HAUTACAM, France: Tadej Pogacar said he was in the form of his life after climbing to a commanding Tour de France stage win on the Hautacam mountain in the Pyrenees on Thursday.
The three-time Tour winner punished his key rival Jonas Vingegaard on stage 12 as he left him trying to limit the damage on the first major mountain on the 21-day race.
Team UAE leader Pogacar skipped away on an 11km solo ascent to finish two minutes and 10 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, who refrained from trying to follow the blistering attack.
Overnight leader Ben Healy of Ireland meanwhile wilted to a 13min deficit on the day.
French President Emmanuel Macron was on hand at the mountaintop finish, shaking his head in admiration as the 26-year-old shot across the line. Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel was also left trying to limit his losses, finishing 3min 35sec down in seventh on the 180.6km ride from Auch.
In the overall standings Pogacar now leads by 3min 31sec over Visma rider Vingegaard while Evenepoel is third at a daunting 4min 45sec.
Pogacar admitted after the race that until now he’s been cranky, complaining about attacks, the heat and tiredness.
But he offered a different story in the Pyrenees.
“I could see that Visma weren’t feeling so well,” he said.
“On the last climb it was really hot but I was really feeling good,” he said, explaining how he shattered the 12-man group still clinging on at the foot of the final climb.
He also offered a broader explanation.
“This is the best moment of my career. It’s been like a fairytale,” he said of the stage win on a mountain where he had previously been beaten.
“I enjoy this sufferfest,” he said of the long climb days. “I’m at the peak of my career. Once this fire goes out, my performance will drop.”
Pogacar admitted at the finish line his team had been secretly targeting this stage for some time.
“The plan was to win this stage,” he said. “I’m super happy to take time and win on this particular climb,” said Pogacar, who fell heavily on stage 11.
“You don’t know how your body reacts after a crash. It wasn’t so bad. The team did a super job.”
The champion had kind words for Irishman Healy, who had a bruising day himself.
“Healy tried, he showed big spirit. It was hard for everybody today,” said Pogacar.
He also dedicated this win to Italian junior cyclist Samuele Privitera who died aged 19 following a fall at this week’s Tour of the Aoste Valley-Mont Blanc.
“I was thinking of him in the final kilometer. This sport can be so hard. It’s so sad,” Pogacar said.
Friday’s stage 13 could shake up the standings again as it is an unforgiving individual time trial, mainly uphill, that the Slovenian has been looking forward to.
“The race isn’t over, just look at the next few stages and then there’s next week too,” he said.
Pogacar also took over the polka dot king of the mountain jersey while Jonathan Milan has the green sprint jersey and Evenepoel the white jersey as the best young rider.
Healy described his time in yellow as a “whirlwind” after dropping to 11th, over 13min off the pace.
There were three mountains on the menu Thursday as the peloton entered the Pyrenees. The pack was whittled down before Pogacar’s astonishing attack on the fabled Hautacam, a 13.6km ascent at 7.8 percent gradient.
On Friday a 10.9km race up the Peyragudes mountain rescue airfield with slopes of up to 16 percent await some potentially tired legs with the temperature set to hit around 33 degrees Celsius (92 Fahrenheit).
Pogacar retakes Tour de France lead in crushing mountain win
https://arab.news/7nt4g
Pogacar retakes Tour de France lead in crushing mountain win
- Team UAE leader Pogacar skipped away on an 11km solo ascent to finish two minutes and 10 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, who refrained from trying to follow the blistering attack
- French President Emmanuel Macron was on hand at the mountaintop finish, shaking his head in admiration as the 26-year-old shot across the lin
- Friday’s stage 13 could shake up the standings again as it is an unforgiving individual time trial, mainly uphill, that the Slovenian has been looking forward to
From the Red Sea to the deep desert: inside the new route for Dakar 2026
- The seventh consecutive edition to take place in Saudi Arabia will run from Jan. 3-17
RIYADH: The Dakar Rally returns to Saudi Arabia for the seventh consecutive edition from Jan. 3-17, bringing with it one of the most demanding and wide-ranging routes since the first such event in the Kingdom.
Held under the supervision of the ministry of sport, organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, and promoted by the Saudi Motorsport Company, this year the race elevates the rally’s challenges, drawing competitors into a course through some of the country’s most iconic and challenging landscapes.
