallen foul of the mountains. This could be Cavendish’s third chance to eclipse Eddy Merckx’s stage win record and by now it will be clear just how tough an ask this will be.

Stage 8, Saturday 8 July: Libourne-Limoges, 201km

A second bunch sprint on paper, but there’s a twist: this is a long stage, and the final 70km offer little respite, being constantly up and down. It will be a tough one to control, so teams without sprinters will fancy their chances in a break. The tough finale favours a strongman such as Mathieu van der Poel or his Alpecin–Deceuninck teammate Søren Kragh Andersen.

Stage 9, Sunday 9 July: St Léonard de Noblat-Le Puy de Dôme, 182.5km

A stage devoted to the memory of France’s favourite racer, the late Raymond Poulidor, starting in his home town and finishing on the extinct volcano that was the site of his greatest exploit. The finish climb is back after 35 years’ absence and its insanely steep final 4km will force Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar to show precisely how strong they are. Expect a major reshuffle in the standings.

Stage 10, Tuesday 11 July: Vulcania-Issoire, 167km

After a rest day in Clermont-Ferrand, this is a day for the break to contest a stage through sumptuous scenery. The battle on the climb at the start will be intense and a downhill finish means the final four-mile ascent could see drama aplenty, while there is barely a flat stretch of road in between. This stage will be a target for Alaphilippe, Cort or other stage hunters such as Richard Carapaz or Daniel Martínez .

Stage 11, Wednesday 12 July: Clermont Ferrand-Moulins, 180km

A bunch sprint for sure, simply because with so few opportunities the sprinters won’t want to let this one get away. A break will go with riders looking for television time, but they won’t stand a chance. The question here is: which sprinters have survived the Massif Central, and which teams have any firepower left? One thing is certain: we won’t see another mass finish for at least eight days.

Stage 12, Thursday 13 July: Roanne-Belleville en Beaujolais, 169km

This is the sort of stage the Tour organiser, Christian Prudhomme, loves, peppered with medium-difficulty climbs where anything can happen. Stage hunters such as Alaphilippe, Cort and company will love it, and overall contenders who have flopped thus far will see a chance for redemption. But for a team trying to control the race, it will be a nightmare in the Beaujolais vineyards. For fans, it could be grand cru .

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Stage 13, Friday 14 July: Châtillon sur Chalaronne-Grand Colombier, 138km

A very simple stage, with a big (non-classified) climb mid-stage to whittle the field down, and a brutal climb to the finish for Pogacar, Vingegaard and any remaining rivals such as – perhaps – Tom Pidcock to do battle. The finish is a 17km ascent.

Stage 14, Saturday 15 July: Annemasse-Morzine, 152km

The stage 14 battleground, the Col de Joux Plane, is long, and steep, with the final 6km all about 10%; it’s followed by one of the Tour’s trickiest descents to the finish. With climbing right from the start, the break will go early and may well contest the finish. A good chance for riders such as Mikel Landa, but the final descent has Pidcock written all over it.

Stage 15, Sunday 16 July: Les Gets-Saint Gervais Mont Blanc, 179km

Again there is climbing all day; four classified climbs and several unclassified ones, before an uphill finish where France’s Romain Bardet won in 2016, and where most of the damage will be done on the initial kilometres to Les Amerands, where the gradient reaches 18%. David Gaudu is the rider French fans will expect to emulate Bardet, but if the overall contenders get involved that will be a big ask.

Stage 16, Tuesday 18 July: Passy-Combloux, 22.4km ITT

After the second rest day, a time trial! Once a Tour staple, now a relative rarity. This one is short enough that it won’t upset the applecart, but there’s a twist in its flattish route: a short, sharp pull up the Côte de Domancy, or Route Bernard Hinault, where “the Badger” won the 1980 world title. Another reminder that Hinault remains the last French Tour winner, back in 1985. That’s unlikely to change this year.

Stage 17, Wednesday 19 July: Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc-Courchevel, 166km

The final Alpine stage ends over the longest climb of the week, the 28km Col de la Loze, with an unremitting final 6km topping out at 24%, and after the descent into Courchevel there’s a short, stiff pull to the finish line. If an early break gains ground watch out for pure climbers such as Pello Bilbao, otherwise it’s all about Vingegaard and Pogacar, who between them won four mountain stages last year.

Stage 18, Thursday 20 July: Moûtiers-Bourg-en-Bresse, 185km

A long flat run out of the Alps offers respite after the mountains. On paper this is a bunch sprint, but that depends on which sprinters have survived and what state their teammates are in. Last year the Belgian Jasper Philipsen was the pick of the sprinters in the second half of the Tour; if he and his teammate Van der Poel are in form, look no further.

Stage 19, Friday 21 July: Moirans-en-Montagne-Poligny, 173km

Another flat stage, this time out of the Jura and into the Doubs. This should be another bunch sprint, but there’s a stiff little climb 26km out, which could well put the riders who are left in the sprinters’ teams seriously off their stride. So perhaps a reduced bunch sprint for a seasoned warhorse such as Mads Pedersen.

Stage 20, Saturday 22 July: Belfort-Le Markstein Fellering, 133.5km

A final mountain stage where the organisers will hope for a conclusive showdown between, ideally, Pogacar and Vingegaard. Given this isn’t a million miles from the home of the French chouchou Thibaut Pinot, the home fans and media will be dreaming up a perfect exit for the three-time stage winner in his final Tour over six of the best passes the Vosges can offer.

Stage 21, Sunday 23 July: Saint Quentin en Yvelines-Paris Champs Élysées, 115km

A hint of the Paris 2024 Games with a start at the national velodrome before the run-in to the finish on the Champs Élysées, where the sprinters can strut their stuff. This is the last time we will see the Tour here for a couple of years, as next year’s Olympics mean the finish moves to Nice and a final time trial, the first time the Tour has finished outside the capital since 1905.

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TOTAL: 3492 km

This will be the first Grand Départ in Italy and the 26th that’s taken place abroad  First finale in Nice. Due to the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris, the race will not finish in the French capital for the first time.

Two time trials. 25 + 34 = 59km in total, the second of them taking place on the final Monaco>Nice stage. This will be the first time the race has seen a finale of this type for 35 years, the last occasion being the famous Fignon - LeMond duel in 1989.

Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees will be the mountain ranges on the 2024 Tour route.

The number of countries visited in 2024: Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France. Within France, the race will pass through 7 Regions and 30 departments.

The number of bonus points 8, 5 and 2 bonus seconds go to the first three classified riders, featuring at strategic points along the route (subject to approval by the International Cycling Union)these will have no effect on the points classification. Bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three classified riders at road stage finishes.

Out of a total of 39, the locations or stage towns that are appearing on the Tour map for the first time . In order of appearance: Florence, Rimini, Cesenatico, Bologna, Piacenza, Saint-Vulbas, Gevrey-Chambertin, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Évaux-les-Bains, Gruissan, Superdévoluy, Col de la Couillole.

The number of sectors on white roads during stage nine, amounting to 32km in total .

