Mauro Schmid of Switzerland secured his first Tour de France stage victory in Belfort, following a significant breakaway on the race’s longest stage. Meanwhile, Tom Pidcock made a substantial move up the overall standings, positioning himself in fourth place.
The stage, described as “weird” by race leader Tadej Pogacar, saw a large breakaway group form on the rolling roads of the Jura and Doubs regions, leading up to the Ballon d’Alsace climb. Pidcock, riding for Pinarello–Q36.5, was a key instigator in this group, which initially comprised over 30 riders and eventually grew to more than 50 before dwindling on the climbs of the Vosges.
Pidcock began the day in tenth place overall, 7 minutes 43 seconds behind Remco Evenepoel. His efforts in the breakaway allowed him to gain significant time on the peloton, ultimately moving him into fourth place in the general classification, just 9 seconds behind Evenepoel. He finished the stage in third place, crossing the line 7 minutes 30 seconds ahead of the main group of favourites.
Despite missing out on the stage win, Pidcock expressed satisfaction with the outcome. He noted that the objective was always to get into a break, and while he aimed for the stage win, the lack of teammates in the final moments made it challenging. His team manager, Doug Ryder, praised Pidcock’s fighting spirit and impact on the race, highlighting the team’s full support for his efforts.
Schmid’s Stage Victory
Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) launched an attack 15 kilometres from the finish, taking Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) with him. The pair formed a committed two-man time trial, maintaining a lead that, while never exceeding 20 seconds, was enough to secure the win. In the final metres, Tejada initiated his sprint early, but Schmid responded to cross the line first.
Schmid described the day as incredibly hard from the start, noting the team’s consistent efforts to get into a breakaway. He felt strong early on, and the support from his teammates, including Luke Plapp and Ben O’Connor, was crucial. Schmid admitted to being worried about the difficulty of the climb but found the stop-and-go nature of it suited him.
Implications for the General Classification
Pidcock’s ascent in the general classification means he is now 4 minutes 15 seconds behind race leader Tadej Pogacar. His performance has pushed Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) out of fourth place. This development adds further complexity for Jonas Vingegaard, who is in second place and now needs to monitor riders from several different teams, including Evenepoel, Pidcock, Ayuso, and Paul Seixas.
The longest stage of the 2026 Tour, the only one over 200 kilometres, was marked by high speeds and a successful breakaway, a trend attributed to the scarcity of sprint stages. Geraint Thomas, director of racing for Netcompany Ineos, commented that riders are actively seeking opportunities due to their limited availability. Charly Wegelius, sports director for EF Education Easy Post, noted that even medium mountain stages and lumpy sprint days have become hotly contested.
Pidcock’s journey in this Tour has been varied, including a near win in Ussel and a crash in Le Lioran. However, his recent performance indicates growing competitiveness, allowing him to contemplate a top-five finish. Despite the immediate success, Pidcock remains pragmatic about the upcoming stages, particularly a challenging time trial on stage 16, where he anticipates losing some minutes.
The Tour now heads into a demanding weekend of mountain racing in the Vosges, featuring summit finishes at Le Markstein and the Plateau de Solaison.
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Source: theguardian.com
As News-GB.org's Sports Reporter, Eleanor Vance reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name on long-form athlete profiles. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Bath and completed an NCTJ diploma. Eleanor lives in Bath, where she swims competitively and follows British athletics. “A profile is only as good as the questions behind it.”