Pidcock reassures rivals after a huge jump in the Tour de France standings: 'I’ll definitely feel it in my legs tomorrow'

Tom Pidcock was named the most combative rider of the day in the thirteenth stage of the Tour de France, and that can rightly be called an understatement. The Briton from Pinarello-Q36.5 had climbed to tenth place in the general classification, but decided to go all out for the stage win on a day dominated by the breakaway. It didn’t earn him the stage victory, but it did give him a big jump up in the general classification.

On Friday, Pidcock was the highest-ranked rider in a breakaway group that at one point consisted of 57 riders. Riding his Pinarello-Q36.5, the Brit took the lead in the breakaway, just as he had announced to the organizers prior to the stage. “I don’t think it’s going to be a quiet day for anyone today. I expect the entire peloton will want to join the breakaway.”

"The roads are flat, so it's not easy for light riders like me. But the plan is to stay with the pack, especially since there are some important stages coming up," said Pidcock, who was given a free pass by the peloton. That came as no surprise to him. “I don’t think I’m a threat to the breakaway. I’m 12 minutes behind and I’m no concern for the podium contenders,” he predicted even before the start.

The large leading group quickly thinned out during a tough final stretch featuring two climbs, but unfortunately not quickly enough for Pidcock. “The guys did a great job. I had my sights set on the stage win for a long time, but the final climb wasn’t tough enough to make a difference. After that, it was hard to control everything on my own.”

Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) and Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) broke away after the final climb, and Pidcock saw the writing on the wall. He still managed to sprint from the chasing group to third place, 2 seconds behind the winner. “Third place is frustrating, but it was a positive day, so I’ll take that,” he said afterward.

After finishing third in Stage 9, he secured a second podium finish, but it was the massive time gain over the peloton that really stood out. Pidcock, who finished third in the 2025 Vuelta a España, earned a solid 7 minutes with a stellar performance, moving up from tenth to fourth place, 4.15 minutes behind leader Tadej Pogacar.

"All we could think about was breaking away, if we could. I was constantly at the front because I knew that riding in the peloton wouldn't be any fun. In the end, 40 of us broke away, which was a perfect situation. Everyone worked well together, but the pace was incredibly fast in the opening phase,” Pidcock continued.

The result wasn't what the Brit had hoped for, partly because a fourth-place finish in the general classification will be very difficult to defend. “It would be nice if I could say that’s possible. But I’m going to lose a few minutes in the time trial (in Stage 16 on Tuesday, ed.) anyway, and I’ll definitely feel it in my legs tomorrow—that’s for sure.”

Stage 14 on Saturday features a challenging mountain stage in the Vosges.