Thousands watch Pogacar extend lead with dominant win
Pogacar has now won four stages of this year's Tour
- Published
Tadej Pogacar has extended his overall lead in the Tour de France after another dominant victory on a mountainous stage 14 course, lined by thousands of fans.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider crossed the line 38 seconds ahead of team-mate Isaac del Toro of Mexico, with France's teenage sensation Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA-CGM third on the same time on the 155.km stage from Mulhouse.
Pogacar's main rival for the yellow jersey, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, finished fourth, 44 seconds down.
The leaders - which also included impressive breakaway riders Tobias Halland Johannessen of Uno X Mobilty and Ecuador's Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost - carved their way through fervent fans who lined the narrow tarmac roads up Le Markstein in the Voges mountains near the German and Swiss borders.
While Vingegaard has come into this three-week race in his best form since his debilitating crash in 2024, it was a chastening day for the man who has twice won the Tour over Pogacar, in 2022 and 2023.
For a while it looked as if Vingegaard would be able to hold on to the wheel of Pogacar after the Slovenian launched his attack with about eight kilometres to go - the 29-year-old Vingegaard having set the pace himself just a few kilometres before.
But Pogacar's super-high cadence and sustained power was, yet again, far superior to every other rider.
Vingegaard now trails Pogacar by four minutes 30 seconds overall after this and Pogacar's three other stage wins in this three-week Grand Tour.
Pogacar, 27, is aiming to become the joint-most successful rider in the Tour's history with five wins, alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
"Thanks to all the fans who came to the side of the road," said Pogacar afterwards. "It was really something unforgettable to see all the crowds on the top of the mountain - I've never seen something like this [before].
"All the cyclists and riders... we have massive respect for each other - it's great to put on this show and nice to see this kind of racing. There is so much crowd that it gives you [an] additional boost."
Belgium's Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe keeps hold of third in the general classification, five minutes and four seconds down.
Denmark's Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek remains in the green points jersey, while the King of the Mountains jersey belongs to Pogacar.
The white young riders classification has now been taken by Seixas, by three seconds over Spain's Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek.
- Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, Thousands turned up to Le Markstein to get frighteningly close to the riders
1 of 5
The sport appears as strong as Pogacar's legs
On a day when France play England for the little-appreciated bronze medal match at the World Cup, 19-year-old Paul Seixas' third place was seen as a big moment for home fans who have been waiting for a French overall winner since Hinault won his last of five in 1985.
But more than 40 years of hurt and a dominant Pogacar - who often draws boos of boredom at the big French races - has not dampened the popularity of road cycling.
In fact, many close to the sport - including Pogacar after today's stage - say they have never seen anything quite like the crowd numbers as they have in 2026.
Popular routes to watch races such as the Kwaremont in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix's Trouee d'Arenberg, are virtually inaccessible thanks to fan numbers. "There's no chance - you just can't get near it," said one Dutch journalist.
And on the Le Markstein mountain on Saturday, fans with flags, flares and fancy dress all screamed into the ears of their heroes as they climbed past them on gradients of more than 12 per cent.
Tour de France stage 14 results
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4hrs 7mins
2. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +38secs
3. Paul Seixas (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) same time
4. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +44secs
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +48secs
6. Florian Lipowitz (Ger/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +50secs
7. Juan Ayuso (Spa/Lidl-Trek) same time
8. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-Easypost) +1min 18secs
9. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor/Uno X Mobility) +1min 40secs
10. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) same time
Tour de France general classification after stage 14
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 51hrs 18mins 28secs
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +4mins 30secs
3. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +5mins 4secs
4. Paul Seixas (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +5mins 19secs
5. Juan Ayuso (Spa/Lidl-Trek) +5mins 22secs
6. Florian Lipowitz (Ger/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +5mins 44secs
7. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +5mins 50secs
8. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +7mins 35secs
9. Tom Pidcock (GB/Pinarello-Q36.5) +7mins 59secs
10. Lenny Martinez (Fra/Bahrain-Victorious) +8mins 25secs
