Mauro Schmid ends six-year Swiss drought with sprint victory on Tour’s longest stage
The Jayco AlUla rider outkicked Colombia’s Harold Tejada in Belfort as Tom Pidcock’s long-range raid vaulted him to fourth overall, nine seconds off the podium.
Mauro Schmid timed his final acceleration with clinical precision to win stage 13 of the Tour de France, becoming the first Swiss rider to claim a stage since Marc Hirschi in 2020. After 205.8 kilometres from Dole to Belfort, the 26-year-old from Zurich sat on Harold Tejada’s wheel as the Colombian led out the two-up sprint, then surged past in the closing metres. Tejada, who had crossed himself before the final effort, later told Colombian media he “saw it very close” and felt happy despite the near miss. Swiss outlets described the victory as the biggest of Schmid’s career, ending a six-year wait for a home stage winner.
The decisive move came 16 kilometres from the finish, when Schmid and Tejada attacked from a reduced breakaway group on the descent of the Ballon d’Alsace. The climb, the first ever ascended in Tour history, had already been animated by Tom Pidcock, whose repeated accelerations whittled a mass escape of nearly 60 riders down to a handful of contenders. Pidcock, riding for the Swiss-registered Pinarello Q36.5 team, was later named the day’s most combative rider and crossed the line third, two seconds behind the leading duo, after a late solo attempt to bridge across fell short.
Behind the break, the general classification battle was shaped by a controlled chase. UAE Team Emirates, supported at times by Lidl-Trek and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, kept the gap to the escapees at 7 minutes 32 seconds. That margin proved critical: Pidcock, who had started the day outside the top ten, rose to fourth overall, just nine seconds behind Remco Evenepoel’s third place. The Belgian’s team had driven the peloton in the finale to protect his podium position. Mexico’s Isaac del Toro, previously seventh, slipped to eighth as a direct consequence of Pidcock’s leap, while Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey with a lead of 3 minutes 36 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard.
Colombian reports focused on Tejada’s emotional near-miss, his best result in this edition, while Swiss newspapers celebrated the end of a national drought and Schmid’s composure under pressure. German analysts noted that Florian Lipowitz, who lost his top-five place to Pidcock, should have better cards in the high mountains to come. The stage also saw the abandonments of Fernando Gaviria and Jenno Berckmoes, both with fractured collarbones from a crash the previous day.
The race now heads into a pivotal weekend. Saturday’s 14th stage from Mulhouse to Le Markstein packs 3,800 metres of vertical gain into 155.3 kilometres, including the Grand Ballon and a second ascent of the Ballon d’Alsace, before a summit finish that is expected to reopen the battle for the podium.
| Latin American press | −0.30 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Continental European press | +0.60 | aligned |
Colombian cycling came within centimeters of glory, but once again the podium slips away. Mexican Del Toro loses ground, while Switzerland celebrates a success that feels distant to Latin America.
The narrative adopts a national perspective, emphasizing the emotions of Latin American riders and downplaying the broader context of the Swiss victory, creating a sense of 'us versus them'.
The historical significance of the first Swiss Tour win in six years and the celebration in Switzerland are omitted, which would destabilize the narrative of Latin American disappointment.
Switzerland returns to winning a Tour stage after six years: Mauro Schmid writes a page of history. Meanwhile, the general classification shifts, with Pogacar solid in yellow and Lipowitz losing ground.
The narrative balances the exaltation of a national triumph with a technical analysis of the race, creating a sense of completeness and authority while downplaying the stories of Latin American riders.
The perspective of Colombian Tejada, who came close to victory, and Mexican Del Toro, who slipped in the standings, is omitted, which would introduce a note of disappointment contrasting with the triumphant tone.
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