2026 Tour de France: Schmid’s Breakaway Pays Off as He Triumphs in Belfort
The 13th stage of the 2026 Tour de France—the first race of a weekend set to have a major impact on the general classification—concluded in Belfort with a victory by Mauro Schmid. As expected, the day favored the breakaway, from which the Swiss rider from Team Jayco AlUla emerged to claim the most prestigious victory of his career.
From the very first kilometers, a large group of attackers formed, while the Yellow Jersey group allowed the breakaway riders a wide margin, with UAE Team Emirates XRG focused solely on controlling the gap without pushing the chase. The breakaway’s lead thus increased steadily, while attention shifted to the Ballon d’Alsace, the day’s main climb and a decisive point in the race for victory.
On the climbs of the King of the Mountains prize, Tom Pidcock tried several times to break away, attacking both on the ascent and on the subsequent descent, but was unable to shake off his rivals. The selection process, however, whittled the leading group down to about ten riders.
In the final stretch, it was Harold Tejada and Mauro Schmid who made the decisive move. The two worked together until the last kilometer, managing their lead over the chasers and holding off their comeback. In the two-man sprint, Schmid came out on top, claiming a highly prestigious victory.
Behind them, Pidcock outpaced the chasing group, finishing in third place and virtually moving up to fourth place in the general classification. Maxim Van Gils and Brandon McNulty rounded out the top five. The leading group, led by Yellow Jersey Tadej Pogačar, crossed the finish line 7’32” behind, with no changes in the top positions of the general classification.