The number of stages: 8 flat, 4 hilly, 7 mountain (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

The number of riders who will line up at the start of the Tour, divided into 22 teams of 8 riders each.

The height of the summit of the Bonette pass in the Alps, the highest tarmac road in France, which will be the “roof” of the 2024 Tour.

The total vertical gain during the 2024 Tour de France.

PRIZE MONEY

A total of 2,3 million euros will be awarded to the teams and riders including € 500,000 to the final winner of the overall individual classification .

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Tour de France: Pogacar confirms dominance with win on stage 18 – as it happened

The defending champion Tadej Pogacar produced another crushing victory on the final mountain stage of the race, winning atop Luz Ardiden

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• 16.21 BST Tadej Pogacar wins Tour de France Stage 18!
• 13.31 BST Prosecutors open investigation into doping allegations against Bahrain Victorious
• 11.51 BST Police search Bahrain Victorious hotel and team bus
• 11.44 BST Preamble

Another dominant display from Tadej Pogacar in the mountains has all but sealed the overall race - with the Slovenian 22-year-old mopping up the polka-dot and white jerseys for good measure. The GC battle may have been effectively over for a while, but there is plenty of intrigue left in the final three stages - especially for British fans, as they urge Mark Cavendish on to a historic 35th Tour stage win. I’ll be back tomorrow to see if he can pull it off. Bye for now.

Here’s Jeremy Whittle’s snap Stage 18 report, hot off the press:

“Tadej Pogacar ended any further debates over his Tour de France dominance with another summit finish victory in the Tour’s final mountain stage, to Luz Ardiden, in the French Pyrenees, 24 hours after winning on the Col du Portet.

As on stage 17 , to the dizzying heights of the Portet, the denouement was between the trio vying for the Paris podium – Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team, Ineos Grenadiers’ leader, Richard Carapaz, and Jonas Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma. But as at the Col du Portet, Pogacar was too hot for his rivals to handle and he again accelerated clear to take his second mountain-top finish and his third stage of the race.”

William Fotheringham’s pre-race preview for Stage 19 makes no mention of a certain Mark Cavendish. And why would it? The Manxman was drafted into the race at the last minute, and even then, the idea of him winning multiple stages was far-fetched. But here we are. Cavendish would break Eddy Merckx’s all-time record if he wins tomorrow - or, of course, in Paris on Sunday.

Stage 19, Friday 16 July, Mourenx – Libourne 207km

The sprinters will have been attempting to survive for the last few days, with this stage and Sunday’s run in to Paris in their minds. That’s enough incentive for most of them but the outcome of the stage may depend on how many of their teammates have got through the mountains as well. Five successive mountain stages may see off more of the domestiques than usual, and it might see off sprinters who really can’t climb like Kristoff or Ewan. So it’s a day for perhaps a rider like Matthews or Colbrelli, who will deal with the mountains better than most.

Pogacar in those polka-dots:

#TDF2021 A new edition to the collection.🔴⚪️ #UAETeamEmirates #RideTogether pic.twitter.com/NX30eDWE62 — @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) July 15, 2021

Out stage 18 report is coming up shortly. Meanwhile, here is Jeremy Whittle’s story from earlier today about an investigation being opened into Bahrain Victorious, following last night’s police raid on the team hotel in Pau:

It sounds like President Macron’s Tour de France trip to press the flesh isn’t quite going to plan:

Guillaume Martin doesn't even look at Macron. Talks to Prudhomme, who tries to include the President of the Republic in the conversation. — Matt Rendell (@mrendell) July 15, 2021

Pog in yellow, polka-dots, and white:

pic.twitter.com/2bluB83FLE — Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) July 15, 2021

Pogacar is only the fourth rider to win consecutive summit finishes at the Tour. Geraint Thomas is one of the others.

💛 @TamauPogi averaged 22.4km/h in the final 5km of stage 18, and 23.7km/h in the final 3km, to become the 4th rider to dominate two consecutive summit finishes in @LeTour history ⛰️ #TDF2021 #TDFdata pic.twitter.com/FjeNdGBQEr — letourdata (@letourdata) July 15, 2021

Pogacar has the polka-dots wrapped up. He now has 107 points after taking double points atop Luz Ardiden, with Poels of Bahrain Victorious on 88, and Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma on 82.

Cavendish is now coming across the finish line! He comfortably makes the time cut to stay in the race, by about six minutes, and now has two more chances to win stages and break that record. Cavendish and his four Deceuninck-Quick-Step teammates are all smiling as they make it home safely - mission accomplished.

Top 10 in GC after Stage 18 :

• Tadej Pogacar 75hr 00min 02sec
• Jonas Vingegaard +5min 45sec
• Richard Carapaz +5min 51sec
• Ben O’Connor +8min 18sec
• Wilco Kelderman +8min 50sec
• Enric Mas +10min 11sec
• Alexey Lutsenko +11min 22sec
• Guillaume Martin +12min 46sec
• Pello Bilbao +13min 48sec
• Rigoberto Uran +16min 25sec

The French president Emmanuel Macron is at the stage finish, trying to get a photo with the world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

Wout van Aert speaks to Eurosport: “Until 5km to go we had 75% of the team [three riders, that is] in the first group ... we hoped to go again for the stage today ... in the end, Vingegaard got beaten by Pogacar who was probably stronger ...”

Halfway through the interview, Vingegaard comes and embraces Van Aert, and thanks him for his efforts in helping the Danish rider stay on course for the podium.

Van Aert goes on: “It’s special to see how Vingegaard is handling the pressure. It’s really deserved. The special thing about it is that he didn’t expect to be in the GC race.”

Pogacar’s post-stage interview is here:

🎙 @TamauPogi Hear from the Yellow Jersey himself after his stage win at Luz Ardiden 🏅 #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/ITz117IV7q — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 15, 2021

The top 10 on Stage 18:

1 Pogacar 3hr 33min 45sec 2 Vingegaard +2” 3 Carapaz +2” 4 Mas +13” 5 Martin +24” 6 Kuss +30” 7 Higuita +33” 8 O’Connor +34” 9 Kelderman +34” 10 Valverde +40”

#TDF2021 - Stage 18 - Top 10 pic.twitter.com/dRqzgmUnXI — La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) July 15, 2021

Vingegaard speaks to ITV: “I was not feeling super-great, but I was sure that it was just a mental fight ... I was sure if I could suffer a lot, I would still be with the best guys ... we are not in Paris yet, but it looks really good now [for him to finish on the podium].

There are still 25 minutes to go until the time cut.

Pogacar speaks: “It’s unbelievable ... after yesterday, today, I don’t know - I felt good and I’m really happy with the win ... it’s crazy. It’s a game for me, of course, it’s been a game since I started [cycling] and I’m enjoying playing it, yeah, I’m super happy ... maybe 50 per cent chance [of winning the Tour] it’s still three days, but it looks good ... It was super hard ... I just tried to forget about everything and focus.”

Is he worried about Vingegaard before the TT on Saturday? “Why should I be worried? ... Sometimes you can have a really bad day on a TT ... let’s hope it’s not a repeat [of what he did to Roglic last year].”

