Tadej Pogacar Wins Again and Grows His Lead at the Tour de France

What Happened on Stage 14?

Imagine a really long bike race through big mountains. That is the Tour de France! On stage 14 (a 155.5 km ride starting in a town called Mulhouse), something exciting happened:

• Tadej Pogacar rode super fast and won the stage.
• He is from Slovenia and rides for a team called UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
• Thousands of fans stood by the road to cheer.

How Did the Other Riders Do?

Here is how the top finishers lined up:

• Pogacar crossed the finish line first.
• His team-mate Isaac del Toro (from Mexico) finished 38 seconds later.
• Paul Seixas, a teenager from France who rides for Decathlon CMA-CGM, came third at the same time as del Toro.
• Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark (team Visma-Lease a Bike) finished fourth, 44 seconds behind Pogacar.

Important Point: Vingegaard is Pogacar’s biggest rival for the yellow jersey (the special shirt for the overall race leader). He has even beaten Pogacar before, in 2022 and 2023!

The Mountain Crowds and Brave Riders

The race went up a mountain called Le Markstein in the Vosges mountains, near Germany and Switzerland.

• Fans packed the narrow roads to watch.
• Some brave riders tried to break away early (ride ahead of the group):
  • Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno X Mobility)
  • Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost, from Ecuador)

Why Was This a Tough Day for Vingegaard?

Vingegaard came into this three-week race in great shape (his best since a bad crash in 2024). But on this day:

1. Pogacar attacked (sped up suddenly) with about 8 km left.
2. Vingegaard tried to stay on Pogacar’s wheel (follow closely).
3. Just before, Vingegaard (age 29) had set a fast pace himself.
4. But Pogacar’s super-fast leg speed and non-stop power were just too much.

Important Point: After this stage, Vingegaard is now 4 minutes and 30 seconds behind Pogacar overall. Pogacar also won three other stages in this race!

What Are the Riders Aiming For?

Pogacar is 27 years old. He wants to win the Tour de France 5 times. If he does, he will tie the record with these famous riders:

• Jacques Anquetil
• Eddy Merckx
• Bernard Hinault
• Miguel Indurain

What Did Pogacar Say?

After the race, Pogacar thanked the fans:

"Thanks to all the fans who came to the side of the road. It was really something unforgettable to see all the crowds on the top of the mountain – I’ve never seen something like this [before]."

He also said:

"All the cyclists and riders… we have massive respect for each other – it’s great to put on this show and nice to see this kind of racing. There is so much crowd that it gives you [an] additional boost."

Where Do Other Jerseys Stand?

In the Tour, different colored shirts show who is best at different things:

• Yellow jersey (overall leader): Pogacar
• Green jersey (points for sprints): Mads Pedersen (Denmark, Lidl-Trek)
• King of the Mountains jersey (best climber): Pogacar
• White jersey (best young rider): Paul Seixas (just 3 seconds ahead of Juan Ayuso from Spain)
• Third place overall: Remco Evenepoel (Belgium, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), 5 minutes 4 seconds behind

Summary

Tadej Pogacar won stage 14 of the Tour de France in the mountains, beating his team-mate del Toro by 38 seconds and rival Vingegaard by 44 seconds. He grew his overall lead to 4 minutes 30 seconds. Fans filled the roads, and Pogacar thanked them for the boost. He is chasing a 5th Tour win, and he also holds the King of the Mountains jersey. Seixas took the white jersey, Pedersen kept the green, and Evenepoel stayed third overall.

FAQ

Who is Tadej Pogacar?

He is a 27-year-old Slovenian cyclist who rides for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. He is the current overall leader of the Tour de France.

What is the yellow jersey?

It is the shirt worn by the rider with the fastest total time in the race. Right now, Pogacar wears it.

Why is Vingegaard important?

He is Pogacar’s main rival and a two-time Tour winner (2022 and 2023). He finished fourth on stage 14 and is over 4 minutes behind overall.

What does "breakaway" mean?

It means some riders try to ride ahead of the main group to win or surprise everyone. Johannessen and Carapaz did this on stage 14.

How long is the Tour de France?

It is a three-week race made of many daily stages, like stage 14 which was 155.5 km long.