Pogacar claims 10th career stage win in Tour de France stage 6

Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar claimed a 10th career stage win at cycling's biggest race on Thursday after launching a stunning counterattack and dropping defending champion Jonas Vingegaard in the finale.

A day after losing more than a minute to Vingegaard in the first Pyrenean stage, Pogacar showed he was not ready to give up and revived the suspense.

Vingegaard crossed the finish line 24 seconds behind Pogacar following their pulsating duel and seized the race leader's yellow jersey, 25 seconds ahead of his Slovenian rival, according to provisional results.

The brutal 145-kilometre Stage 6 with a mountaintop finish from the southwestern city of Tarbes to the Plateau of Cambasque featured three tough climbs including the legendary Col du Tourmalet.

Vingegaard's teammate Wout Van Aert, who was part of the early breakaway and rode furiously throughout the day, waited for his leader in the downhill as a group of eight riders gathered at the front before the final grind with some steep sections with an 11 per cent gradient.

The tireless Van Aert accelerated again with five kilometres left to set up Vingegaard's second attack of the day, with Pogacar and Michal Kwiatkowski taking his wheel.

Thursday's stage puts Vinegaard top of the table with Pogacar in second followed, in third place, by overnight leader Jai Hindley who came in one minute, 34 seconds off the pace.