Swiss rider Mauro Schmid claimed victory in stage 13 of the 2026 Tour de France with a two-man sprint against Colombia's Harold Tejada on July 17. The stage covered the longest distance of the race, approximately 205 to 205.8 kilometers, from Dole in the Jura to Belfort in the Vosges region [1, 2, 3, 4].

Around 10 riders broke away from the peloton during the stage, forming the decisive lead group. With about 16 kilometers remaining, Schmid and Tejada broke clear from this group and cooperated to stay ahead until the final sprint. Schmid edged out Tejada to win the stage while Great Britain's Tom Pidcock finished third, 2 seconds behind the pair [1, 3, 4].

Key climbs during the stage included the 5.1 km Col des Croix and the 8.9 km Ballon d’Alsace, testing the riders before the finish in Belfort [1, 2, 3, 4]. The peloton arrived roughly 7 minutes 30 seconds behind the stage winner [1, 3, 4].

Following his strong ride, Pidcock moved up six places in the overall standings from 10th to fourth. He now trails race leader Tadej Pogacar by 4 minutes 15 seconds and is just 9 seconds behind third-placed Remco Evenepoel in the general classification [1, 2, 3, 4]. Pogacar retained the yellow jersey after a quiet day in the peloton and said, "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" [1, 2, 4].

Piddock’s team manager Doug Ryder praised his effort, saying, "Tom was brilliant... the whole team rode so well - the commitment to [getting into] the break was so brilliant. Tom is a fighter and has really turned the race upside down and made it exciting. What he did today is pretty cool" [1]. Pidcock himself reflected, "It was always the objective to make it into break. 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" [2].

In the points classification, Mads Pedersen maintains the green jersey lead, holding a 41-point advantage over Jasper Philipsen [1, 3, 4].

Stage 14 of the 2026 Tour de France is scheduled next, where riders will continue to battle for stage honors and general classification positions.