Pogacar enjoys a can of drink and shakes hands with Kuss and Vingegaard. Quintana, who was hoping for more today, rolls in six minutes down on the winner.

It was double points at the top of Luz Ardiden in the KOM competition, so Pogacar assumes the lead in the polka-dot race. Poels, who is currently wearing the jersey, is just rolling in now.

Pogacar just needs to stay upright for stages 19, 20 and 21, and he will be crowned Tour de France champion for the second year in a row.

Tadej Pogacar wins Tour de France Stage 18!

The defending champion claims a second stage win in as many days! That was total dominance. Enric Mas tried to burst away for Movistar Team with 700m to race, but Pogacar covered the move, and sprinted away up the final slope to take the glory. It never really looked in doubt.

700m to go: Mas attacks for Movistar! He has a gap!

1km to go: The final kilometre of pure climbing on the Tour. Mas leads the way for Movistar at the moment. But Pogacar, looking supremely relaxed, moves ahead again.

1.5km to go: Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) has attacked from the group behind and is trying to catch the leaders!

2.2km to go: Apparently Pogacar’s parents are waiting at the top of Luz Ardiden, to cheer their son home. Extra motivation.

3km to go: Carapaz, Kuss, Vingegaard and Mas and the other riders in the group with Pogacar - we are down to five. Kuss is riding on the front. The fans shout manically and wave their flags as the riders rumble past.

3.5km to go: “Re: yesterday & Carapaz. Personally, I don’t see the problem,” emails Jonathan Taylor “A.) Valid tactic. B.) Did Pog do any different last year. He just sat on the Jumbo-Visma wheels for the entire trip. As they say whats good for the goose ...”

Pogacar attacks at the front!

4km to go: It’s 18’30” for the Cavendish group now, but they should still be fine for the time cutoff, unless the Manxman completely blows up on this final climb.

4.5km to go: Majka powers on up the climb, dancing on the pedals, with his Slovenian teammate right on his wheel. Third wheel in the group is Castroviejo of Ineos Grenadiers, and he looks like he’s really suffering with this pace.

5.5km to go: Geoghegan Hart now drops off the front. The Polish rider, Rafal Majka of UAE Team Emirates, takes it up at the head of the race with Pogacar on his wheel.

Surely, if Pogacar wants another stage win, it’s in the bag for him now. He looks fresh as a daisy.

6km to go: After the tomfoolery of yesterday, when Carapaz did no work to help Vingegaard and Pogacar on the final climb, will Pogacar be all the more motivated to deny him a stage win if he can?

6.5km to go: Cavendish and his buddies are 16’13” behind the front of the race. So if 37mins is the approximate time cutoff, they should be fine.

Poels, apparently, was immediately dropped again having managed to make it back into the lead group.

We’re treated to some picturesque helicopter shots from a distance as the riders snake up the climb. Lutsenko, of Astana, is dropped.

7.5km to go: This is all going to kick off in a major way pretty soon. Near the front of the bunch, Pogacar stands up on his pedals, moving with that apparently effortless cadence up the mountain. Will he take a second stage win in two days?

Poels has managed to make some ground up - and has nearly found his way back to the lead group. Geoghegan Hart is visibly suffering.

9km to go: Tao Geoghegan Hart takes it up at the front for the Ineos Grenadiers. His jersey is wide open as he tries to keep cool on this sweaty climb. Jonathan Castroviejo, sitting on his wheel, looks comfortable and ready to put in a big dig of his own.

Poels is dropped by the front group - which only increases the chances of Pogacar claiming the KOM jersey in Paris.

9.5km to go: Kwiatkowski hunts down Gaudu, whose hopes of the stage win are over. Ineos Grenadiers pump past him.

9.5km to go: It looks unlikely ...

@LukeMcLaughlin this is it! Gaudu, the nouveau-Pinot, is going to Get A Stomp On and smash this!!!!! — MaliciousA (@MaliciousA) July 15, 2021

10km to go: Gaudu fights on. Back down the road, Wout Poels looks to be in trouble and is starting to labour, having looked so sprightly on the Tourmalet.

The noise of the crowd is cranking up, with hundreds of fans lining the road on each side.

11km to go: GC hopefuls such as Mas, Kelderman, O’Connor and Lutsenko are all present and correct in the group of 41 riders which is closing in on Gaudu.

The Frenchman is fighting with everything he’s got, and trying to stay away. Van Baarle is spent - he gives way to Michal Kwiatkowski now at the front of the race.

11.5km to go: Van Baarle has produced a massively powerful ride today, and he is still working on the front for Ineos Grenadiers. The gap to Gaudu falls to 12”. He will be caught soon.

12.5km to go: Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) is going for broke, but his lead is only 20”, and Ineos Grenadiers are continuing to work, trying to set up Richard Carapaz for the stage win.

It’s been a valiant effort by the Frenchman, Gaudu, to get away but it looks like his hopes will be over soon enough.

15km to go: The final major climb of the 2021 Tour de France - Luz Ardiden - is 13.4km long with an average gradient of 7.4%.

There are 42 riders in the front group, many of whom will have designs on the stage win.

19km to go: Gaudu is on the valley floor. He’s more than 15 mins ahead of Cavendish, the green jersey, but 46” ahead of the chasing group.

The peloton has split behind - Pogacar is safely in the front group - along with Vingegaard and Carapaz.

22km to go: It’s clear that Gaudu knows this descent off the Tourmalet incredibly well. There’s simply no way he could be riding at this pace if he didn’t.

David Gaudu knows these roads like the back of his hands, the Tourmalet was one of the first mountains he conquered as a youngster. This is his day, and he's going for it. Allez David! 🇫🇷 #TDF2021 — Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) July 15, 2021

25km to go: The Cavendish group - which is the green jersey, and now four teammates - are still climbing the Tourmalet. They are nearly 14 minutes behind the front of the race.

The estimated time cutoff is around 37 minutes.

27km to go: Gaudu going for it.

🇫🇷 @DavidGaudu has built a lead in the descent! À l'aise dans la descente du Tourmalet, 🇫🇷 @DavidGaudu a distancé ses compagnons d'échappée. #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/mZPvtBMD7b — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 15, 2021

28km to go: Gaudu is absolutely flying down this mountain and is nearly 40 seconds ahead of Latour now. He looks incredibly fluent and confident as he tears around the corners and pedals as hard as possible on the flatter sections. He is going for this.

30km to go: Media jokes about newspapers abound on Twitter:

Print is dead, they said. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/6REAeoRE0t — daniel mcmahon (@cyclingreporter) July 15, 2021

32km to go: “Great to see Pierre Latour take the newspaper offered by the fan to keep the wind off on the descent,” writes in Paul Graham.

On the descent, Gaudu is smashing it down the mountain, and has dropped Latour. Could this be a stage-winning move? He has fashioned a decent advantage.

35.5km to go: Latour is first over the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, and claims the ‘Souvenir Jacques Godet’, while Poels attacks Woods a little further down the mountain as he aims to extend his lead in the king of the mountains classification.

