Cycling fans brave the rain for a glimpse of Le Tour in Copenhagen
Twice defending champion Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory in stage six of the Tour de France on Thursday with a late lung-busting effort and snatched the overall leader’s yellow jersey from Wout van Aert.
It was the seventh Tour stage win for the Slovenian, who finished ahead of Michael Matthews and David Gaudu in the 220-km journey from Binche to Longwy.
Belgian Van Aert, flanked by Jakob Fuglsang and Quinn Simmons, led the breakaway and the JumboâVisma rider put on a remarkable show to open up a gap of two minutes before being swallowed by the peloton with 11km to go.
But the decision to attack the stage alone proved to be a costly miscalculation as an exhausted Van Aert slid down the peloton after being caught and lost his lead in the general classification.
Friday’s stage seven is a 176.5-km ride from Tomblaine to La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
Follow all the latest updates from stage 6 of the 2022 Tour de France below:
‘I think the Tour de France is over’ says Wiggins
Speaking on Eurosport, Sir Bradley Wiggins made a bold claim saying that the Tour de France is over after Tadej Pogacar’s victory in Stage 6 and that he believes the Slovenian will go on to win the yellow jersey for a third time.
Wiggins said: “The first 100km on the bike, they did it in pretty much two hours, so it was a very quick stage. [Wout] van Aert in the breakaway and Tadej Pogacar too, it had everything. We said yesterday what can he not do?
“He has just won a small uphill kick and taken the yellow jersey, perhaps one day ahead of when we thought he would, but this race is really hotting up now.
“These guys are the new stars of the sport and they resemble the likes of Eddy Merckx and the way they used to race. This first week of the Tour de France, we don’t normally see these big guys come to the head until later into the race or certainly stages like tomorrow, but we’ve had everything these first few days.
“Tadej Pogacar, is he going to win a third Tour now? I said yesterday I think the Tour is over.”
Tour de France 2022 Stage 7 preview: Route map and profile of summit finish atop Planche des Belles Filles
Stage 7 of the 2022 Tour de France offers up the first summit finish for the general classification contenders to fight over, and an opportunity for Tadej Pogacar to stamp his authority on the race once more.
Pogacar powered clear to win stage 6 in emphatic style and the reigning champion is already looking good for a third yellow jersey.
La Super Planche des Belles Filles (7km at 8.7% average gradient) has become a modern classic on the Tour. It is where Chris Froome won in 2012 and where Pogacar took control of the 2020 edition, and the Slovenian 23-year-old could come to the fore once more to make a statement, and even snatch the yellow jersey as he attempts to win his third successive Tour.
‘The Plank’ gets steeper as it rises towards the finish line, ending on a 24% gradient which will sort the hardy climbers from the rest. It comes after two category three climbs: the Col de Grosse Pierre (3.1km at 6.4%) and Col des Croix (3.2km at 6.3%) and the stage winner will require sharp bike-handling on the descents as well as strong legs on the way up.
A breakaway of serious climbers could stick it out to the end but typically this stage has served up a contest between the GC riders, and tends to offers an early indication of who might be strongest when it comes to the highest climbs of the Alps and Pyrenees.
First summit finish of Tour de France set for yellow jersey fight
The Tour de France takes to the mountains on a 176km route from Tomblaine to a fimiliar finish destination on La Planche des Belles Filles
Tadej Pogacar wins Stage 6 to claim Yellow Jersey!
Reaction from Pogacar
Every time I win it is even better, the first two ours were so crazy, a lot of teams pulling in the peloton. I was thinking he would come to the finish.
“The team did an incredible job bringing me to the perfect position. It was not a pure sprint, it was hectic. I guess I had good legs.
“I am super happy to take the win, anything else is just a bonus.”
Tadej Pogacar speaking after winning Stage 6 of Tour de France 2022
Tour de France overall results
1. Tadej Pogacar SLO (UAE Team Emirates) 20hrs 44’ 44’’
2. Neilson Powless USA (EF Education-Easypost) +4 secs
3. Jonas Vingegaard DNK (Jumba-Visma) +31 secs
4. Adam Yates GBR (Ineos Grenadiers) +39 secs
5. Thomas Pidcock GBR (Ineos Grenadiers) +40 secs
6. Geraint Thomas GBR (Ineos Grenadiers) +46 sec
7. Aleksandr Vlasov RUS (Bora-Hansgrohe) +52 secs
8. Daniel Martinez COL (Ineos Grenadiers) + 1min
9. Romain Bardet FRA (Team DSM) + 1min 1sec
10. David Gaudu FRA (Groupama-FDJ) + 1min 2sec
Michael Jones7 July 2022 16:06
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Tadej Pogacar wins Stage 6!
Tom Pidcock finished fourth today and gave his immediate post-race thoughts to reporters saying: “Roglic went early and caught me by surprise.
“I think I was decent in the sprint but Pogacar was strongest in the sprint, fair play. Van Aert’s playing with our ball, isn’t he? Taking the piss, isn’t he?”
Tour de France Stage 6 results
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 4hrs 27’13’’
2. Michael Matthews (BikeExchange–Jayco)
3. David Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ)
4. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers
5. Nairo Quintana (Arkéa–Samsic)
6. Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious)
7. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
8. Daniel Martinez (Ineos Grenadiers)
9. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma)
Tadej Pogacar wins Stage 6!
Tadej Pogacar wins Stage 6!
Who’s going to take the yellow jersey will it Neilson Powless or will it be Pogacar?
The bonus seconds he’s earned by finishing first may be enough for the reigning champion to swap out white for yellow tomorrow.
Tadej Pogacar wins Stage 6!
