The Tour heads into the Vosges.
Stage 13 Review: if the heatwave is over, the Tour hasn’t stopped sizzling. A break of five was away early and UAE’s Nils Politt played the role of prison guard who refused to let anyone else escape, it suited his team to have a small move stay away. Only so many other riders and teams were desperate that a mob of 37 went clear, including Tom Pidcock, 10th overall at nearly 12 minutes down as the best placed rider overall.
Jasper Philipsen was there and so Lidl-Trek chased but struggled to bring it back and gave up. Only for Mads Pedersen to move in person, towing a move of 20 across including Biniam Girmay so he could be there to contest the intermediate sprint.
The front group swelled to 57 when the Pedersen counter move got across, also including three riders from Jayco to join Mauro Schmid. Bahrain led the peloton, chasing for Lenny Martinez who was one place ahead on GC with five minutes, notable because it suggests a GC bid for them.
After Jasper Philipsen pipped Mads Pedersen for the intermediate sprint it was time for the climbers and baroudeurs to take over. Ben Healy had a go on the Col des Croix but was easily reeled in.
Onto the Ballon d’Alsace and while some riders traded moves, Thomas Voeckler on the moto for FranceTV was purring at the tactics of the Jayco team, “c’est magnifique” he exclaimed as the Australian team were doing the tactical equivalent of a lullaby to pacify the move so that Michael Matthews could stay on, perhaps not great TV but Voeckler knows his tactics and how to win from a bad hand. But moves by Tom Pidcock, Maxim Van Gils and Kevin Vauquelin shook things up and Matthews lost 30 seconds over the climb and could not get back and by now nine riders crested the climb with Tim Wellens not far behind and able to make a group of 10.
On the flat riders took turns to attack and it was Mauro Schmid and Harold Tejada who got away and took ten seconds. A small gap but enough as the pair had to commit while behind things started to get tactical with Luke Plapp able to help mark things for his Jayco team mate ahead. Vauquelin, McNulty, Pidcock made moves and in the streets of Belfort Wellens went clear and looked to be closing in as Schmid played poker in the final 1.5km but not taking any more turns. Wellens was swept up and the front duo sprinted for the win with it going to Schmid, avenging his loss to Jonas Abrahamsen in the avenues of Toulouse a year ago.
Plapp’s delight at the finish was obvious and the team will be too as it’s their first World Tour win of the year (only Movistar and Picnic-PostNL left). But they’re also resigned to losing him to Swiss team Pinarello-Q36.5 which out-bid Groupama-FDJ.
Pidcock got the combativity prize and is up to fourth but it was the stage win he wanted. A mistake by other teams to let him back into the GC race? Yes because even the risk is something Visma, Red Bull and Lidl-Trek won’t want to face. After a lot of work to win the stage he could pay a day later with the steep summit finish to come, but if that happens he’ll have more space to aim for another stage so he’s almost in a tails he wins, heads he wins scenario assuming he can get a result from either outcome in the days to come.
After Stage 12 when Tim Merlier wasn’t far off Søren Wærenskjold’s fresh speed record, Stage 13 was even faster at 49.999km/h, the third fastest road stage despite a mountain on the way.
The Route: 155km and 3,800m of vertical gain, plenty for a relatively short stage. There’s a 15km dash from Mulhouse via the vineyards to the foot of the Grand Ballon.
Then 21km at 4.8% which sounds soft but it’s a climb in three parts, the first third with plenty of 7%, then a middle section that eases and descends, then the final third kicks up again with 7-9%. At the top there’s a brief descent and then it’s along the Route des Crêtes to pass through the finish line later and a long descent.
The Col d’Oderen is a regular climb with gentle gradients. A brief descent and the Col du Page is very different, a forestry road that’s narrow and kicks up to the pass but short. The descent is longer and on the same small road for a while before reaching civilisation of sorts in Larcenaire and some hairpin bends.
It’s up the Ballon d’Alsace again, the same road as used on Stage 13 with its even slope all the way to the top. The descent is different, more irregular and ends with the hairpins below the Alfeld lake dam. From here there’s a lull on the course, past Sewen to Masevaux on a regular road that barely descends.
The Col de Hundsruck isn’t a categorised climb but it counts for the efforts. There’s a steep start and some irregular moments in the first half, then even some cobbled moments in the village of Bourbach but decorative. The second half is more regular and followed by a fast descent with some tricky corners. Then comes 7km up the valley floor.