36km to go: Latour and Gaudu are together at the front. Latour, in old-school fashion, stuffs a newspaper down his jersey in preparation for the imminent descent. The road is lined with fans who are all baying with excitement.

36.5km to go: Wout Poels and Michael Woods attack off the front of the bunch! They are hunting KOM points. Woods is trying his best to drop Poels, but the Dutchman is stuck to his wheel like glue.

37km to go: The moment that Uran was dropped:

🇨🇴 @UranRigoberto , 4th in the GC is dropped! 🇨🇴 Rigoberto Uran, 4ème au classement général est distancé ! #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/5hwcJC4xJk — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 15, 2021

37km to go: David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Ruben Guerreiro (EF Pro Cycling) and and Pierre Latour (Total Energies) are now out front on their own. Gaudu has a drink and something to eat, without easing up on the fearsome pace that is being set towards the top. It’s under two kilometres to the summit now.

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Tour de France stage 10 as it happened: Pello Bilbao wins as breakaway has its day

Live updates from the tenth stage of the 2023 Tour de France

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The first rest day has passed and the Tour de France is back. After Sunday's brutal finale on the Puy de Dôme , the race stays in Auvergne for stage 10, set to the backdrop of the region's volcanoes. 

I, Tom Davidson , will be bringing you updates of the racing throughout the day. I spent the last two weeks on the road, following the Tour from Bilbao to the Puy de Dôme. I was lucky to experience one of the best opening week GC slugfests ever from the roadside, but I'm calling a day for the breakaway today. 

Stage 10: Vulcania > Issoire (167.2km) 

Before the stage gets underway at 12:20 BST (13:20 CET), let's take a look at what's in store for the riders. 

Stage 10 offers a lumpy profile, with four category three climbs, and one category two. The peloton will be climbing from the flag drop, and will be spinning up and down throughout the day, with a downhill run-in to the line. 

Expect the GC contenders to bed in for a relaxed one after the first rest day. If a stage was ever scripted for the breakaway, it's this one. 

Here's how the general classification stands going into today's stage: 

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 38-37-46 2. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), at 17s 3. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), at 2-40 4. Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), at 4-22 5. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) at 4-39 6. Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), at 4-44 7. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), at 5-26 8. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), at 6-01 9. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) at 6-45 10. Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich) at 6-58

Barring disaster for any of the 10 riders, I suspect this will look the same come the end of the day. 

To find out who's leading the other competitions at the race, visit our up-to-date classifications tracker . 

Tour de France Femmes unveils Rotterdam Grand Départ for 2024

In case you missed it yesterday, next year's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 

The event will begin on 12 August 2024 - so as to not clash with the Paris Olympics - and the first three of the eight stages will take place in the Netherlands. 

"The last few seasons have been a tale of Dutch ascendancy," said race director Marion Rousse in a press statement. "Starting from the home of these champions will kindle a great popular celebration. Expect their supporters to turn our in force."

It will be the first time the race has left France since it was added to the calendar last summer. It will also be the first edition that won't include Annemiek van Vleuten , winner of the recent Giro d'Italia Donne, who is scheduled to retire at the end of the season.

Full details of the route will be revealed on 25 October. 

A slow start? 

Here's an interesting stat for you. This year's Tour de France has set off slower than last year's edition. 

The average speed of the yellow jersey wearer Jonas Vingegaard is 42.1km/h over the first nine stages. After the same time last year, the race leader Tadej Pogačar averaged 44.5km/h.

This is no doubt a symptom of the tough Grand Départ held in the Basque Country, where the first two stages clocked around 3,000m of climbing each. 

Stage four to Nogaro - "the most boring Tour de France stage for a long time," according to Jasper Philipsen - also kept the average speed down. 

A post shared by Tour de France™ (@letourdefrance) A photo posted by on

There's an hour and a half until stage 10 begins. Don't forget to check out our how to watch the Tour de France guide , so you can tune into the action live, wherever you are in the world.

Sign-on has started in Vulcania ahead of stage 10. 

"What's Vulcania?" I hear you call. "That's not a place in France." 

Well, you're right. Vulcania is an amusement park, or as the tourist signs say, the European Park of Volcanism . It opened in 2001 and is jam-packed with volcano-themed educational fun. 

Of course, the WorldTour peloton is no stranger to amusement parks. In February this year, stage six of the UAE Tour began at Abu Dhabi's Warner Bros World - the world's largest indoor theme park, which cost $1 billion to develop. 

3D model of the Vulcania amusement park. 

10 minutes to go until kilometre zero. 

While I'm busy covering today's Tour de France stage, my colleagues in the tech team are gathering all the best Amazon Prime Day deals . If you're after some new kit or a bike computer, go check our the discounts available. 

Stage 10 gets underway

We're off! Christian Prudhomme waves his yellow flag and the race start is given. 

It is a hot day in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, where ground temperatures are set to exceed 40 degrees celsius. Spare a thought for the riders, and my colleagues at the roadside. 

166km to go: The battle for the break has begun. There's a lot of movement at the front of the pack, but no move has stuck yet. 

161.5km to go: Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Krists Neilands (Isreal-Premier Tech) have kick-started an attack on the opening category-three climb. Three others have joined them, including Ineos Grenadiers rider Michal Kwiatkowski. 

159km to go: The gruppetto is forming. Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal Quick-Step), victim of some nasty road rash on stage four, is one of those out the back. As is birthday boy Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny). It's going to be a long day for the sprinters. 

152km to go: The GC men, for some reason, have bridged across to the breakaway. The gap to the peloton is 47 seconds. Ineos Grenadiers have missed the split. 

148km to go: We're about to reach the foot of the category-three Col de Guéry. Here's the climb details, courtesy of Strava, and the KOM time to beat, held by Valentin. 

The hilliest of the #TourdeFrance, Stage 10 appropriately starts in a volcano-themed park. Peep below ⬇️ for the Strava Segments that’ll test the riders today, kicking off with Col-de-Guéry: https://t.co/PQOdgw5q0G pic.twitter.com/BmN1c78ju5 July 11, 2023

146km to go: There's clearly some fresh legs in the peloton, because the racing is relentless. Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar have now left the front group on the road and dropped back. We're still waiting on a clear breakaway to form. 

143km to go: You'd think you were watching a criterium at Crystal Palace here. Moves are flying out of the peloton, but they're all being kept on a tight leash at the moment. 

137.5km to go: Some of the top-10 contenders are struggling to keep up with the frantic start. Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich) and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) are both out the back. 

🇫🇷After Romain Bardet, it's now @GauduDavid exiting at the back of the peloton. Tough day for the French riders. 🇫🇷Après Romain Bardet, c'est maintenant @GauduDavid qui sort à l'arrière de peloton. Journée difficile pour les coureurs français. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/CsypyF1mpt July 11, 2023

131km to go: There's now two men off the front - Julian Alaphilippe and Matej Mohorič. 

126km to go: The Gaudu-Bardet group is now two minutes behind the yellow jersey. This could end up being a disaster for the Frenchmen.  

Krists Neilands was one of those who animated this stage early on. Here he is in action, stringing out the peloton. 

