Tour de France 2026: Sprinters finally get their chance on flat Stage 5 to Pau
After four punishing days through the Pyrenees, the 113th Tour de France serves up a flat 158.3 km stage from Lannemezan to Pau, the first clear opportunity for a bunch sprint.
The wait is over
For the first time since 2015, the Tour de France has gone five stages without a sprint finish. The 2026 edition started in Spain and crossed the Pyrenees under intense heat, leaving the fast men with only intermediate sprints to test their legs. Wednesday's stage from Lannemezan to Pau changes that, offering a near-certain mass gallop on the Place de Verdun.
The route
At 158.3 kilometres with just 1,600 metres of total elevation gain, the profile is almost entirely flat. The only categorised climb is the Côte de Baleix, a third-category wall of 1 km at 8.8% that crests 26 km from the finish. A long, straight final kilometre with a single 90-degree bend at two kilometres out should produce a clean sprint.
The contenders
Belgian Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) is the nominal favourite, but his compatriot Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Eritrean Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) are equally hungry. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who won Tuesday's stage in Foix and wears the green jersey with 103 points, has the form and confidence to contest the finish. Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural), Olav Kooij and Arnaud De Lie are also in the mix.
What's at stake
With only six to eight sprint stages in the entire 2026 Tour, every flat finish is precious for the points classification. Pedersen already holds a lead, but a stage win would put any of his rivals right back in the green-jersey fight. The nervousness after such a long wait could make the finale especially tense.
This time, we can really say it's the first true, great opportunity for the sprinters. It will certainly be locked down by the teams and the finale is really conducive to a sprint. We'll see who is the fastest and who is best able to set up the lead-out in the best conditions, because the finale is a bit technical.
How to watch
The stage will be broadcast live on France 2 from 13:55 to 17:55 CEST and on Eurosport 1. The fictive start is at 14:05, the real start at 14:15, and the expected finish between 17:37 and 17:46, depending on the average speed.
