Tour de France: Swiss Rider Mauro Schmid Wins Longest Stage in Belfort Sprint

Mauro Schmid of Team Jayco Alula secured victory in the 13th stage of the Tour de France in Belfort, France, after a demanding breakaway. The Swiss rider out-sprinted his Colombian rival Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) in a thrilling finish. The duo had attacked with 16 kilometers remaining, just after cresting the Ballon d’Alsace, the day's highest point, and were not caught by the chasing peloton.

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Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco Alula) has beaten Colombian Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) in a sprint on the 13th stage of the Tour de France 2026, the longest this year, in Belfort, this Friday.

This win marks a significant career milestone for Schmid, a versatile rider who has now achieved his fifth victory of the year and his first-ever stage win at the Tour de France. His previous successes include a stage win at the 2021 Giro d'Italia. Switzerland had been awaiting a victory at the Grande Boucle since Marc Hirschi's win in 2020, and Hirschi was also part of the breakaway on this stage.

Tom Pidcock of Great Britain, who finished third on the stage, made a substantial move in the general classification. The British rider climbed from 10th to 4th place, now trailing race leader Tadej Pogacar by 4 minutes and 15 seconds. The main peloton, which experienced a relatively calm second half of the race, finished the stage 7 minutes and 32 seconds behind the leaders.

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The two men attacked 16km from the finish, after the ascent of the Ballon d’Alsace, the day's highest point, and were not seen again by the pursuers.

Other riders also made notable efforts in the final kilometers. Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany-Ineos) attempted several attacks in the closing stages, as did his compatriot Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), who launched an attack on a false flat 4 kilometers from the finish line, but both were ultimately unsuccessful in bridging the gap to the leaders.

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Mauro Schmid, a versatile rider, achieves his fifth victory this year, his first on the Tour de France, the most beautiful of his career.