121km to go: The average speed so far is 41.2km/h. So much for a calm one after the rest day. 

117km to go: Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), one of the pre-race favourites for the stage win, is also in the trailing group with Gaudu and Bardet. 

There's a rumour circulating around the peloton that this is the Belgian's final day at the Tour de France. He and his partner are expecting their second child, and the birth is due any day now. 

112km to go: There's a seven-man front group with around a one-minute advantage over the peloton. 

They are: Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost), Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-Quick Step), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech)  and Warren Barguil (Arkéa Samsic). 

110km to go: The frantic start is yet to settle down. We're about to head onto the third categorised climb of the day, the Col de la Croix Saint-Robert. 

Col de la Croix Saint Robert is another monster KOM - we'll see who maximized their recovery day: https://t.co/AQXIWcYoYz pic.twitter.com/ecQXph1Fn2 July 11, 2023

108km to go: Hats off to Stefan Küng. The Groupama-FDJ rider has given a monster tow to carry his leader David Gaudu back into the peloton. Romain Bardet has also rejoined the group. Panic over, les français. 

107.4km to go: Kasper Asgreen wins the day's only intermediate sprint. He won't care for the green jersey points, but there will be a nice prime heading to the Dane's bank account. 

105km to go: There's a second group on the road, 25 seconds behind the breakaway. In it are Julian Alaphilippe and Ben O'Connor, who is determined to bridge across. 

100km to go: The breakaway crests the stage's highest point - 1451m - and tucks in for the descent into the valley. Things are starting to settle down. 

94km to go: I've had word from my colleague, Adam Becket , who is on the ground in France. 

"I cannot stress how hot it is," he says of the near 40C temperatures. "If there was an extreme weather protocol for journalists, I would ask for it to be invoked." 

90km to go: The gap to the peloton is now at 2-43. I think it's fair to say the breakaway has been established. 

86km to go: Another one of my colleagues, Chris Marshall-Bell , would like to weigh in on the heat. 

"I would just like to say that it is unseasonably warm here in France," he says. "If I had the option of jumping head first into a freezing pool of water or sitting for the next six hours in this climbing gym-cum-press room, I would choose the former." 

85km to go: Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost) is on the attack. The Colombian champion leads solo up the Côte de Saint-Victor-la-Rivière, with a 30-second gap to the breakaway. 

79km to go: We're into the last 80km, so here's a reminder of the situation on the road. 

Esteban Chaves has shot out of a 14-man breakaway and is leading solo. The peloton is 3-20 in arrears. 

77.5km to go: Scrap that, Chaves is caught. Suddenly a day alone under the sun doesn't seem so attractive to the Colombian. 

72km to go: The breakaway continues to work well together, with the gap to the peloton stable, now at 3.13.

70.8km to go: Some sort of shoe / pedal issue going on for Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), who is hanging on to the team car while trying to put a shoe on with one hand. Problem apparently sorted, he's back and chasing back on to the bunch.

66.2km to go: If you're just joining us, allow us just to reiterate how strong this breakaway is looking. It's 14 riders strong, and includes Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers), Julian Alaphilippe and Kasper Asgreen (both Soudal-Quick Step), Ben O'Connor (Ag2r-Citroën) and Matthias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek). They're working well together too – the peloton is going to have a job to catch them.

62km to go: The Israel-PremierTech team car comes over the radio, addressing breakaway riders Krists Neilands and Nick Schultz: "Today we can win a second stage, you know that guys. Heads up and good luck."

58km to go: The gap to the breakaway has slowly been coming down. It's now 2.42 and the break may need to think about stepping up the pace if its going to survive.

54km to go: Perhaps Neilands (Israel-PremierTech) was inspired by his DS's words – he's attacked out of the breakaway, gaining a small gap. But the break looks motivated behind.

53km to go: 9 seconds for Neilands from the break, whose gap over the bunch is down to 2.15, with no less than Mathieu Van Der Poel plugging away on the front in pursuit.

51km to go: Julian Alaphilippe has a go! He's followed by Kwiatkowski, and the rest... Neilands is coming back fast.

46km to go: The riders are now on a long, long descent. It's followed by the climb of the cat-three climb of the Côte de Chapelle-Marcousse. That's six kilometres long at 5.6%, and then comes 25km of mainly downhill to the finish at Issoire.

45km to go: Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) have slipped off the front of the peloton as it heads downhill.

41km to go: MVDP and WVA have 11 seconds on the peloton, and are 2.18 behind the break, which is enjoying renewed impetus after the attacks of Neilands and Alaphilippe. The kilometres are ticking by fast now.

The pair aren't making much headway on the breakaway, still at 2.18 as they approach the bottom of the Chapelle-Marcousse. They'll hope to deliver the killer blow when the road points uphill though.

32km to go: The break, and the chasing pair of Wout Van Aert and Mathieu Van Der Poel, are on the climb now. These two are 50sec ahead of the bunch and still 2.16 behind the break.

30km to go: Israel-Premier Tech's Neilands is leading solo, with a 26-second advantage. Van der Poel has been reeled in by the peloton. 

29.5km to go:  Let's not forget that this stage finishes with a downhill run-in to the line. It's prime Alaphilippe territory, provided the Frenchman doesn't give Neilands too big of a gap. 

28km to go: Neilands's advantage is stretching out. It now stands at 40 seconds. Can he hold on? 

22km to go: Neilands crests the final climb with a 25-second gap. Behind him, Chaves, Bilbao, O'Connor, Zimmermann and Pedrero chase. 

There has been no movement in the yellow jersey group for a while. 

18km to go: This is going to be a fast finale. Neilands's advantage has been slashed to 16 seconds, with Zimmermann leading the descent in the chasing group. 

12km to go:  14 seconds for Neilands now. The chasing group is hitting speeds of 75km/h on the descent to Issoire. 

10km to go: No surprise here, but Neilands has been awarded the prize for the day's most combative rider. He was one of the original animators of the breakaway from the flag drop, and is now 10km away from a momentous stage win. 

6.5km to go: Neilands is pedalling like there's no tomorrow. His speed is 60km/h as the road starts to flatten out. 12 seconds to the chasers.  

3km to go: Heartbreak for Neilands. He's caught by the Bilbao group.

There's more drama too, with a four-man group containing Alaphilippe just 22 seconds behind. 

1.7km to go: Ben O'Connor attacks! Bilbao follows closely on his wheel. Pedrero the only other who can hold on. 

1.1km to go: Zimmerman now goes over the top. Again Bilbao latches onto the attacker's wheel. 

Bilbao wins! 

He launches his sprint with 200m to go and holds his position to the line. Zimmerman second, while O'Connor finishes third. 

Hold tight, I'll have a full race report up soon. 

As promised, here's the full report from stage 10 of the Tour de France . 

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Live coverage

As it happened: pogačar wins tour de france stage 6, vingegaard takes yellow.

