Another big day for Pogacar at the Tour? Schedule and highlights of Stage 14

The high mountains truly return to the Tour de France 2026. After the stage to Belfort, the race enters the Vosges with a short, explosive stage designed to select the group of favorites from far away from the finish line.

Preview of stage 14 of the Tour de France 2026: the Vosges test Pogacar before the great alpine duel

The 155.3 kilometers between Mulhouse and Le Markstein offer hardly any rest. Four categorized climbs and nearly 3,700 meters of ascent will force the general classification teams to work throughout the day, in a weekend that could definitively mark the fight for the yellow jersey and the rest of the podium.

For Tadej Pogacar, it represents a new opportunity to continue extending his lead. The Tour leader has responded with authority every time the road has pointed uphill, although the big question will be whether UAE Team Emirates-XRG decides to control the stage to seek another victory or prefers to save energy thinking about the mountains still ahead.

Schedule for stage 14 of the Tour de France 2026

• Start: 13:10 h (CEST)
• Expected finish: between 17:24 and 17:52 h (CEST)
• Route: Mulhouse - Le Markstein
• Distance: 155.3 km
• Total ascent: 3,658 meters
• Type of stage: high mountain

An unrelenting route

Unlike other mountain stages, there is no long approach section before the major climbs here. Just about 15 kilometers after the start, the Grand Ballon will begin, a climb of more than twenty kilometers whose average gradient is deceptive due to the rests it includes. It will be the first filter of the day and an ideal setting for a high-level breakaway to form.

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Next will come the Col du Page and the Ballon d’Alsace, two ascents that will continue to wear down the peloton before facing the decisive moment. Although neither should provoke the definitive attack among the favorites, they can leave many leaders isolated when there is still a significant part of the stage remaining.

All eyes are on the Col du Haag. Its 11 kilometers at a 7.3% average gradient hide several sections above 10% and peak just six kilometers from the finish. It is a perfect climb for Pogacar's changes of pace and long enough for Vingegaard to try to respond if his feelings continue to improve.

UAE once again holds the key to the race

The big question of the day is not so much who will attack but when UAE will decide to do so. The yellow jersey team has shown throughout the Tour that it has no problem bearing the weight of the race, even on very demanding days. However, this stage opens a weekend with two consecutive major mountain events, and managing energy can also become a priority.

If UAE allows a breakaway formed by good climbers to gain ground, the stage victory could be contested up front. If they keep the break under control, everything suggests that the general classification will once again decide the outcome.

Favorites

Tadej Pogacar is once again the main favorite. The Col du Haag fits perfectly with his ability to accelerate on the steepest slopes and maintain effort until the finish. Jonas Vingegaard will try to take advantage of a day with a lot of accumulated mountain to close in on the Slovenian, while Remco Evenepoel, Florian Lipowitz, Juan Ayuso, Paul Seixas, Mattias Skjelmose, and Isaac del Toro face a key stage in the fight for the podium. If UAE opts to let the breakaway go, riders like Richard Carapaz, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Javier Romo, Egan Bernal, Tobias Halland Johannessen, or Thymen Arensman automatically become candidates for victory.

Le Markstein has already seen Pogacar win in 2023, although then the finish was on a different slope. Three years later, the scenario changes, but the big favorite remains the same.

With the mountains entering their decisive moment and the Alps waiting immediately after, every second can be crucial. The Tour faces one of the most important weekends of the entire race, and the first battle begins in the Vosges.