Tom Pidcock Surges Up Standings with Impressive Tour de France Performance

Tom Pidcock has surged up the overall standings in the Tour de France, finishing third in stage 13 and moving into fourth place overall, just nine seconds behind Remco Evenepoel.

What happened?

On stage 13, Pidcock was one of the key instigators of a mass breakaway that formed on the rolling roads of the Jura and Doubs, on the long approach to the 9km climb of the Ballon d'Alsace, overlooking Belfort. The stage, which the race leader Tadej Pogacar had described as "weird", produced an unexpected outcome as Pidcock moved into fourth place overall.

Why it matters for Tom Pidcock

Pidcock's uneven Tour has seen him almost win in Ussel, crash into a parked car in Le Lioran, and hover on the edge of the top 10. However, he is now clearly becoming more competitive as the race continues and can reasonably start to contemplate a top-five result. For a rider who in the past had admitted that he finds the demands of the three-week Tour mentally draining, Pidcock has found his focus at just the right moment.

What comes next?

A stage winner on Alpe d'Huez in 2022, Pidcock faces five days of racing before the peloton returns there on July 24th and 25th for back-to-back stage finishes. The high speeds and mass break on the road to Belfort were further indications of how the absence of many sprint stages has impacted the race. "Everyone's looking for opportunities because they are few and far between," the Netcompany Ineos director of racing, Geraint Thomas, said.

Pogacar's pursuit of a fifth Tour de France win

Pogacar is edging closer to a fifth Tour de France win, which would officially tie him with the other five-time winners-Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin. Lance Armstrong won seven Tours before being stripped of them all for doping. Pogacar smiled and batted the question away when asked whether he considered the record for Tour wins to be five or seven.

Ireland's Ben Healy finishes 31st in stage 13

Ireland's Ben Healy finished 31st in stage 13 and is 81st overall. The longest stage of the 2026 Tour was another fast and furious race, and for once the breakaway did succeed. A third of the peloton was unleashed on the rolling road to the Ballon d'Alsace as Pogacar and his UAE Emirates XRG team finally loosened their grip on the peloton.

Pidcock's growing competitiveness

Pidcock's uneven Tour has seen him almost win in Ussel, crash into a parked car in Le Lioran, and hover on the edge of the top 10. However, he is now clearly becoming more competitive as the race continues and can reasonably start to contemplate a top-five result. For a rider who in the past had admitted that he finds the demands of the three-week Tour mentally draining, Pidcock has found his focus at just the right moment.

What's next for Pidcock and the Tour de France

A stage winner on Alpe d'Huez in 2022, Pidcock faces five days of racing before the peloton returns there on July 24th and 25th for back-to-back stage finishes. The high speeds and mass break on the road to Belfort were further indications of how the absence of many sprint stages has impacted the race. "Everyone's looking for opportunities because they are few and far between," the Netcompany Ineos director of racing, Geraint Thomas, said.

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