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/l75tk0mk1GJuly 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.
80KM TO GO
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.
70KM TO GO
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.
55KM TO GO
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.
50KM TO GO
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.
25KM TO GO
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.
10KM TO GO
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/6AYXiqhsbGJuly 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.
6KM TO GO
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.
3KM TO GO
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.
2KM TO GO
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.
1KM TO GO
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/XB8ZJAdPsYJuly 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
