Tour de France 2026 stage 6 preview

Stage 6: Pau – Gavarnie-GèdreDate: July 9, 2026Distance: 186.2kmStart time: 12:25 CETFinish time: 17:46 CET

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(Image credit: ASO)(Image credit: ASO)(Image credit: ASO)

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%.

MountainsCôte de Loucrup (cat. 4, 1.9km at 7.1%), km. 50.9Côte de Mauvezin (cat. 3, 3km at 6.8%), km. 77.3Col d’Aspin (cat. 1, 12km at 6.5%), km. 118.1Col du Tourmalet (cat. HC, 17.1km at 7.3%), km. 147.8 – Souvenir Jacques GoddetGavarnie-Gèdre (cat. 2, 18. km at 3.7%), km. 186.2Sprints