Tadej Pogacar claimed the third stage of the Tour de France and with it the race leader’s yellow jersey on Monday, delivering a searing final acceleration on the short climb to Les Angles to beat defending champion Jonas Vingegaard by two seconds. The two are now tied on time, but the Slovenian’s stage win — his 22nd in the Tour, equalling André Darrigade for fifth on the all-time list — and the accompanying bonus seconds put him ahead on countback. Richard Carapaz and the 19-year-old French debutant Paul Seixas finished on the same time, two seconds back.

The victory was built on the collective strength of UAE Team Emirates, which controlled the 195.9-kilometre stage from Granollers in Spain into the French Pyrenees with metronomic discipline. Isaac del Toro, the Mexican who won Sunday’s second stage after Pogacar gifted him the finish, was again the decisive lieutenant, stringing out the lead group on the final ramp before peeling off with 200 metres to go. Pogacar then launched an attack no rival could match. Earlier, a six-man breakaway featuring France’s Alex Baudin had animated the day; Baudin crested the Col de Toses and Col du Calvaire first to secure the polka-dot jersey, before being absorbed with 11 kilometres remaining.

The stage unfolded under the shadow of wildfires raging in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, where 4,600 hectares have burned and 10,000 people have been evacuated. Organisers, at the request of local authorities, cancelled the publicity caravan and restricted vehicle access to the final 40 kilometres, urging spectators to stay away. While crowd numbers were visibly thinner than usual, many residents and holidaymakers still lined the route, particularly in the villages, and the finish area in Les Angles remained well populated.

In the overall standings, Remco Evenepoel sits third at 23 seconds, while Del Toro’s fourth place, just one second further back, has drawn particular attention in Mexican media, where his back-to-back starring roles are framed as a breakthrough for the nation’s cycling. Germany’s Florian Lipowitz, seventh on the stage and now seventh overall at 53 seconds, earned praise from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe management for staying within striking distance. French analysis, meanwhile, noted the quiet consistency of Seixas, now sixth overall, and the early difficulties of Kévin Vauquelin, who lost over 13 minutes.

The race continues on Tuesday with a 181.9-kilometre fourth stage from Carcassonne to Foix, a hilly profile that could favour breakaway specialists or the hardiest of sprinters. Forecasts of temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius will add a further layer of attrition to an already demanding opening week.