Mads Pedersen sprinted clear from a breakaway to win the fourth stage of the 2026 Tour de France, as defending champion Tadej Pogacar surrendered the yellow jersey and dropped to fourth overall. The 181.9km stage from Carcassonne to Foix was raced in extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 40C across southern France. Uno-X Mobility's Torstein Traeen took over the race lead after the breakaway finished almost 13 minutes ahead of the main peloton.

Traeen, a Norwegian who was treated for cancer in 2022 and is not seen as a genuine contender for overall victory, was emotional on the podium. Pogacar, a four-time champion, finished 33rd and now trails by seven minutes 53 seconds, losing the lead after just one day for the third consecutive year. Riders combated the heat by stuffing ice down their tops, and were permitted to carry bags of ice and water as an experiment. Stage five on Wednesday suits sprinters before the race reaches the high Pyrenees on Thursday.