Simon Clarke

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar swapped white for yellow with an emphatic Stage 6 win in Longwy as outgoing race leader Wout van Aert put in a ride for the ages in a bold bid to achieve the impossible. Van Aert’s gutsy long-range breakaway attempt ended just 10km from the finish of the longest stage of the race, opening the door to the seventh stage win of Pogacar’s career.

Australian veteran Simon Clarke pipped fellow escapee Taco van der Hoorn in a pulsating photo finish to Stage 5 in Arenberg on a day of untold drama on the cobblestones of northern France. Wout van Aert retained the yellow jersey but Jumbo-Visma had a nightmare as Primoz Roglic conceded over two minutes to defending champion Tadej Pogacar.