Tadej Pogačar rides amid Pyrenean forest fires in Tour de France stage

Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France ran from Barcelona to Les Angles, covering 195.9 km with 3,900 m of climbing. Forest fires in the Pyrénées‑Orientales department have burned about 1,500 ha, forcing the closure of the road to Les Angles and prompting organizers to deploy safety vehicles and restrict media access on the final 40 km. Despite the hazards, race officials vowed to keep the stage on schedule, and Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar, who leads the general classification, continued his bid for overall victory.

The following day, Stage 4 will travel along the foothills of the Pyrenees from Carcassonne to Foix, a 182‑km route with 2,800 m of elevation. After a series of climbs, riders will face the Col de Montsegur, a 6.9‑km ascent at an average 6.6 % gradient, before a final 35.5‑km stretch to the finish. The stage offers another chance for contenders to challenge Pogačar as the race moves deeper into the mountains.