Everything was cordoned off, yet Tadej Pogacar moved with the spirit of a free rover. Emmanuel Macron, in the director’s car with Christian Prudhomme, witnessed a scene that TV could not quite capture. The French president, sleeves rolled up, watched the sixth stage unfold before him. On July 6, 34 years after Miguel Indurain fired the opening shot at the same spot, Cambasque peak near Cauterets stood 2.7 kilometers from the finish. Macron, Prudhomme, and the whole world watched as Pogacar pressed on and Jonas Vingegaard remained in the background, letting Pogacar take the win while the Dane wore yellow with a hint of bitterness.
Screams filled the air, crowds surged and moved through the crowds, even beneath the stones, and traffic ground to a halt. It felt like the third week of the Tour, yet only six stages had passed. When the Tour Malet loomed over the course, the finish demanded resilience with a tough climb from Aspin to Cauterets. It felt like a gift, a moment that left spectators hopeful for a brief rest, even as Friday’s sprint in Bordeaux and Saturday’s uphill finish in the Valverde style hung in the balance. The Pyrenees front loaded the drama, hinting at what lay ahead near Clermont-Ferrand, at the most stunning peak of the Massif Central, before the ascent to the Puy de Dôme in Limoges.
TamauPogi cried out with PUSH! Vingegaard stayed ready, not steering the wheel in Pogacar’s direction.
@TamauPogi ATTACKS! Vingegaard is not behind the wheel!
@TamauPogi ATTACK! Vingegaard is not on the street!#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/tLG4iLcCdM
—Tour de France™
That moment drew global attention, as Pogacar’s resolve appeared unshaken. The climb near the foot of Marie-Blanc proved the stage would not bend easily. A fallacious rumor about Pogacar’s girlfriend in the Giro did not change the fact that Pogacar pressed through, his ankle aching, his legs heavy, finishing with a sign of relief as the day faded. He faced heavy competition from Wout van Aert and the Jumbo team, and the pressure mounted as the finish line drew near. The Dane did not manage to erase Pogacar’s advantage by 4.6 kilometers from the end.
Jumbo teams were quick to claim credit for a clean race. The Tourmalet stood as a pivotal mountain, a potential turning point for the race leader. The La Mongie entrance, with the ski resort nearby, marked the toughest section of the climb, where Vingegaard would seek to bend the gap in Pogacar’s favor. If the earlier Pyrenean day failed to settle the matter, the Tourmalet promised to end the debate.
To savor the spectacle
It was clear that Pogacar’s form in Liège earlier in the year had limited his ability to race as freely as he wished. The team at Jumbo believed a strong Pyrenees showing could still shape the Slovenian’s peak season for the mountains. The race then offered a uniquely dramatic chapter, not trying to replicate the Giro but presenting its own extraordinary arc. In six days, the Tour unfolded with more than twenty stages, a measure of its vast scale and enduring challenge.
Jonas Vingegaard launched another attack, while Pogacar stayed patient, maintaining his position and letting the moment come. The duel between the two leaders defined the lead, with others like Carlos Rodríguez from Ineos and Movistar chasing behind, fighting for a podium spot. Climbing higher remained a long shot for many, but the chase kept the event electric.