The third stage of the 2026 Tour de France, the first high-mountain stage of the edition, saw Slovenian Tadej Pogačar take the victory. He once again demonstrated his power in the final sprint to Les Angles, finishing ahead of Dane Jonas Vingegaard.
Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz crossed the finish line in third place, just two seconds behind the winner, solidifying his position as one of the key players in the mountains. Beyond the podium, the day provided insights from the EF Education-EasyPost rider, who assessed his performance after crossing the finish line and affirmed that the hard work he has put in is beginning to pay off in the race.
“In the end, I think I had very little advantage to go in the breakaway, but my legs responded, and I think we did very well,” said Carapaz, satisfied with his performance.
The Olympic champion also highlighted the preparation process he has undergone after the difficulties of the start of the season. “After all the problems, I’ve been able to work well at home, and now this upward trend is coming,” he added.
Carapaz made it clear that his objective in the Tour de France remains firm, both individually and collectively. “We continue with that same objective: to achieve a good result in a stage for myself and for the whole team,” stated the Ecuadorian.
When asked if “Richard is here to stay,” the Ecuadorian responded confidently: “Yes. The altitude was favorable for me, I’m proud to be here, and we’re moving forward.”
“I think it’s a very tough Tour. Whoever has the most consistency over the three weeks will make the difference. Trying to win a stage is going to be a key objective for me.”
Thanks to his podium finish in Les Angles, Richard Carapaz made a significant jump in the general classification and now sits in twelfth position, 1 minute and 45 seconds behind Tadej. With this result, Carapaz remains in contention among the mountain favorites as the Tour de France continues its demanding journey towards the Pyrenees.
Slovenian world champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) confirmed his status as a favorite with this victory, unleashing his power to secure a resounding win that earned him the overall lead thanks to bonus seconds. The day’s breakaway was led by Harold Tejada from Huila, who was joined by Alex Baudin, Raúl García Pierna, Nelson Oliveira, Nicolas Prodhomme, Magnus Cort, Matteo Vercher, Louis Vervaeke, Luke Plapp, Mauro Schmid, Mads Pedersen, George Bennett, Vlad Van Mechelen, and Clément Braz.
The prestigious French tour continues this Tuesday with the fourth stage, a challenging 181.9-kilometer route from Carcassonne to Foix.
Fuente: El Comercio de Ecuador y Revista Mundo Ciclístico