Pogačar relinquishes the yellow jersey to the breakaway: "When we started, I had a crippling headache."

A fiery day at the 2026 Tour de France, and not just metaphorically. With temperatures soaring to 40°C in Carcassonne, Tadej Pogačar had to contend with something more treacherous than his opponents' legs: the oppressive heat. The Slovenian champion of UAE Team Emirates-XRG chose to let the yellow jersey go to the breakaway on stage four, arriving in Foix without overdoing it and handing the lead to Torstein Træen (Uno-X Mobility). Pogačar now sits fourth in the overall standings, 7 minutes and 53 seconds behind the new Norwegian leader.

At the end of the stage, while pedaling on a roller to cool down, Pogačar bluntly confessed to the journalists present, including those from Cyclingnews: "When we started, I had a terrible headache and thought it was going to be a very long day." A rare admission for a champion accustomed to dominating, but one that better than any data describes the brutal weather conditions in which this Grande Boucle is being raced.

However, the stage management was exemplary from a tactical standpoint. Knowing that Lidl-Trek had representatives in the breakaway—three men in front, including Mads Pedersen, the eventual stage winner—the UAE team consciously decided not to chase. "Trek did an extraordinary job with three men in the breakaway. We kept calm and reached the finish line without wasting a lot of energy," explained Pogačar. His teammates played a decisive role: Nils Politt , Florian Vermeersch , and Tim Wellens shared the work admirably, ensuring the captain had constant supplies of water and ice throughout the race.

Losing the yellow jersey isn't just a sporting issue: it also means freeing up about an hour and a half of protocol commitments, including podium appearances, interviews, and post-stage media duties. This is a significant energy saving, especially with the African temperatures that will continue to torment the peloton in the coming days. "Today I'll have an hour and a half less of obligations, so it will definitely help with my recovery," said Pogačar, adding that he's already used to the routine of the podium and has a staff trained to handle those situations as well.

Regarding the future of the classification, the Slovenian was respectful towards Træen—who already achieved a similar feat at the Vuelta a España—acknowledging that the lead gained by the breakaway is significant: "You never know, they are really strong and now the gap is quite big. We will fight, but I think they can keep the yellow jersey on their team for a long time." The first test will be stage 6, with the finish in Gavarnie-Gèdre after the legendary Col du Tourmalet : perhaps too early to dislodge Træen, but certainly the moment when the real Tour will begin to take shape.

Fantacycling tips: Træen, now in the yellow jersey, could bring bonus points for a few more days, but he will have a hard time resisting the onslaught of the big names in the mountains.