As expected, Stage 5 of the Tour de France 2026 belonged to the sprinters, and it was first-time participant Olav Kooij who was able to avoid multiple crashes in the final kilometers and collect his first career victory at the TDF.
The win comes after a tough spring for the 24-year-old, but he showed his health and form have improved, and he's ready to be a factor in this year's race.
Stage 6 on Thursday will be a much different challenge, as the riders will have to face one of the most challenging climbs in France, the Col du Tourmalet.
- Subscribe To FloBikes To Catch All The Best Cycling, News And Highlights
- How To Subscribe To FloBikes To Watch The 2026 Tour de France In Canada
- 5 Riders Who Could Challenge Tadej Pogacar At The TDF 2026
- Who Won Stage 5 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
With Wednesday's action being more about the sprinters, it allowed overall leader Torstein Traeen to cruise safely across the finish line and keep the yellow jersey for another day.
He remains 28 seconds ahead of American Sean Quinn and almost four minutes in front of Mathias Vacek (3:50). Two-time defending champion and 2026 favorite Tadej Pogačar is fourth, another four minutes back.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes coverage of Stage 6 will begin at 6:15 a.m. Eastern and is expected to conclude around 12:05 p.m. EDT.
Here’s what to know about Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2026, a 186.2-kilometer mountain test from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre that will push the GC contenders to their limits:
Stage 6: Tour de France 2026
We're still in the Pyrenees, and this day of climbing is no joke. There are five categorized climbs, including the most difficult level of all - HC (Hors catégorie). Loosely translated, it's so challenging that it's beyond categorization.
While Stage 5 was made for the sprinters, on paper at least, Stage 6 is going to push the General Classification contenders to their limits.
This 186.2-kilometer stage from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre actually has one of everything - Category 1, 2, 3, 4 and HC. The two toughest, the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet, come consecutively in the second half of the stage, but the torment is supposed to be worth it once the ride is over.
The Col du Tourmalet is so famous and so familiar that this will be the 91st time is has been part of the Tour de France, more than any other climb in history. The climb will feel like it takes forever, but the descent will be fast. Unfortunately, that's not the end of the day.
The stage will end with an 18.7-kilometer Category 2 climb to the Cirque de Gavarnie, a picturesque backdrop that includes high cliffs, waterfalls, wildlife and panoramic views that landed the area on the UNSESO World Heritage List in 1997. Completing this summit finish might be a reward in itself. That's something Remco Evenepoel was not able to do in 2025. This is where he tapped out.
Stage 6 reaches 4,100 meters of elevation, a climbing day in the mountains sandwiched between a flat stage at 1,600 meters and an even flatter Stage 7 that only hits 850 meters of elevation and takes the riders away from the Pyrenees Mountains.
Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 6 Of The Tour de France 2026?
Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2026 is 186.2 kilometers, or approximately 115.69 miles long.
Tour de France 2026 Stage 6 Profile
Here is what the route looks like for Stage 6:
How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Stage 6
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
Who Won Stage 6 Of The Tour de France In 2025?
Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2025 was packed with drama.
Ireland's Ben Healy broke free and rode to victory, becoming the first Irish stage winner at the Tour de France since Sam Bennett in 2020.
Healy picked his spot perfectly and rode away from the breakaway group. He and Mathieu van der Poel were part of a nine-man escape, and both were rewarded for their aggressiveness.
Healy completed the 201.5-kilometer ride from Bayeux to Vire Normandie more than two and a half minutes ahead of American Quinn Simmons, while Van der Poel finished eighth on the day. Overall leader Tadej Pogačar was ninth, but about a minute and a half behind MVDP, meaning that Van der Poel was able to reclaim the yellow jersey.
Once again, the swap was short-lived. Pogačar won the next day and took back the top spot in the General Classification.
Tour de France 2026 Results: Here’s Who Has Won Each Stage So Far
- Stage 1: Who Won Stage 1 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 2: Who Won Stage 2 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 3: Who Won Stage 3 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 4: Who Won Stage 4 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 5: Who Won Stage 5 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?
- Stage 1 (TTT) - July 4: Barcelone - Barcelone (19.6km)
- Stage 2 - July 5: Tarragone - Barcelone (168.5km)
- Stage 3 - July 6: Granollers - Les Angles (195.9km)
- Stage 4 - July 7: Carcassonne - Foix (181.9km)
- Stage 5 - July 8: Lannemezan - Pau (158.3km)
- Stage 6 - July 9: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
- Stage 7 - July 10: Hagetmau - Bordeaux (175.1km)
- Stage 8 - July 11: Périgueux - Bergerac (180.4km)
- Stage 9 - July 12: Malemort - Ussel (185.5km)
- Rest Day - July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 - July 14: Aurillac - Le Lioran (166.6km)
- Stage 11 - July 15: Vichy - Nevers (161.3km)
- Stage 12 - July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
- Stage 13 - July 17: Dole - Belfort (205.8km)
- Stage 14 - July 18: Mulhouse - Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
- Stage 15 - July 19: Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
- Rest Day - July 20: Haute-Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) - July 21: Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
- Stage 17 - July 22: Chambery - Voiron (174.7km)
- Stage 18 - July 23: Voiron - Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
- Stage 19 - July 24: Gap - Alpe d'Huez (127.9km)
- Stage 20 - July 25: Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez (170.9km)
- Stage 21 - July 26: Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin - Premier Tech
- Bahrain - Victorious
- Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
- Cofidis
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama - FDJ United
- Netcompany INEOS
- Lidl - Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic PostNL
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates - XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who Won The Tour de France In 2025?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
Olav Kooij Outsprints The Tour Fast Men In Tour de France 2026 Stage 5
Olav Kooij sprinted to victory in Stage 5 of the 2026 Tour de France in Pau, giving his team a huge boost before the race heads into the high mountains.
The win comes on the eve of the Tourmalet stage, where the team will shift focus to riding for 19-year-old Paul Seixas.
We hear from Kooij and his teammates about what the victory means, plus reaction from the sprinters, including Mads Pedersen, Max Kanter and Jasper Philipsen.
Catch All The Best Races, Highlights, Insight, News And More On FloBikes
FloBikes is the streaming home to some of the best cycling from across the globe. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more of your favorites in action.
FloBikes Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloBikes subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.