The Finish: the new Col du Haag is described in more detail in a recent Roads to Ride post. For the race the steep start is notable, it stings more than the profile says and will eject some. There’s a brief descent after 4km and then it’s around to the cycle path, an old forest road that has been rescued and repurposed into a car-free way to climb up and in the shade most of the way.
The profile above doesn’t quite look right, the Virage Hibou (owl hairpin) has a flat section before to pick up speed but the bend is so tight riders have to brake hard. Then as the profile shows it kicks up with double-digit gradients and a tricky hairpin as it emerges again on the Route des Crêtes where there’s six kilometres across to the finish in Le Markstein.
The Contenders: Tadej Pogačar (UAE) is the obvious pick for a mountain stage. Only he’s won at Le Markstein before and also he seemed tired in post-stage interviews, normal when someone’s ridden 200km at 50km/h but unusual for him but having mentioned this it’s not worth extrapolating much from it. He also said he’s up for this stage and how it’ll be difficult for his rivals. If he doesn’t go solo on the Haag he can win from a group. Isaac del Toro is a contender too.
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) faces another challenge, can he cope with the multiple climbs ending with a steep climb? If so his power suits for the finish. Meanwhile Florian Lipowitz doesn’t live far away and presumably German fans will be out but he’s always steady it’s hard to see the win.
The breakaway has a decent chance today. UAE’s Wellens and McNulty were in the break yesterday and raced for the win in the final hour and the likes of Nils Politt and Florian Vermeersch won’t last long today which leaves few riders to pull for hours and they need numbers for Sunday’s Alpine stage too. Obvious picks are Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost) who can go after mountains points and hope the stage win is within reach, likewise team mate Alex Baudin and both might need each other to help set the pace today.
If he could chose Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quickstep) might prefer to win Stage 15 as it’s on his home roads but who gets to pick? Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) is out of the GC race but capable of a result but has yet to take a World Tour win. Thymen Arensman (Netcompany-Ineos) finds terrain to suit, likewise Einer Rubio (Movistar).
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Pogačar |
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Del Toro, Carapaz |
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Evenepoel, Baudin, VP-P, THJ, Arensman, Vingegaard |
Weather: sunshine and 22°C with the risk of the clouds building into a thunderstorm. A 10km/h breeze from the west means a light tailwind off the Ballon d’Alsace and a headwind in the finish which is more exposed.
TV: KM0 is at 1.30pm and the finish is forecast for 5.40pm CEST.
It’s “Show & Tell” time!
Thanks for the writeups, INRNG. You always do a commendable job. Chapeau.
I have to say watching Lenny Martinez stuck back in the peloton didn’t make me sad after his antics last year. He looks like a guy that would not be enjoyable to be in a break with.
Looking forward to tomorrow. Now that looks like a stage to tune into.
We’ll find out today if Pidcock’s earlier time losses were due to the heat. Notable that he said that he’ll lose time on the TT as if that is the only challenge he’s not up for.
I’m a bit shocked how this is being reported – Pidcock has openly said he can’t stay with the best on the long climbs during this tour, it seems fairly obvious he’ll slide back down the rankings if not today but fairly soon once we reach the biggest climbs.
I’ve seen pretty much zero evidence in his entire career that Pidcock will ever climb with the best to be at the true pointy end of a three week race, even in last years Vuelta he was cut off on the Angliru by riders who were at best top10 riders at the Tour other than Jonas. Sadly I’m fairly confident in saying Pidcock will never win a three week stage race nor podium at the Tour tbh.
@oldDAVE I think he has a slim chance of a Vuelta win (favourable parcours and second/third tier GC riders) but absolutely zero chance of ever securing a Tour podium.
Hard to argue with, oldDAVE.
He’s way too exciting of a racer to be chasing GT’s. He’s an absolute pleasure to watch, but trying to hang with the big dogs on 20km climbs is not his deal.
Do you think Del Toro will be better than last Mountain stage?
Personally, no, although I suspect you were asking Inrng…
He’s an exceptional talent but I think his ride at the Giro last year, and successes on less mountainous parcours, as great as they have been, have been extrapolated into potential in the high mountains he is a year or three away from delivering upon. But we’ll see…
I think he will be better and it’s likely his ride to Le Lioran was related to the day after the rest day but that’s just speculation, today we’ll see more.
First of not so many occasions to test any limits (or lack thereof) of UAE as a team. Much talk about their imperial control over the bunch, but today they looked unconvincing, as on st. 9 (but of course on the contrary of st. 10). And obviously they could count on their exceptional captain on other days when they looked less exceptional. Energy management is going to be paramount, must also say that other teams didn’t look brilliant for now. Visma has the best record in playing their cards on single big days but the support cast around Vingo until now didn’t shine. Red Bull and Lidl have great options but it’s to be seen if they will be willing to use them (or if they, the resources, will be willing to be used).
