Tadej Pogacar has significantly extended his lead in the Tour de France general classification, moving more than three minutes ahead of his closest rival following his third stage win of the event. The UAE Team Emirates rider surged ahead 15 kilometers from the finish line on the 166.6km route from Aurillac, crossing 32 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Young Frenchman Paul Seixas finished in an impressive third place.
Entering the stage after a rest day, Jonas Vingegaard hoped to narrow the gap in Le Lioran, the site of a previous victory against Pogacar. However, the defending champion lost further ground, finishing 44 seconds behind the stage winner. Despite the result, Vingegaard remained optimistic, noting that his physical condition is improving for the upcoming mountainous sections of the race.
Pogacar, who now holds 24 career stage wins, mentioned that his team had specifically targeted this Bastille Day performance. Meanwhile, British cyclist Tom Pidcock managed to recover from a crash on the descent of the Puy Mary to finish in ninth place, which elevated him into the top ten overall standings.
