Defending Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar claimed the yellow jersey after winning stage three on a sweltering day in the Pyrenees. The Slovenian rider launched a decisive attack in the final kilometers of the 195.9km route from Granollers to Les Angles.
Pogacar's late acceleration surprised rivals, including Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, who had held the overall lead since the opening stage. Pogacar now sits level on time with Vingegaard, but claims the leader's jersey by virtue of more stage wins.
"I got some extra power in the final [thanks to Del Toro] because he committed more than 100% in the final climb," Pogacar said, crediting his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac del Toro, the winner of Sunday's stage. "All [of the] team in the middle of the stage said it is possible to go for the stage win and I'm really happy we started the Tour with this incredible finish today."
Pogacar, 27, is aiming for his fifth Tour de France title, which would place him among cycling legends like Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain in the record books.
The extreme heat in the region was a significant factor on the day. Temperatures were forecast to reach 40C (104F) in southwest France, with similar conditions already recorded in parts of Portugal and Spain. Race organizers had advised fans to stay away from the finish area in Les Angles due to wildfire concerns.
Richard Carapaz of EF Education Easypost finished third on the stage, two seconds behind Vingegaard. Other notable riders included Paul Seixas of Decathlon-CMA CGM, who finished just behind Carapaz. Briton Tom Pidcock of Pinarello-Q36.5 was the best-placed British rider in 16th, 18 seconds down, alongside Egan Bernal of Netcompnay Ineos Cycling. Pidcock is currently 11th overall, one minute 22 seconds behind the leader.