Stage five of the Tour de France 2026 delivered a thrilling bunch sprint in Pau, with Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen claiming his second victory of this year's race. The 162.5-kilometer route from Lannemezan to Pau was largely flat, setting the stage for a mass finish.
Breakaway and Catch
A four-man breakaway formed early, including French riders Thomas Champion and Freddy Bichot, along with Dutchman Lars van den Berg and Italian Alessandro Tonelli. The quartet built a lead of over four minutes before the peloton, led by the sprinters' teams, began the chase. With 30 kilometers to go, the gap had fallen to under two minutes, and the break was caught with 12 kilometers remaining.
Final Sprint
In the final kilometers, the lead-out trains of Alpecin-Deceuninck and Soudal Quick-Step jostled for position. Philipsen, guided by his teammate Mathieu van der Poel, launched his sprint with 200 meters to go and held off a strong challenge from Wout van Aert and Biniam Girmay to cross the line first. "It was a perfect lead-out from the team," Philipsen said after the stage. "I felt strong today and I'm happy to take another win."
General Classification
Race leader Tadej Pogačar finished safely in the bunch, retaining the yellow jersey. The overall standings remain unchanged, with Pogačar leading defending champion Jonas Vingegaard by 45 seconds. The next stages are expected to favor the climbers, with the first mountain test approaching in stage six.
