The sprinters had two opportunities in quick succession at Nevers and Chalon-sur-Saône. These may well be their last chances until the finish. They now make way for the climbers on stage 13 between Dole and Belfort. But the lightweights will have to wait for the later parts of the route to show their abilities ip the Col des Croix (5.1 km at 4 per cent) and, above all, the Ballon d’Alsace (8.9 km at 6.9 per cent) to tackle. Also featured on stage 14, this category 1 climb will end 29.9 kilometres from the finish line, out of a total of 205.8 kilometres to be covered – making it the longest stage of the 2026 Tour de France.
A light climber but also an excellent descender, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) is in with a chance of claiming the victory that eluded him at Ussel (3rd). It will also depend on the space given to him by the general classification contenders – the Briton is 10th, 7’43” off the podium. A little further down the standings, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) has been aggressive in the Massif Central and has a card to play in the Vosges. The same goes for Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), who finished second just ahead of Pidcock in Ussel and is still chasing his first stage win in a Grand Tour.
Other climbers, such as Egan Bernal (Netcompany Ineos), have an opportunity to seize: the first part of the stage gives them scope to open up a gap before a potential showdown between the favourites on historic slopes: the Ballon d’Alsace was the first major summit crossed by the race, back in 1905.
The French have yet to claim victory in 2026, whilst the peloton will pass through Mélisey (km 137.8) today, the village of national hero Thibaut Pinot. The last French rider to have won – Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) on Mont Ventoux in 2025 – has gone on the attack several times since the start, and the Vosges could finally go his way. The same goes for Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany Ineos) and the former polka-dot jersey holder Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), who crossed the line in Ussel alongside Pidcock, Johannessen and Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech). The Maillot Jaune, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates XRG), plans to remain cautious before tackling the tougher stages over the weekend.