Hindley wears yellow, Vingegaard carries momentum, Pogačar looks to respond

Tour de France 2023 – Analysing the contenders

Tour de France 2023 - the definitive guide

Tour de France: Jai Hindley wins stage 5 as Vingegaard drops Pogačar in Pyrenees

How to watch stages 5, 6 and 7 of the Tour de France

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 6 of the 2023 Tour de France, 144.9km from Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque.

We had a brutal baptism of fire in the Pyrenees yesterday and today is set to be much of the same for the riders. The general classification saw a dramatic switch up with Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe) winning the stage into Laruns and taking the yellow jersey. Defending Tour de France champion, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), also delivered a heavy blow to his key rival and two-time Tour winner, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who he now holds an advantage of 53 seconds over. Will the Dane smell blood and try and build an even bigger advantage today?

We're just under an hour away from the neutralised start in Tarbes at 13:10 CEST, before the waving of the flag and official start at 13:25 CEST.

There's no respite after the pain endured yesterday with an even more difficult stage on the cards. 4000m of elevation over four categorised climbs and the first summit finish of the 2023 race. It's only stage 6. All of the 172 riders that started yesterday finished well within the time limit so we should get the same number setting off today barring any late incidents. 

Here's Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) bringing the good vibes at the start in Tarbes. He'll be back in the groupetto today waiting for his next chance to sprint on tomorrow's stage into Bordeaux. 

🌞 Love @MarkCavendish optimism. How can you not love him ?🌞Comment ne pas aimer @MarkCavendish #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/l75tk0mk1G July 6, 2023

The riders are completing sign ons and the team presentation before we get underway with a neutralised start. 

It's all smiles for Hindley at the start location in his new yellow jersey.

We're underway from the neutralised start in Tarbres. There's just under 8km of riding before the flag is waved and racing gets started on stage 6 of the Tour de France. 

Today's first 20km will be the flattest of the day before we get into the first and easiest of our four categorised climbs. 

Early mechanical issues for Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X), who required a wheel change in the neutral zone. He'll be making his way back in now. 

One of Cyclingnews' team on the ground at the Tour, Daniel Ostanek, has put together a great preview for today's action. Make sure to read it below. Tour de France: Tourmalet, summit finish the next GC skirmish on stage 6 - Preview

144.9KM TO GO

Here we go, stage 6 of the Tour de France is underway! It's the second day of Pyrenean pain. Who will look to get into today's break?

Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) is the first to try straight from the gun, with Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step) straight onto his wheel. They both played a role in the break yesterday and are showing no early signs of fatigue as they get straight to work. 

There's an early rise straight from the start as we leave Tarbes and there are already gaps starting to form. Around 11 riders have already created breathing room from themselves and the peloton. 

Jumbo-Visma aren't messing about at all with Van Aert getting into this early move. He and Alaphilippe are joined by a whole host of other strong riders: - James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost) - Nikias Arndt (Bahrain-Victorious) - Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën) - Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) - Gorka Izaguirre (Movistar) - Chris Juul-Jensen (Jayco-AlUla) - Tobias Halland Johhanessen (Uno-X) - Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)

Multiple teams have missed out and are now trying to bridge the gap before it gets too late. Alaphilippe and Van Aert are doing their best to make sure the move sticks as they are joined by a rider each from Ineos Grenadiers, UAE Emirates and Arkéa-Samsic. 

Alexis Renard (Cofidis) has had an early bike change. 

Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates), Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Matis Louvel (Arkéa-Samsic) and Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech) were the five riders who joined the original ten that got away. It will be Neilands' second day in the break in succession if this move sticks. 

There's another counter move of riders in-between the peloton and the break trying not to miss out on what seems to be the break of the day as their gap approaches the minute mark. 

130KM TO GO

Composition of the chasing group of riders: - Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) - Anthony Perez (Cofidis) - Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) - Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-Quick Step) - Oliver Naesen (AG2R Citroën)

The break of the day has formed. Bora-hansgrohe have assumed their position at the front of the peloton as they now hold the yellow jersey and must control. The gap is already at 2:35 with the five pursuers at 34 seconds. 

Here's an early look at Van Aert, one of the instigators of today's breakaway, which is now 20 riders deep as contact has been made by the extra five riders.

ON TODAY'S TOUR DE FRANCE MENU

KM 0: Start - Tarbes KM 29.9: Climb - Côte de Capvern-les-Bains (5.6km at 4.8%) KM 49.2: Intermediate Sprint - Sarrancolin KM 68.1: Climb - Col d’Aspin (12km at 6.5%) KM 97.9: Climb - Col du Tourmalet (17.1km at 7.3%) KM 144.9: Finish - Cauterets-Cambasque (16km at 5.4%)

Powless sets off in pursuit of the two KOM points atop the Côte de Capvern-les-Bains (5.6km at 4.8%). He's moved up to 20 points now after losing the polka-dot jersey to Felix Gall (AG2R-Citroën) yesterday who still remains eight points ahead of him. 

The peloton are on a long straight road, fully strung out in single-file order. Gap to the break has now gone out to 3:08. 

100KM TO GO

Bora-hansgrohe are controlling things nicely for the moment with their flat specialists taking the front positions. Nils Politt, Marco Haller, Danny van Popped and Jordi Meeus will share the workload before Bob Jungels, Patrick Konrad and Emanuel Buchmann take over once the road begins to rise. 

Coquard takes the full haul of 20 points in the green jersey classification for the second straight day. This is his second successive day in the break and second intermediate sprint which he has won, nicely done by Le Coq. He started the day 66 points behind the jersey holder, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuinck) and has reduced that to 46. 

The leading group of 20 is close to turning onto the Col d’Aspin (12km at 6.5%), one of the very famous climbs that the Tour often tackles in the Pyrenees. 

Asgreen is working on the front, clearly in aid of Alaphilippe's chances. He's the closest on GC in the break at 7:10 from Hindley, but the break has barely been given any room to breathe the gap only at 3:21 to the break with under 90km left to race.

Jumbo-Visma have come to the front for now and overtaken the head of the peloton from Bora-hansgrohe. Are we going to see an early assault from the Dutch squad on the Col d’Aspin (12km at 6.5%)? 

Cosnefroy is getting dropped from the break which is quite surprising. Perhaps his efforts to be one of the only two riders in the break on stage 4 have left him fatigued. 

Mechanical issue for Maxim Van Gils at the back of the bunch. The young Belgian hasn't had the best luck in the opening six stages of his first Tour de France. 

The last two thirds of the Col d’Aspin (12km at 6.5%) are the hardest with a relatively easy start. Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) is struggling to hold on at the back of the peloton and has began to drop back with some of his sprint lead-out. They will be hoping to ride in within the time limit with the groupetto as they did yesterday. 

Cavendish is the next sprinter to drop out the back with two teammates, but he won't be panicking having battled to beat the time-cut on multiple occasions throughout his illustrious career. 

The break has just under 4km until the top of the Col d’Aspin and the peloton is still being driven on by Bora-hansgrohe with the gap at 3:38.

Here's a look at the break of the day being led by Asgreen. 

Jumbo-Visma have hit the front of both the peloton and the breakaway as Laporte has started to take control for Vingegaard and co. while Van Aert has decided it is time to up the pace in the breakaway. Coquard has dropped from the break after his successful pursuit of green jersey points. 

