Tour de France 2026 Route stage 6: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre

Thursday, 9 July - Stage 6 is the final Pyrenean stage of the 2026 Tour de France. The race bids farewell to the Pyrenees with a route over the Aspin and Tourmalet, finishing near the enchanting Cirque de Gavarnie, a location the Tour has never visited before. The riders tackle 4,150 metres of climbing over 186 kilometres.

Pau serves as a Tour de France starting venue for the 68th time. The route usually heads into the mountains, and this year is no exception, although it takes a while before the riders actually reach them. Through Lourdes and Bagnères-de-Bigorre, the yellow caravan makes its way to Arreau, at the foot of the Col d'Aspin. The first part is relatively easy, but in the second half - after a steepest kilometre at 9.5% - gradients generally hover around 8%. Over 12 kilometres, the Aspin averages 6.5%.

Immediately after the descent into Saint-Marie-de-Campan, the Col du Tourmalet begins, which is essentially a hot-rodded Aspin: more of the same, only tougher. Especially from the 10th kilometre onwards, gradients stay consistently between 9 and 10%. Over its full 17-kilometre length, the Tourmalet averages 7.3%.

The riders descend into Luz-Saint-Sauveur, only to re-enter the mountains via a different route. Gradients remain modest as they make their way to Gavarnie-Gèdre, with the road piercing straight into the mountains for much of the way — aside from two hairpins just after passing through Gèdre. From there, the gradient increases slightly, though the final climb remains relatively gentle. It stretches for 18.7 kilometres at an averagin gradient of 3.7%.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 6th stage 2026 Tour de France.