Yellow Jersey Torstein Træen on Pogačar at the Tourmalet, Haaland at the World Cup, and catching a lift with Visma
CyclingWednesday, 08 July 2026 at 21:55
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Follow us on GoogleTorstein Træen had a bumpy first day in the yellow jersey. The 30-year-old Norwegian from Uno-X Mobility took the lead on Tuesday after spending the day in the breakaway during Stage 4, but had to worry about losing that position for a moment during Stage 5. Visma | Lease a Bike ultimately came to the rescue.
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The fact that Træen claimed the yellow jersey on Tuesday was somewhat of a surprise—but then again, maybe not. Just under a year ago, he pulled off the same feat in the Vuelta a España, when he joined a breakaway group and suddenly found himself in the lead, minutes ahead of the rest of the field. He didn’t relinquish the red jersey until a few days later, when he handed it over to Jonas Vingegaard.
It was the Danish rider from Visma | Lease a Bike who ensured that Træen remained in the yellow jersey in Stage 5. A crash just over 5 kilometers from the finish line—and thus outside the 5-kilometer rule for crashes—caused him to lose the yellow jersey. “Suddenly I was on the ground after a turn, but luckily I was able to catch up with the Visma train and get back into the race. I have a small cut on my knee, but nothing serious.”
Vingegaard was also involved in the crash, but his teammates brought the team leader back to the first chasing group just in time. As a result, Vingegaard lost no time in the general classification, nor did Træen. The Norwegian’s lead thus remains a whopping 7.53 minutes over Tadej Pogacar and Vingegaard. Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) is the only rider close behind, trailing by 28 seconds.
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How long can Træen wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France?
In the sixth stage of this Tour de France, we’ll face our first serious climbs, with the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet serving as true Pyrenean challenges. Can Træen capitalize on his comfortable lead over the top general classification contenders and hold onto the yellow jersey? “Tadej is Tadej—we’ll have to wait and see. If he goes all out on the Tourmalet, I might get left behind.”
However, someone who could finish ninth in the 2025 Vuelta must be considered capable of not losing nearly 8 minutes in a single stage—not even to Pogacar. If Træen holds onto the lead, the next real mountain stage won’t come until Stage 14. “We’ll have to see how much time I lose. We haven’t really climbed much yet, and with this heat, anything can happen. I’m going to do my best.”
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Træen wore the red leader's jersey in the 2025 Vuelta
Træen and Haaland make Norway proud
So far, Træen is living a dream. If he can hold off Quinn and Pogačar in the Pyrenees, the Norwegian will likely remain in the yellow jersey for a long time. And on top of that, the country is doing great at the World Cup with superstar striker Erling Haaland. On July 11, Norway will face England in the quarterfinals—will Træen still be in yellow by then?
"The Tour is the biggest race in the world, so I'm happy to be able to perform on this stage and contribute to the team," the climber said on Tuesday, after his successful bid for the lead. "I generally do well in the heat. We’re lucky to have the people at Uno-X Mobility around us, who help us adapt to the heat and offer suggestions."
The fact that Træen is pulling this off for Uno-X—after being away from the team for two years and riding for Bahrain Victorious—makes it even more impressive. “It feels like the same team as when I first rode for them. The same people are still there, and even when I was away, it was always my dream to come back. I got compliments today—according to my teammates, the yellow jersey looked good on me.”
Træen had one more wish regarding the World Cup and the exciting quarter final to be played on Saturday. “Soccer is pretty big in Norway; the fans are going wild. They’re doing well, so the only thing I need now is a Norwegian jersey with my name on the back so I can wear it to the next game.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - How many times has Pog actually worn yellow now? The article hints he’s lost count—anyone got the exact stat?robert6506-07-2026
- - Unreal start to the Tour: two punches in three days. If he’s taking yellow this early, the real game is load management before the first true summit finish.davidm06-07-2026
- - Grandissimo Tadej! Maillot jaune meritato, squadra perfetta oggi.sprocketspiny06-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “nothing really tough” description. 3,850m of climbing in that heat is brutal, even if the gradients aren’t HC. Felt a bit dismissive.cadencekingm06-07-2026
- - Pogacar’s humour about the gels was gold. Also, nice to see him credit Del Toro. That Barcelona gesture coming back today was a proper team arc.michael5406-07-2026
- - Quick question: when they say “break got a free pass” by Visma, does that mean Visma just stopped chasing completely? Or is it more like they eased but still controlled the gap?velodromevirtuoso106-07-2026
- - Sorry, but the piece glosses over how Vermeersch shredded the gap. That was the hinge of the stage. Give him more credit than a single line.raceready706-07-2026
- - Two seconds on a 200m kick says it all. Vingegaard looked glued, but not enough punch yet. Heat management + gels every 30 minutes clearly dialed.andrewf06-07-2026
- - What a statement from Pog! Del Toro’s launch was textbook. You could see UAE-XRG had zero interest in gifting the break any hope today.jennifer1906-07-2026
- - ¿Habrá abanicos con ese viento noroeste? Si se parte el pelotón en los llanos antes de Quillan, adiós a muchos sprinters.patriciaw06-07-2026
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