“but today they looked unconvincing” Now if they have two man in the break, why would they do anything in the peloton? Or “unconvincing” in not dominating the break and winning? Well then all teams except alUla (btw. why is there always people in these comment section who want to slam Team UAE for bloody business of the state while Saudi journo slaughters get teams get a freepass ) looked “unconvincing”
A confusing comment from you Gabriele because what were UAE supposed to be doing that they weren’t/couldn’t? It was a mass break and they had guys in it, guys who even contested the finish. As if that weren’t enough, other teams offered themselves up as chasers/controllers due to wanting to protect their own perceived interests. A case of UAE actually being given the day off for the most part. Compare them with Visma if you want to consider a team whose strength is more apparently genuinely questionable. (Piganzoli seems the only one besides JV in the top 20. Jorgenson is over an hour down behind Vacek and Quinten Hermans.)
@Anon above also
I referred to the couple in the break.
Considering the passive role they were allowed to have in the move, their impact in the finale was modest to null.
Nearly everybody else up there was performing better relative to his own level.
I’m happy with that, but it sure is a change compared to previous “editions” of the same guys. Keeping something in the tank for today? But why even go on the front, then?
Yes, I’m greatly perplexed by Visma, too. As I said, I hope for the spectacle’s sake that they’re just carefully programming a collective rise in form, but it could quite much be wishful thinking.
Perhaps the sheer brutality of intense racing at over 35 degrees has exacted its toll on most athletes even in well prepared teams.
In general, not speaking of yesterday only, Decathlon is doing fine especially considering that nearly half of their strength is dedicated to bunch sprints: Riccittello is struggling but Benoot and Prodhomme are pretty much satisfactorily overperforming. Red Bull doesn’t look sparkling but has been pretty solid in Van Gils, Van Dijke and Cattaneo, although more should be expected from Hindley. Lidl-Trek has had some tactical issues but have been impressive athletically as a collective force.
An exciting stage yet Pidcock will probably lose time today and tomorrow and be back to tenth. It’s snakes and ladders.
9th … pretty much what you said.
Did Pidcock’s enthusiasm get the better of him? Was he hearing, and believing, the hype of the commentators who, at least on the UK broadcast I was watching, seemed to think he was nearly a shoo-in? I don’t genuinely think that Pidcock is as good a climber as the likes of Ayuso, Seixas, Lipowitz, Remco so his position now is somewhat false in my view. I expect him to suffer today and tomorrow and, as others suggest, fall back to about tenth which is more where he actually sits in the pecking order.
To be honest I’m a bit confused why he does grand tours. Following his career he always seemed to actually enjoy other forms of racing much more. Is it a case of this being where the money is? I imagine that cross or MTB riders don’t get the multi-million Euro contracts that a road rider can attract and so, if he wants the money, he has to do whats required of him. He always seems a bit shackled in this form of racing though because tour riding is more about the long game than the instant effort followed by the instant gratification of the win. Pidcock and tour riding seems a strange fit.
You are correct about the money part. Riders like Pidcock, Van der Poel and Van Aert are not natural grand tour riders. They are excellent, multi discipline athletes who have the engine needed to win stages or be super domestics. That is a highly sought out skill set that few possess. I love this generation of riders!
I’d agree Bubble Wrap – I seem to recall him saying at some point that he doesn’t actually like riding Grand Tours. But if he wants the money, the team who pays him is going to expect him to ride them.
I assume the Tour’s wild card slot was somewhat predicated on Pidcock showing up. Plus the team would want him there for publicity. He’s getting paid a pretty penny, some of it by Ineos still, so I think he doesn’t have full say in where he races.
“Nils Politt played the role of prison guard”
Given our host’s linguistic skills I suspect this is not a coincidence.
Ballon, in French argot means prison.
Bravo monsieur
Wow, nice!
To add a little more air to the balloon of ballon meanings: in ballet, ballon is the quality of lightness to a dancer’s jumps, not the height attained, but the sense of weightlessness conveyed. Maybe by analogy a rider who seems to float uphill might be said to have ballon, too? Or is that baloney?
Much nicer for views climbing the Grand Ballon from this side than from the side used in 2019. Used to be my May day ride when I lived in the region. Lots of being passed on the way up by bikers giving me the “doigt d’honneur” then sharing a café at the café/ honey shop at the top
Nice and very much needed win for Jayco.
