Tom Pidcock has significantly improved his position in the overall standings of the Tour de France, moving into fourth place after a strong performance on stage 13. The stage, which concluded in Belfort, saw Switzerland’s Mauro Schmid secure his first Tour victory. Pidcock, riding for Pinarello–Q36.5, was a key figure in a large breakaway group that formed on the roads of the Jura and Doubs, leading up to the 9km ascent of the Ballon d’Alsace.
Pidcock began the day 7min 43sec behind Remco Evenepoel. His efforts on the stage propelled him to fourth overall, placing him just nine seconds behind Evenepoel. At one point during the stage, Pidcock briefly held second place in the virtual general classification, ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. Pidcock expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating that making it into a break was always the objective and that it worked out perfectly. He also mentioned that he had aimed for the stage win but found it challenging without teammates in the final moments.
The stage was described as “weird” by race leader Tadej Pogacar, and it delivered an unexpected outcome. Pogacar, who is nearing a potential fifth Tour de France victory, is focused on finishing the Tour in yellow in Paris. He dismissed questions about records, indicating his main focus is on the current race. The longest stage of the 2026 Tour was characterised by high speeds, and a breakaway group, which initially comprised 37 riders and expanded to over 50, ultimately succeeded.
Pidcock’s rising form
Pidcock’s Tour de France journey has been varied, including a near-win in Ussel and an incident involving a parked car in Le Lioran. Despite these events, he has shown increasing competitiveness as the race progresses, now contemplating a potential top-five finish. The double Olympic gold medallist, who previously admitted to finding the three-week Tour mentally demanding, appears to have found his focus at a crucial time. He previously secured a stage win on Alpe d’Huez in 2022.
Pidcock believes he is getting stronger in the race, drawing parallels to his performance at last year’s La Vuelta, where he also improved significantly after a challenging first week to finish on the podium. However, he acknowledges that the time trial on stage 16 could pose a challenge, anticipating that he might lose time to Evenepoel in particular.
The high speeds and mass breakaway on the route to Belfort highlight how the absence of numerous sprint stages has influenced the race dynamics. Geraint Thomas, the director of racing for Netcompany Ineos, noted that riders are actively seeking opportunities due to their scarcity. He also pointed out that the altered Paris stage now places greater emphasis on sprint days.
Some riders in the peloton are believed to be conserving energy for the demanding final week, which features five summit finishes. The first two of these challenging climbs are scheduled for this weekend at Le Markstein and the Plateau de Solaison. Charly Wegelius, the sports director for EF Education Easy Post, observed that in earlier stages, only a single rider would attempt a move, indicating fatigue and anticipation of future challenges.
Impact on the general classification
Pidcock’s ascent in the overall standings adds another layer of complexity for second-placed Vingegaard. He now faces the task of monitoring riders from four distinct teams: Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Pidcock from Pinarello Q36.5, Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek, and the French teenager Paul Seixas, who rides for Decathlon CMA CGM. This situation sets the stage for a challenging weekend of mountain racing in the Vosges.
Wegelius also commented that with many stages favouring Pogacar and his UAE Emirates XRG team, there is a growing understanding that medium mountain stages might become less accessible, while lumpy sprint days have become intensely contested. Pidcock’s strong performance on stage 13 has clearly altered the complexion of the general classification battle as the Tour progresses.
Pidcock moved from tenth to fourth in the general classification standings.
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Source: theguardian.com
Freya Donnelly is the Sports Reporter at News-UK, covering tennis, cricket and athletics with seven years of reporting experience. She reported on Team GB through an Olympic cycle. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Brighton and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Brighton, she plays club cricket in the summer. “Listening is the most underrated skill in sports reporting.”
