Schmid pips Tejada on longest Tour de France stage

Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco-AlUla) won stage 13 of the Tour de France 2026, narrowly defeating Harold Tejada (XDS Astana Team) in a two-man sprint to the line in Belfort. The pair were the last survivors of a large breakaway on the race's longest stage. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) led a chase group home for third place, just two seconds behind.

The 205.8 km stage was always tipped for breakaway specialists, as the final major climb crested too far from the finish to tempt the GC contenders. The peloton finished several minutes adrift, with no significant changes to the overall classification.

On the longest stage of the race, a 205.8 km route from Dole to Belfort, a large breakaway established an early advantage. The peloton was content to let them go, with over 2,400 metres of climbing packed into the final third of the stage.

The race ignited on the approach to the Vosges mountains, with the breakaway splintering on the Col des Croix. The decisive selection came on the day's major obstacle, the Ballon d'Alsace, an 8.9 km climb at an average of 6.9%.

Schmid and Tejada emerged as the strongest from the fractured breakaway over the climb and subsequent descent. The pair worked together on the 13 km run-in to Belfort, holding off a chase group containing Pidcock, Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). In the final kilometre, Schmid launched his sprint with 450 metres to go and held off Tejada for the win.

• Team Jayco-AlUla played its numbers perfectly. With Mauro Schmid, Luke Plapp (Team Jayco-AlUla), and Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla) in the key move, they had multiple cards to play, and Schmid's victory is the reward for an aggressive day.
• The stage profile showed the value of power on the flats. A pure climber would have struggled on the 13 km run-in after the Ballon d'Alsace, but Schmid and Tejada's strength on the flat was as crucial as their climbing.
• A heartbreaking second place for Harold Tejada. The XDS Astana Team rider was a deserving co-protagonist on the stage but was beaten by a faster finisher, confirming his strong form.
• The GC teams took a relatively calm day ahead of the high mountains. With the final climb too far from the finish to launch attacks, they were content to save energy and let the breakaway contest the stage.
• Tom Pidcock will be frustrated to miss out on the win. His third place shows his class, but the chase group behind the leading pair seemed to lack the cohesion needed to close the final gap.