Tour de France Stage 6 Predictions: Pogacar primed to win again

The Tour de France moves on to stage 6, with Tadej Pogacar ominously taking the yellow jersey in Caen. Next, we are into Bayeux, home of the famous tapestry, which joins the club on Thursday, as the Tour de France starts in the town for the very first time.

Read on for our Tour de France Stage 6 predictions.

There begins a 201.5km route inland to Vire Normandie as the peloton tackles another relentlessly undulating day with six categorised climbs and little flat to recover.

The rolling route and rise up to the finish mean it might be too hard for the sprinters, and a battle between one-day men and General Classification contenders could ensue.

The GC has a different complexion after Stage 6. Four weeks ago, Jonas Vingegaard beat Tadej Pogacar in the time-trial at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

However, the Dane had a horrible day on Wednesday and will be looking to respond after slipping to fourth on GC, a minute and 13 seconds behind Pogacar, who took the yellow jersey from Mathieu van der Poel after finishing 16 seconds adrift of Remco Evenepoel, who is now second overall.

Taking yellow means the Slovene has become the first rider since Eddy Merckx in 1970 to wear that jersey, the green and polka dot one by this stage of the Tour and his ominous form hints that he could be set for career victory number 101 in Vire Normandie.

Tour de France Stage 6 Odds 

The route

After Wednesday's time-trial around Caen, it's back on the open road for the peloton with Stage 6 running 201.5km from Bayeux to Vire Normandie.

Classified as 'Hilly' by the organisers, Tour chief Christian Prudhomme has also described it as the "most challenging flat stage in the Tour's recent history".

It features six categorised climbs and 3,500m in vertical gain, concluding with a 700m-long 10% drag up to the finish.

Like Sunday's run to Boulouge-sur-Mer and Tuesday's ride to Rouen, this could prove too difficult for the sprinters.

The breakaway could be given a chance to get away and this may turn into a game of cat-and-mouse between the GC riders and rouleurs.

Tadej Pogacar to win the stage @ 5/2

We all look to be living in Tadej Pogacar's world. The 26-year-old claimed his 100th professional win with victory in Rouen on Tuesday and after taking yellow, finishing 16 seconds behind Evenepoel in the Stage 5 time-trial, his attacking instincts mean he will look to build on his lead rather than defend it.

Outdone by Van der Poel on Sunday, the world champion only looks to be getting better as the Tour's opening week progresses and could record his 19th Tour victory on Thursday.

Kevin Vauquelin each-way @ 28/1

Born in Thursday's start town, Bayeux, Arkea-Samsic's Kevin Vauquelin will have extra motivation to impress his local crowd and has pedigree after winning a similarly nobbly stage to Bologna in 2024.

The 24-year-old has racked up some decent results this year, most recently finishing second in the Tour du Suisse.

Vauquelin has made an excellent start to this year's Tour, wearing the white jersey before Evenpoel's victory in the time trial, but he still finished fifth against the clock on Wednesday and is third on GC.

It may also be worth keeping an eye on another French rider, Julian Alaphilippe.
The veteran was fifth in Suisse and although he didn't have the power to get the job done on Sunday in Boulogne, it would be little surprise to see him in the break.

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