Pidcock Climbs to Fourth Overall After Breakaway Masterclass
Tom Pidcock surged up the general classification at the Tour de France, briefly climbing as high as second place, after a thrilling stage 13 to Belfort ended with Switzerland's Mauro Schmid claiming his first Tour victory. Pidcock, who started the day 7 minutes 43 seconds behind Remco Evenepoel, moved into fourth place overall, now just nine seconds adrift of the Belgian.
The double Olympic gold medallist, riding for Pinarello–Q36.5, was a key instigator of a mass breakaway that formed on the rolling roads of the Jura and Doubs, on the approach to the 9km climb of the Ballon d'Alsace overlooking Belfort. “It was always the objective to make it into a break,” Pidcock said. “I think it worked out perfectly. I was also after the stage win, but it was difficult in the end without any teammates. But I can’t be disappointed.”
Pogacar Edges Closer to Fifth Tour Win
Race leader Tadej Pogacar is edging closer to a fifth Tour de France victory, which would officially tie him with five-time winners Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin. When asked if he considered the record to be five or seven wins—given Lance Armstrong's stripped titles—Pogacar smiled and deflected. “I got this question in the morning,” he said. “I can’t say anything. I don’t go for records, I just want to finish this Tour with yellow in Paris. This is the main focus.”
The longest stage of the 2026 Tour was fast and furious, and for once the breakaway succeeded. A third of the peloton was unleashed on the rolling road to the Ballon d'Alsace as Pogacar and his UAE Emirates XRG team loosened their grip. Exhibiting signs of fatigue after the finish, a red-eyed Pogacar described the peloton as “flying”.
Pidcock's Uneven Tour Takes Positive Turn
Pidcock's Tour has been uneven: he almost won in Ussel, crashed into a parked car in Le Lioran, and hovered on the edge of the top 10. Now he is becoming more competitive and can reasonably aim for a top-five result. For a rider who has found the three-week Tour mentally draining, Pidcock has found his focus at the right moment. A stage winner on Alpe d'Huez in 2022, he faces five days of racing before the peloton returns there on 24 and 25 July for back-to-back stage finishes.
The high speeds and mass break on stage 13 highlighted how the absence of many sprint stages has affected the race. “Everyone’s looking for opportunities because they are few and far between,” said Geraint Thomas, Netcompany Ineos director of racing. “Obviously the Paris stage has changed now and it does put more emphasis on the sprinter days.”
Peloton Saving Energy for Gruelling Final Week
Some riders have been keeping their powder dry for the intimidating final week, which includes five summit finishes, the first two this weekend at Le Markstein and the Plateau de Solaison. “In the earlier stages you definitely saw that, when there was only one rider even trying,” said Charly Wegelius, EF Education Easy Post sports director. “That told a story about the fatigue and what was coming down the road.” With many stages favouring Pogacar, Wegelius noted that “so-called medium mountain stages could be out of reach and lumpy sprint days have become quite hotly contested”.
Pidcock's Rise Creates Headache for Vingegaard
Pidcock's elevation to fourth overall has created a further headache for second-placed Jonas Vingegaard, who now must monitor riders from four different teams: Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5), Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), and French teenager Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), as the race heads into a tough weekend of mountain racing in the Vosges.
