Pogacar’s solitude amidst the crowds in the Vosges

The Col du Haag is not the highest mountain in France, nor is it the most famous climb in France; indeed, it is not even the most difficult or the longest, yet at first glance it looked like a cycling festival. And so it was. The riders of the 2026 Tour de France were pedalling towards the summit.

It was reasonable to be surprised. Because the Col du Haag wasn’t even a road until June 2025 – just a neglected track used only by motocross bikes, rally cars, off-road vehicles, young couples on picnics and adventurers on gravel or mountain bikes. And it isn’t really a road yet, either. In June 2025, it became a cycle path and, since 18 July 2026 – today – it has been part of the route of the Grande Boucle.

Tens of thousands of people crowded the slopes along the roadside. A spectacle worthy of the most famous and prestigious Alpine climbs. The Col du Haag, however, is not in the Alps but in the Vosges. Few, perhaps none, noticed this, though. Because on the Col du Haag, the Tour de France riders gave their all. Starting with the man who, in recent years, has come to represent the very best in cycling: Tadej Pogačar.

On the Col du Haag, Tadej Pogačar attacked, leaving everyone in his wake once again, riding in solitude as befits the strongest. A solitude that was far from lonely and very noisy indeed, for all around him there was an extraordinary celebration: a colourful and incredibly boisterous crowd that had gathered there without even knowing it was happening, drawn solely by the spectacle of bicycles undulating and dancing their way towards the summit.

An audience like that deserved the grace of the man in sole command. Tadej Pogačar granted it to them.

A moment of solitude at the end of a hard-fought stage. Driven by Richard Carapaz’s indomitable spirit, he was once again unable to concede defeat today against riders who are younger, faster on the climbs but equally talented. The Ecuadorian had fallen behind along with many others; he’d hung on climb after climb alongside just a few; he’d found himself alone, before being caught again by the few who’d been able to rely on superb support riders to get back among the leaders. Driven by the desire to prove he was the strongest rider against Jonas Vingegaard, who was stubborn in his determination to challenge that rival who had too often dropped him and left him with memories of a time – now almost a distant past – when they were on equal footing. Driven by Remco Evenepoel’s ability to never give up, to accept his inferiority on the climbs, whilst demonstrating that he possesses the mind, legs and conviction of a champion. The very same qualities that Isaac Del Toro is beginning to hone as he weaves his way up the climbs, navigating minor slumps and making spectacular comebacks. It was driven by Paul Seixas’s ability to make no mistakes, to stay right up there with the best of recent years, and to show why he is France’s greatest hope of finally finding a successor to Bernard Hinault.

Tadej Pogačar has shed all that. As he climbed towards the summit of the Col du Haag, he too gritted his teeth; he too gave a glimpse of a small, all-too-human moment of suffering that almost took us by surprise. He reached Le Markstein alone, because someone like him can do nothing but arrive alone. Tadej Pogačar won, because after a climb like that, fuelled by such immense passion, the strongest rider is bound to win.