Schmid wins the Tour's longest stage as Pidcock storms toward the podium

Mauro Schmid claimed the biggest win of his career on stage 13 of the Tour de France, the longest day of this year's race, edging Harold Tejada in a two-up sprint into Belfort. The 205.8-kilometre run from Dole was always likely to favour a breakaway, and Schmid gave Jayco-AlUla their first success of the 2026 Tour by timing his effort perfectly on the line.

It was a hard-earned victory. The finale was shaped by the Ballon d'Alsace, the category-one climb that first featured at the Tour more than a century ago, and only a select group survived it out front. Schmid and Tejada broke clear on the descent into Belfort, and after Tejada opened the sprint the Swiss rider fought back to take it. Jayco-AlUla had loaded the move with strength, with Michael Matthews and Luke Plapp helping to set it up.

Pidcock's day of gains

The other headline belonged to Tom Pidcock. Starting the day tenth overall, the Pinarello-Q36.5 rider slipped into the early break and rode aggressively over the Ballon d'Alsace to finish third on the stage, more than seven minutes clear of the main field. That ride vaulted him to fourth in the general classification, now 4:15 behind the leader and within touching distance of the podium.

Tadej Pogacar was content to let the move go. The race leader kept the breakaway on a manageable leash and rolled home with the other favourites well over seven minutes down, preserving the yellow jersey ahead of a weekend in the mountains. The peloton, led in by Quinn Simmons, will face far steeper tests before Paris.