Tadej Pogačar Seizes Yellow Jersey After Winning Stage 3 of Tour de France

Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) claimed victory on Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France, a 195.9 km mountain finish from Granollers (Spain) to Les Angles (France). He launched an attack about 200 metres from the line, holding off Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard by two seconds, with Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz third. The win gave Pogačar his 22nd Tour stage triumph, tying André Darrigade’s historic record, and his 122 career victories. Because the two leaders were tied on overall time, the race jury awarded the yellow jersey to Pogačar under the tie‑break rule that adds each rider’s stage placings – Pogačar’s 1 + 2 = 3 beats Vingegaard’s 4 + 2 = 6. Team‑mate Isaac del Toro set the tempo in the final climb, helping Pogačar’s decisive sprint. The stage was run under extreme heat, with temperatures near 40 °C and nearby forest‑fire warnings, leading to a spectator‑free finish. The result reshapes the general classification, putting Pogačar in the lead and confirming his status as the race favourite.