Tour de France 2026 stage 6 preview
July 9, 2026; Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre, 186km
- Stage 6: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre
- Date: July 9, 2026
- Distance: 186.2km
- Start time: 12:25 CET
- Finish time: 17:46 CET



Stage 6, the last and most demanding of the Pyrenean stages, combines the Col d'Aspin, the iconic Col du Tourmalet, with a brand new finish climb inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Cirque de Gavarnie, a vast natural amphitheatre.
From Pau, the 186.2 km route heads south through 40 kilometres of valley roads before the climbing begins in earnest. The Côte de Loucrup and Côte de Mauvezin serve as a warm-up before the two heavyweights arrive: the Col d'Aspin and then the Col du Tourmalet, crested with 38 kilometres still to race. But the suffering is not over, the riders must then tackle the first-ever Tour ascent of Gavarnie-Gèdre, 18.7 km at an average of 3.7%.
Mountains
- Côte de Loucrup (cat. 4, 1.9km at 7.1%), km. 50.9
- Côte de Mauvezin (cat. 3, 3km at 6.8%), km. 77.3
- Col d'Aspin (cat. 1, 12km at 6.5%), km. 118.1
- Col du Tourmalet (cat. HC, 17.1km at 7.3%), km. 147.8 - Souvenir Jacques Goddet
- Gavarnie-Gèdre (cat. 2, 18. km at 3.7%), km. 186.2
Sprints
- Pouzac, km. 59.1
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

