Mauro Schmid of Switzerland secured his first Tour de France stage victory in Belfort, triumphing in a two-up sprint at the conclusion of the longest stage of the 2026 race. Meanwhile, Tom Pidcock made a significant ascent in the overall standings, moving into fourth place.
The stage, described as “weird” by race leader Tadej Pogacar, saw a large breakaway group form early on the rolling roads of the Jura and Doubs regions. Pidcock was a key instigator in this group, which eventually swelled to over 50 riders before dwindling on the climbs of the Vosges, particularly the Ballon d’Alsace.
Pidcock, riding for Pinarello–Q36.5, started the day in tenth place overall. His efforts in the breakaway allowed him to gain substantial time on the peloton, finishing the stage in third place, several minutes ahead of the main group. This performance propelled him to fourth in the general classification, placing him just nine seconds behind Remco Evenepoel.
Despite missing out on the stage win, Pidcock expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the objective was always to join a break. He acknowledged the difficulty of securing the stage win without teammates in the final moments but remained positive about his overall gains.
Schmid’s Victory and Breakaway Dynamics
Schmid, representing Jayco AlUla, launched an attack approximately 15km from the finish, taking Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) with him. The pair formed a committed partnership, maintaining a lead that, while never exceeding 20 seconds, proved sufficient to hold off the chasing group.
In the closing metres, Tejada initiated his sprint early, but Schmid responded to draw level and ultimately cross the line first, even performing a wheelie in celebration. Pidcock, leading the sprint for third place, secured valuable bonus seconds.
The formation of such a large and successful breakaway on the longest stage of the Tour was notable. Pidcock’s team, Pinarello-Q36.5, strategically placed three additional riders in the break, contributing to the group’s ability to build a significant advantage over the peloton.
Initially, it seemed unlikely that Pidcock, given his position in the general classification, would be granted the freedom to join such a move. However, the dynamics of the race, including a lull from UAE Emirates XRG, allowed the breakaway to establish a lead of over eight minutes at one point.
Pidcock’s GC Ambitions and Future Stages
Pidcock’s jump in the standings has intensified the competition, particularly for Jonas Vingegaard, who now needs to monitor riders from four different teams, including Evenepoel, Pidcock, Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek, and Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM, as the race enters a challenging weekend of mountain stages in the Vosges.
Pidcock’s team manager, Doug Ryder, described him as an “impact rider” who has made the race exciting. While the team has been cautious about setting lofty goals for Pidcock in the past, his performance on this stage has solidified his potential for a strong overall finish.
Looking ahead, Pidcock acknowledged the challenges, particularly a time trial on stage 16, where he expects to lose some time. However, he remains pragmatic, focusing on taking the race day by day as the Tour progresses through a demanding final week that includes five summit finishes.
The absence of numerous sprint stages in the 2026 Tour has led riders to seek opportunities in breakaways, making medium mountain stages and lumpy sprint days hotly contested. Pidcock’s ability to find his focus at this crucial point in the race, despite previously admitting the mental demands of the three-week event, positions him well for the upcoming stages.
Pogacar, meanwhile, is nearing a potential fifth Tour de France victory, which would align him with other five-time winners. He reiterated his focus on finishing the Tour in yellow in Paris rather than pursuing records.
The peloton is set to return to Alpe d’Huez on 24 and 25 July for back-to-back stage finishes, following five more days of racing.
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Source: theguardian.com
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As News-GB's Sports Reporter, Megan Sinclair reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name interviewing rising British talent. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Edinburgh and completed an NCTJ diploma. Megan lives in Edinburgh, where she plays club tennis and follows track athletics. “Give the athletes room and the story tells itself.”