Pidcock moves into podium contention at Tour de Fr...

By Daniel Forsythe — 18 July 2026 — 4 min read

Tom Pidcock has significantly advanced his position in the Tour de France standings, moving into fourth place overall 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 substantial breakaway 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 7 minutes and 43 seconds behind Remco Evenepoel, but his efforts saw him close the gap to just nine seconds behind the Belgian. At one point during the stage, Pidcock even reached second in the virtual general classification standings, ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. Despite aiming for a stage win, Pidcock expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, “It was always the objective to make it into a break. I think it worked out perfectly.” He finished third in the sprint behind Schmid.

The double Olympic gold medallist acknowledged the challenge of competing without teammates in the final push but remained positive about his overall progress. His move into podium contention follows a third-place finish at last year’s La Vuelta. Pidcock noted, “I’m getting stronger and stronger in this race,” drawing a parallel to his performance in La Vuelta where he improved significantly after a difficult first week.

The stage was described as “weird” by race leader Tadej Pogacar, who is pursuing a fifth Tour de France victory. Pogacar, representing UAE Emirates XRG, and his team had eased their control on the peloton, allowing a large breakaway group to succeed. This group initially comprised 37 riders and expanded to over 50 before reducing in number as they entered the climbs of the Vosges. Pogacar described the peloton as “flying” and showed signs of fatigue after the stage.

Pidcock’s Tour de France journey has been marked by varied results, including a near win in Ussel and a crash in Le Lioran. However, his recent performance indicates increasing competitiveness, making a top-five finish a reasonable aspiration. Pidcock has previously admitted to finding the three-week Tour mentally demanding, but he appears to have found his focus at a crucial time. He was a stage winner on Alpe d’Huez in 2022 and now faces five more days of racing before the peloton returns there on 24 and 25 July for consecutive stage finishes.

The absence of numerous sprint stages in the 2026 Tour has influenced the race dynamics, leading riders to seek opportunities more aggressively. Geraint Thomas, director of racing for Netcompany Ineos, commented that “Everyone’s looking for opportunities because they are few and far between.” He also noted that changes to the Paris stage have increased the emphasis on sprint days.

Despite the fast pace, there is a sense that some riders are conserving energy for the challenging final week, which includes five summit finishes. The first two of these are scheduled for this weekend at Le Markstein and the Plateau de Solaison. Charly Wegelius, sports director for EF Education Easy Post, observed that in earlier stages, only a single rider would attempt a breakaway, indicating fatigue and anticipation of tougher challenges ahead.

Wegelius also highlighted that with many stages favouring Pogacar and his team, there is a growing understanding that medium mountain stages might be difficult to contest, and lumpy sprint days have become highly competitive. Pidcock’s improved ranking adds another layer of complexity for second-placed Jonas Vingegaard, who now needs to monitor riders from four different teams: Evenepoel with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Pidcock with Pinarello Q36.5, Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek, and French teenager Paul Seixas riding for Decathlon CMA CGM, as the race enters a demanding weekend of mountain racing in the Vosges.

The upcoming time trial on stage 16 is a concern for Pidcock, who anticipates losing time to Evenepoel in particular. However, cycling expert Matt Stephens believes Pidcock is well-positioned to “rise to the occasion” and compete with prominent names for a podium spot. Stephens noted that the motivation of a podium finish in a Grand Tour has significantly altered Pidcock’s approach, suggesting that this stage’s performance has been a turning point for him. The race continues with five days of competition before the peloton reaches Alpe d’Huez on 24 and 25 July.