With a total distance of 7,999 kilometres, including 4,845 kilometres of timed special stages, the 2026 route almost matches the longest competitive distance of the rally’s Saudi era. It takes competitors through some of the Kingdom’s most varied landscapes, from the Red Sea coast to the deep desert and back again.
Fewer bivouacs mean teams arrive to better-rested support crews, while redesigned marathon stages help shape the rhythm of the event. Intense days are balanced with recovery opportunities around the rest day, creating a course defined by challenge and deliberate pacing.
Yanbu: Start and finish point on the Red Sea coast
Yanbu bookends the 2026 Dakar Rally, hosting the Prologue, Stages 1 and 2, and the final Stage 13. Set between the Red Sea and a stretch of inland hills, the region offers a mix of gravel plains, rocky corridors, and light sandy terrain that shifts subtly in color and tone throughout the day. The blend of coastal calm and rugged interior landscapes gives competitors an early sense of the rally’s character and provides a familiar backdrop when they return to the finish on the Red Sea coast.
AlUla: Distinctive desert scenery and marathon conditions
Arriving from the opening stages in Yanbu, AlUla brings competitors into one of the rally’s most distinctive settings, where sandy tracks run through wide open spaces and weave around ancient rock formations. The region’s limited landmarks and expanding network of tracks place added weight on navigation, while the mix of plains, hills, and rocky stretches requires regular changes in pace.
As part of the marathon phase, teams face simple desert camps and minimal support, keeping the focus on careful vehicle management in one of the rally’s most visually striking regions.
Hail: Key region with deep rally roots and the longest stage
Hail adds a familiar rhythm to Dakar 2026, taking competitors through a region deeply connected to Saudi Arabia’s rally heritage. The stage, the longest of Dakar 2026, unfolds toward the Qassim area, where the dunes that local off-road communities have navigated for generations rise and fall as far as the eye can see. The day is spent almost entirely on sand, moving between rolling dune lines and broad valleys that offer little change in surface but plenty of shifts in momentum. It is a long, demanding stretch that rewards comfort in deep sand before the field makes a lengthy journey toward Riyadh and a well-earned rest day.
Riyadh: Central transition marked by steady race rhythm
Riyadh is a reset point in the rally, where competitors return to the course after the rest day with renewed focus.
The stage that follows calls for a measured approach: confidence from the first week can be helpful, but overconfidence can be costly. Sandy, fast tracks dominate the route, with occasional dense bushes along the edges where the terrain itself presents few major hazards beyond the temptation to push too hard. With the day’s combined distance approaching 900km, sustained concentration is essential, even during the long sections leading in and out of the capital.
Wadi Al-Dawasir: Extensive dunes and classic desert driving
Wadi Al-Dawasir brings the rally back into classic desert territory as competitors leave Riyadh and enter one of Saudi Arabia’s largest dune regions. The landscape offers one of the most complete terrain mixes of the rally, with long dune lines, broad valleys, and clear horizons that create a steady but demanding pace. Navigation is straightforward but unforgiving, as even small mistakes can lead teams off course, especially with this part of the route forming the core of the event’s second marathon phase. The area’s size and consistency test endurance and focus, offering a full return to deep-desert driving in a region closely tied to Dakar’s sand heritage.
Bisha: Fast terrain with demanding navigation
Bisha introduces a different type of challenge to Dakar 2026, where the main difficulty comes from navigation rather than the terrain itself.
The tracks in this region often allow for a fast pace, but the abundance of intersections, forks, and junctions can quickly create a maze-like environment. Staying focused is essential, especially with the long overall distance adding to the day’s fatigue. Competitors who manage their pace and maintain clarity through the shifting network of routes will be best positioned as the rally moves toward Al-Henakiyah.
Al-Henakiyah: Mixed terrain requiring precise control
Al-Henakiyah offers one of the final opportunities for competitors to influence the standings, with a route that shifts quickly between different types of terrain. Fast tracks give way to narrower, more winding sections, and parts of the day run through riverbeds where conditions can change without warning.
The stage ends with a series of small dunes that may look modest but still demand attention and control. It is a varied and active day on the course, where a strong, well-rounded performance can still make a meaningful difference before the rally returns to Yanbu.
With 812 competitors representing 69 countries, the 2026 route promises a challenge worthy of the Dakar name. Each region presents its own rhythm and demands, rewarding those who can adapt and stay focused across two intense weeks. As the rally unfolds, the diversity of the terrain and the scale of competition reflect the enduring spirit of Dakar and the growing role of Saudi Arabia as a defining stage for the world’s toughest rally.