Van Aert is beginning to thin this group down significantly. Slightly curious tactics from Jumbo, but they are clearly cooking up something. Most of the sprinters are now falling away as the pace increases through Laporte. 

Powless shoots out of Van Aert's wheel in the final 80m of the climb and takes the full haul of points with Guerrero coming over in second. He's now gone back into the virtual lead of the king of the mountains classification with 30 points, two ahead of Gall. 

We're 1000km into this year's Tour de France. So much has already happened, but we've got lots more to come as we still have over two weeks of racing left to tackle. 

Cyclocross season has come early as Van der Poel and Van Aert lead the break in their descent off the Col d'Aspin. Next on the menu, the Col du Tourmalet. 

Vingegaard was on a different planet yesterday compared to his competitors on the Col de Marie Blanque, will he go again on today's even harder stage? The crest of the Tourmalet arrives with around 47km remaining in the day. If the break is given more leeway and Van Aert makes it over the top before the peloton, he could be the perfect satellite rider to guide Vingegaard to the final climb into Cauterets-Cambasque (16km at 5.4%). 

We're onto the lower slopes of the legendary Col du Tourmalet (17.1km at 7.3%) now as Hindley and Haller have a slightly uncoordinated drop of a bison while handing it over. Thankfully it didn't go wrong for the yellow jersey wearer. 

We're seeing images of the famous battle between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck atop the Tourmalet in the 2010 Tour de France. It was an incredible battle won by the rider from Luxembourg and is one of the conflicts written into the tremendous history of this climb that has appeared in the Tour more than any other. Whether it's Coppi and Bartali, Merckx going solo or indeed Pinot who was victorious last time a stage of the Tour finished on the Tourmalet, this climb is a true legend. 

Alaphilippe has decided to make a surge off the front with 11.2km remaining in the climb. Shaw has got onto his wheel for now with Van Aert setting tempo in the break behind. 

Van der Poel is suffering under the pressure of Van Aert and dropping out of the break. He'll likely be back in action for Philipsen's lead-out tomorrow on a much flatter test into Bordeaux. 

Neilands is the next to crack under Van Aert's pressure, unsurprising after his two days in the break in succession. 

Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) and Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) are two surprising early exits from the peloton with over 7km left to climb on the Tourmalet. Latour was the last winner of the Souvenir Jacques Goddet, awarded to the first rider over the Tourmalet in honour of the former TDF race director from 1936-1986. 

Hindley is suddenly down to just one teammate in Buchmann with Jumbo-Visma continuing to take control through Nathan Van Hooydonck.

Here's a look at some of the beautiful terrain we've covered on stage 6 today. 

Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) is the first of the GC riders to drop under Jumbo-Visma's unrelenting tempo, the Canadian dropped out of the overall top 10 yesterday and will be leaking even more time today. 

Game over for Alaphilippe as he is the next rider to feel the wrath of Van Aert. The Belgian superstar has been on the front for what seems an age now, perhaps he has found the climbing legs of previous year's that saw him perform so strongly on Mont Ventoux and Hautacam at the Tour. 

Jumbo-Visma are blowing the race to pieces on the Tourmalet through Kelderman, gaps are forming already in the peloton. Only Pogačar and Hindley can hang onto the Jumbo trio of Kelderman, Kuss and Vingegaard. 

Hindley has dropped! Only Pogačar can live with Jumbo-Visma. 

Kelderman pulls off and it's time for Kuss to get to work. He's clearly the finest mountain domestique in the world and he's showing it again. Pogačar is still there, but Vingegaard will likely launch off the front and try to reach Van Aert. What a stage we're set up for now. 

CURRENT SITUATION

Head of the race: Van Aert group + 2:10: Kuss, Vingegaard and Pogačar + 2:51: Hindley group that also contains the remainder of GC contenders

Here we go! Kuss pulls off and Vingegaard attacks. Unlike yesterday, Pogačar is glued to the Dane's wheel for now. They are absolutely flying up the Tourmalet!

The duo are closing in incredibly quickly on the leaders, now only 1:07 from the group containing Van Aert. He will be crucial for the descent and the run into the final climb for the defending champion, Vingegaard. Hindley's time in yellow is likely over as he is now 1:43 down on Pogačar and Vingegaard. 

Vingegaard is pushing on as Van Aert closes in on the summit of the Tourmalet and parts the brilliant crowds. Guerreiro tried his hardest to deviate into Johannessen at the sprint atop the climb, but the Norwegian takes the full 20 KOM points and the 5000 Euros for the Souvenir Jacques Goddet. 

Van Aert has played this perfectly for his leader and will be easing off as he waits for the catch to be made before the first summit finish of this year's Tour. 

Van Aert and Vingegaard have now linked up and are settling in for the finale. Pogačar appears to be shaking out and stretching that wrist he broke in April. 

The four breakaway companions that Van Aert left as he waited for Vingegaard are close to being caught by our group of favourites behind with only a 10 second advantage for now. Hindley now has a 2:18 deficit on the leaders, it seems his time in yellow is only going to be one day. 

Pogačar is clearly bothered by his wrist injury and is continuing to work on it as he sits in the wheel of the Jumbo-Visma duo. The group containing Hindley are making some group and have reduced the deficit to under two minutes. The Australian will be aided by multiple other GC riders being left in the wake of Vingegaard and Pogačar. 

The catch has been made up with now eight riders at the head of the race: Van Aert, Vingegaard, Pogačar, Kwiatkowski, Powless, Shaw, Guerreiro and Johannessen. Van Aert is highlighting exactly why he needed to be over the Tourmalet before Vingegaard as this leading group shouldn't pull with the defending champion and should save their legs for the final climb. He'll do the majority of work in the final run in before his leader goes after the stage victory and yellow jersey. 

Here's a look back at Pogačar and Vingegaard on the Tourmalet, putting on a show. 

Buchmann is trying his best to work for Hindley, but the German national champion simply cannot match the power of Van Aert on the flatter terrain, even after the Belgian's full day in the break. Gap to the leaders is back out to 2:24. 

EF Education-EasyPost directeur sportif, Tom Southam is calming his duo of riders in the breakaway, Powless and Shaw, before they begin the ascent to the first summit finish of the 2023 Tour de France with the best in the world. 

The final climb into Cauterets-Cambasque is posted as 16km at 5.4% gradient, but that doesn't paint the full picture. Once they have completed the easiest slopes into Catuerets, they will turn off onto a section containing some hellish hairpins as they battle the brutal final 5km, three of which average over 10% in gradient. 

Pogačar's maximum speed for the stage has just been shown on a graphic to have been 103.5km/h. 

How long can Van Aert pull on the front for Vingegaard? He was one of the instigators of the breakaway over 130km ago just outside Tarbes, he led the group on the Col d'Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet, how much could he possibly have left?

Powless probably won't play a big role in the finish having been dropped on the Tourmalet, but his haul of 18 KOM points across the stage has confirmed a second stint in the polka-dot jersey as there are only 10 points available on the final climb and the solitary rider within 10 points of his lead is Gall, who is a long way behind in the yellow jersey group. A solid day out for the American. 