So national championships attract points but are not world tour races? I am thinking of Jayco.
Correct. Obviously not a World Tour race as they’re only open to one nationality. But a handy source of points, there are different points scales depending on the country (https://inrng.com/2026/02/uci-points-rankings-tables-2026/)
I think this needs some fine tuning, as I noticed Victor Langellotti basically got 150 UCI points for free by becoming the Monegasque time trial and road champion, where he was the only contender. An easy and honest way out of this seems to adjust the points available down if the number of riders at World Tour and/or Pro Tour level dips under a certain number.
Was I wrong in thinking UAE with Mcnulty and Wellens played their 2 up hand badly compared with Jayco.
Schmid wasn’t on your picks to win in the previous post.
Can’t pick the winner every day. Email to claim your refund 😉
😂
Just an observation. Not being very familiar or knowledgeable about riders or locations your blog helps me a lot. Having not heard about Schmid yet I’m wondering how unexpected it was for him to win the stage. Was it a fluke type of thing?
The surprise with Schmid was more he was out of the moves earlier in the race. But he’s a classy rider and has signed a big contract with Pinarello for next season.
I would add that it definitely was not a fluke, but rather a masterpiece of team tactics by Jayco. They had at least three ways to win that stage.
The physicist in me is bothered by the reported average speed 49.999 km/h since this requires a precision of about 0.3 s (which I believe they have) and distance of about 4 m (which I doubt they have). Well, all for publicity.
Back to cycling.
After a late start in Mulhouse and a visit to WW1 memorial Hartmannswillerkopf, it was already close to evening. Route des Crêtes in the golden hour was one of the most beautiful rides I ever made.
The day before it started raining, thus clear skies the next day, when I started with Col de Hundsruck. I heard a car approaching at a very unsafe speed, so loud that I was thinking of stepping off the road. A moment later I heard “bum – bum – bum”. I sprinted upclimb to the car around the corner. Thankfully, the driver was already outside, hands on his head, exclaiming, “Putain! Putain! Putain!”
Apparently they had a problem with sig figs but didn’t want to go with 50.0, which seems terribly inaccurate!
I wonder if there’s a rider who hates Pogacar more than Carapaz?
The amount of times I’ve seen Pog whip past a doomed Carapaz break or Carapaz be the last/only doomed chaser of a Pog attack is quite funny.
Can’t blame Pog this time. Jonas did the catching all by himself.
At least CARAPAZ is prepared to have a go when on form and the parcours is right.
And the horror show continues.
How many of the remaining seven stages is he going to win? Another four?
Was just asking this myself. I would guess as low as one. I think he will let tomorrow go since he put in the effort today. The ITT I have no idea but will guess Remco wins instead. Then a couple of breakaway stages which leaves the Alpe d’Huez double. I think he’ll win the first which climbs the Alpe proper but the second he’ll just mark.
I’d say Alpe and the ITT are locked in, don’t think the flat part is enough for Remco in week 3 to get ahead.
Why shouldn’t he? It was already done four times, eight stages during one edition.
He unfortunately won’t win another four.
Long time reader, very rare commenter here. Thank you very much to our host for so many years of excellent cycling coverage with tons of background information!
What was the reason for Campenaerts and Armirail to drag the break for so long? To make life for Politt and Wellens that much harder?
In any case this and Jonas pacing for most of the upper part of the climb make me wonder whether Visma was feeling a little clueless today on how to still win the tour?
Or was I just missing something obvious today?
I was wondering the same things, especially the throwing away of the support riders in the break when there seemed to be no plan or possibility to use them to jump to and when they fell back they disappeared. The German commentators were wondering as well.
Spoilers:
On other fronts: I thought the stage was really compelling–Pogacar gritting his teeth like he seldom does (I don’t particularly care that he’s dominant…); Seixas outriding Vingegaard and jumping 2 places in the GC and nearly catching Remco; Remco fading and clawing back much of his lost time; and now we have a really exciting race for 2nd and 3rd. Seixas is now a full 2 weeks into the tour and showing amazing form. I’m very excited to see what happens with him in the coming week.
It’s not obvious. Is Vingegaard riding in a way to secure second place? Or are the team still formatted as if they want to win the race? The problem was either way Vingegaard didn’t get much out of the stage, losing time to Del Toro and Seixas, not gaining much on Evenepoel etc. He also said he didn’t recon the Col du Haag so got caught out a bit.