The 14th stage of the Tour de France 2026 concluded with a convincing victory for Tadej Pogacar. On a difficult mountain course of 155.3 kilometers from Mulhouse to Le Markstein, the wearer of the yellow jersey once again demonstrated his excellent form and further strengthened his lead in the general classification.
Pogacar's decisive attack
The route through the Vosges included several challenging climbs and left riders with almost no chance to rest. The main events unfolded on the Col du Haag climb.
Approximately 7.5 kilometers from the finish, 1.6 kilometers from the summit of the climb, Pogacar launched his attack. His rivals tried to respond to his acceleration, but the Slovenian quickly created a gap and surged towards the finish alone.
No one could stop the leader anymore. Pogacar crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 7 seconds, securing his fourth stage victory in the current Tour and the 25th of his career in the French Grand Tour.
UAE Team's one-two
Second place was taken by Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro. He finished 38 seconds behind the winner, securing an impressive one-two for his team.
The 19-year-old Frenchman Paul Seys finished third. The young rider not only reached the stage podium but also claimed the white jersey for the best young rider.
Jonas Vingegaard, one of Pogacar's main rivals for the overall classification, finished fourth and lost time again. After the stage, his deficit to the yellow jersey wearer increased to 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
The Vosges changed the leaders' standings
Pogacar not only strengthened his first place in the general classification but also took the lead in the mountains classification. He now wears the yellow jersey and the best climber's jersey.
Paul Seys moved up to fourth place in the general classification, confirming his status as one of the biggest discoveries of the current race. Tom Pidcock, on the other hand, had a tough mountain day and dropped to ninth place.
The 14th stage showed that Pogacar controls the race not only with the strength of his team. At the decisive moment, he was again capable of attacking personally and leaving all his main competitors behind.
Pogacar not considering the race over
Despite his substantial lead, the leader of the Tour de France emphasized that difficult stages still lie ahead and it's too early to relax. Pogacar recalled that on a Grand Tour, the situation can change even in the final week.
The rider was particularly impressed by the atmosphere on the roads of the Vosges. Thousands of spectators filled the mountain slopes and accompanied the participants for almost the entire length of the decisive climbs.
Stage results:
1. Tadej Pogacar — 4:00:07
2. Isaac Del Toro — +38 seconds
3. Paul Seys — third place
The Vosges were expected to test the leader's strength, but instead became another demonstration of his power. Pogacar won the stage, increased his advantage in the general classification, and took another big step towards victory in the 2026 Tour de France.