Take a look at the profile for the final climb of the day below.

For the fifth time in the history of #TDF2023, Cauterets welcomes the race, and it's going to be the GC favourites who will fight for the win today. pic.twitter.com/6AYXiqhsbG July 6, 2023

As expected, Powless is the first to start struggling at the back of the leading group. Van Aert still powers on. 

Ineos are leading the second group on the road for their GC hopefuls, Rodríguez and Pidcock. They are 2:30 down on the leaders. 

Van Aert has been named as the most aggressive rider for the second day running at the 2023 Tour de France. He won the super-combativity prize in 2022 and will line up on the start tomorrow in Mont-de-Marsan with the gold race number again.

The leading group are now in Cauterets with the hardest inclines awaiting them in the approach to the finish. 

We're hopefully about to see a battle for the ages between Vingegaard and Pogačar, who will come out on top?

Powless has been fully dropped and we're now down to seven riders at the front of the race. 

Gradients are about to get much harder as we hit the hairpins. Shaw is dropping, Guerreiro is cracking, Van Aert is putting in his final effort. 

Vingegaard takes over and here we go! Only Pogačar is with the Dane for now and Tour de France is in full flight on stage 6. 

Van Aert has to be held up by fans for a moment as he comes to an almost complete stand-still after his tremendous 140km effort. Kwiatkowski has made is back to the two leaders and is sitting in nicely for now. When can he make a tactical strike for glory, and does he have the legs for it? You're reminded why the Polish rider is a former World Champion and a fantastic domestique as he is able to follow for now. 

Pogačar is at times overlapping wheels with his rival as Kwiatkowski finally drops under the pressure. Vingegaard gets out of the saddle again and pushes on. 

Has Pogačar got enough to counter? There are hints of a gap at times but the Dane doesn't appear to have put in his biggest dig for now. The fans are incredible on this final climb. 

Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) almost comes to a halt as he appears to have finished his work on the front for Rodríguez and Pidcock in the main group behind. 

Pogačar goes! He's turned the tables on the Dane on stage 6. The Slovenian strikes back on the final climb. 

What an acceleration from the two-time Tour winner. Vingegaard hasn't cracked by any means but he has to chase his rival down now before the final. In the group behind, Rodríguez has attacked with Hindley and Kuss in his wheel. 

Pogačar only has a gap of six seconds for now, but he's clearly not feeling as bad as he did yesterday. He's pushing on as French President, Emmanuel Macron flies by him. 

The gap is finally starting to go out and is now at 13 seconds. What a response after yesterday's stage. Pogačar is flying in the final kilometre. Incredible. 

STAGE FINISH

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) wins stage 6 of the Tour de France. He was well beaten yesterday, but has struck back on the first summit finish of the race, with an incredible acceleration to drop Jonas Vingegaard (jumbo-Visma). What a finale to stage 6 and 2023 Tour de France is well and truly alive. It's the Slovenian's tenth Tour de France stage victory. 

Vingegaard crosses the line in second and will take the yellow jersey from Hindley on an incredible second Pyrenean stage. 

Hindley finishes his day in yellow 2:39 down on Pogačar in a group containing Rodríguez and Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla).

Here's a look at Pogačar as he crossed the line on an incredible bounce-back at the Tour de France and won stage 6. 

Here's what Hindley had to say after losing his yellow jersey: "What can I say, was just an epic day riding round in the yellow jersey doing some mythical climbs and to be honest I got my arse handed to me, but really enjoyed it." "I knew I just wanted to ride my own race and if I could hand onto the two big favourites then I would do my best and I did and I just got spat like at the top the climb, 4k to go or something and that was it." "It was pretty much lights out from then on. Gave it a red hot crack so that's all I can do, ay."   Here's what he had to say on Jumbo-Visma's tactics: "Jumbo rode super hard tempo the whole Tourmalet and the final few kilometres at the top they went really hard and I knew they were going to do something crazy. I just put myself in the right position and there ready to go, but like I said I was hanging on for dear life and did my best, but yeah." 

Pogačar closed the deficit to Vingegaard to just 25 seconds overall, here's what he had to say after his victory: "I would not say revenge but it's good to win today and take back some time. I feel a little bit of relief and feel much better now." "The display Jonas showed yesterday was incredible and I was thinking when they started pulling on the Tourmalet - 'shit, if it's going to happen like yesterday we can pack our bags and go home'. Luckily I had good legs today and could follow on the Tourmalet quite comfortably." "Then, when I felt it was the right moment in the end I attacked - it was a big relief.It's 10 stage victory - I'm coming for you Mark!" "I would say it's almost perfect the gap and it's going to be a big big battle until the last stage I think." He dedicated his victory to his fiancée after she crashed in the Giro Donne yesterday: "Of course Urska, today she was already at home not racing. She gave me all the power. This one was for her."

Final results from stage 6, courtesy of FirstCycling.

It was only to be one day in yellow for Hindley, but he is sitting comfortably in third overall behind Vingegaard and Pogačar at 1:34 from the Dane. He was the favourite to finish in third before the Tour and is looking good after the two Pyrenean tests with Simon Yates in fourth a further 1:40 behind him. 

All 172 riders that started stage 6 of the Tour de France have successfully finished our second and final stage in the Pyrenees. Jakobsen was the last to cross, 37:27 down on Pogačar, but well within the 42:12 time cut for today. He rode home in front of the broom wagon alongside three members of his lead-out train that will be back in action on tomorrow's flat stage to Bordeaux: Deckercq, Mørkøv and Devenyns. 

Yessssss!!!With five minutes to spare, @FabioJakobsen and the rest of the Soudal Quick-Step boys conclude this #TDF2023 stage!Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/XB8ZJAdPsY July 6, 2023

Here's new yellow jersey holder, Jonas Vingagaard (Jumbo-Visma) receiving a Presidential welcome to the podium after stage 6 from Emmanuel Macron. He holds a 25 second lead over Pogačar and the duo should have two days off from their battle with two flatter stages arriving tomorrow and on stage 8 as they prepare for the explosive duel atop the Puy de Dôme in it's first appearance at the Tour since 1998.

What's next? Tomorrow's stage will be a welcome return to flatter roads on a 169.9km route from Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux. The last time a stage finished in the port city was in 2010 and the winner that day was none other than Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan). The Manx Missile put in his best performance of the Giro to win the final stage after three weeks of arduous racing, will tomorrow finally be the day he breaks the Tour de France stage win record? Green jersey wearer, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has won both of the bunch sprints so far and will be looking for that hat trick to prevent Cavendish from winning that magical 35th stage. 

That wraps things up for Cyclingnews' live coverage of Stage 6 of the Tour de France with the GC race nicely poised for a battle on the Puy de Dôme come Sunday. Before then make sure to check out Barry Ryan's full stage report linked below, alongside our growing gallery, and all of Cyclingnews' other news and content being produced on the ground at the race. Tour de France: Tadej Pogacar claws back time with victory at Cauterets-Cambasque

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