Tom Pidcock leapt up the overall standings in the Tour de France, briefly climbing as high as second place, after a fulminating stage to Belfort ended in a first Tour win for Switzerland's Mauro Schmid.
Breakaway Success on Longest Stage
Pidcock was one of the key instigators of a mass breakaway that formed on the rolling roads of the Jura and Doubs, on the long approach to the 9km climb of the Ballon d'Alsace, overlooking Belfort. The longest stage of the 2026 Tour saw a third of the peloton unleashed as Tadej Pogacar and his UAE Emirates XRG team loosened their grip.
Pidcock, who started the day 7min 43sec behind Remco Evenepoel, moved into fourth place overall, only nine seconds behind the Belgian. “It was always the objective to make it into a break,” the double Olympic gold medallist, riding for Pinarello–Q36.5, 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 Nears Fifth Tour Win
Pogacar is edging closer to a fifth Tour de France win, which would officially tie him with the other five-time winners – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin. Asked about the record, Pogacar said: “I got this question in the morning. 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.”
Pidcock's Rise and Future Prospects
The biggest winner of the original group of 37 that grew to more than 50 was Pidcock, who also took third place in the sprint finish behind Schmid. His uneven Tour has seen him almost win in Ussel, crash into a parked car in Le Lioran and hover on the edge of the top 10, but he is now clearly becoming more competitive. A stage winner on Alpe d'Huez in 2022, Pidcock faces five days of racing before the peloton returns there on 24 and 25 July for back-to-back stage finishes.
Impact on General Classification
Pidcock's elevation has created a headache for second-placed Jonas Vingegaard, who now must monitor riders from four different teams: Evenepoel, Pinarello Q36.5's Pidcock, Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek, and French teenager Paul Seixas. The high speeds and mass break on the road to Belfort were further indications of how the absence of many sprint stages has affected the race. “Everyone's looking for opportunities because they are few and far between,” the Netcompany Ineos director of racing, Geraint Thomas, said.
With five summit finishes in the final week, including Le Markstein and the Plateau de Solaison this weekend, some riders have been conserving energy. “In the earlier stages you definitely saw that, when there was only one rider even trying,” the EF Education Easy Post sports director, Charly Wegelius, said. “That told a story about the fatigue and what was coming down the road.”
