Mauro Schmid claimed victory on Stage 13 of the Tour de France after beating Harold Tejada in a two-up sprint. The Team Jayco AlUla rider attacked alongside Harold Tejada in the closing kilometres after the pair broke clear from a large breakaway. Behind them, the general classification contenders remained quiet and finished together.

The stage featured a long fight to establish the breakaway. After more than 30 kilometres of attacks, a group of 39 riders finally formed at the front. Jasper Philipsen was among the attackers, forcing green jersey Mads Pedersen to bridge across with a chasing group. The move also included riders such as Tim Wellens, Brandon McNulty, Maxim Van Gils, Ben Healy, Harold Tejada, Kevin Vauquelin, Emiel Verstrynge, Ion Izagirre, Mauro Schmid, Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Hirschi, Tom Pidcock and Jordan Jegat.

The escape built an advantage of almost nine minutes as Bahrain - Victorious began chasing to protect Lenny Martinez's place in the general classification, while Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team also contributed to the pace-setting for Tom Pidcock.

On the Ballon d'Alsace several riders tried to split the group, including Rick Pluimers, Lars Craps, Marc Hirschi, Maxim Van Gils and Luke Plapp, but none could make the difference. Tom Pidcock repeatedly closed the attacks, leaving a leading group of around ten riders together over the summit.

Behind them, Lidl-Trek controlled the pace in the peloton, where the GC contenders showed no interest in attacking ahead of the demanding mountain stages still to come.

After the descent the race became increasingly tactical. With 15 kilometres remaining, Harold Tejada followed an acceleration from Mauro Schmid and the pair quickly opened a gap as the chasing group hesitated. Kevin Vauquelin and Jordan Jegat later attempted to bridge across but were unable to make contact.

Inside the final two kilometres Schmid stopped working, forcing Tejada to spend more time on the front. The Colombian launched the sprint first, but Schmid immediately came alongside and powered past in the closing metres to secure the stage victory. Tom Pidcock won the sprint for third place ahead of Maxim Van Gils, while the GC favourites crossed the line together without any significant attacks.

Rúben Silva from CyclingUpToDate closely followed the third stage of the world's biggest cycling race and shared his thoughts after the finish.

A proper breakaway stage. It all started with a huge fight to get into the move, and after the peloton split, around 40 riders unexpectedly went clear. The group behind never managed to regain control, and from that moment the stage was largely decided.

Lidl-Trek made a rookie mistake that is difficult to understand. With several stage-winning contenders and Mads Pedersen chasing valuable green jersey points, they simply could not afford to miss a move of that size. At least a few riders had to be near the front. As a result, they spent a huge amount of energy chasing a breakaway they never managed to bring back, although they were fortunate that a second group later bridged across.

Pedersen was undoubtedly one of the day's biggest stars. He contributed heavily to the initial chase, then attacked himself to join the breakaway and defended his green jersey ambitions. Even after being caught, he still had enough left to help Lidl-Trek control the gap to the leaders, protecting the team's general classification ambitions. It was a remarkable all-round performance.

Jayco AlUla also executed the stage brilliantly. They placed four riders in the front group and all of them were there when it mattered most. Ben O'Connor clearly isn't showing his best form, and initially I struggled to understand why Michael Matthews had been left isolated. In the end, however, everything came together perfectly.

Luke Plapp and Mauro Schmid both produced their best performances of the season, with the Swiss classics specialist reminding everyone of the level he showed earlier this year. When I spoke to Schmid before the stage, he radiated confidence, and the race proved why. He had the legs, the tactical awareness and, above all, the perfect timing to take advantage of the opportunity.

Tom Pidcock's presence in the breakaway almost looked accidental at first glance. However, when you realise that only two riders from the top 20 overall made it into a breakaway of more than 50 riders, it becomes clear that the Briton pulled off a tactical masterstroke. He gained around 7:30 on most of his general classification rivals and starts stage 14 sitting fourth overall, only seconds away from Remco Evenepoel's place on the podium.

After deliberately losing time earlier in the race, Pidcock has now recovered it in spectacular fashion thanks to a perfect collective effort from Pinarello, who completely took control of the stage. He now has every reason to be highly motivated. I don't expect him to excel in the high mountains, but a top-five finish is now a very realistic target, adding another fascinating dimension to an already compelling GC battle.

Jordan Jegat also deserves plenty of praise. The Frenchman seems to have an outstanding instinct for picking the right breakaways, and once again he made it count with another impressive performance.

Javier Rampe from CiclismoAlDia thoroughly enjoyed the stage finale and was delighted by the racing spectacle that unfolded on the French roads this afternoon.

UAE Team Emirates allowed a huge breakaway to go clear, while Visma | Lease a Bike virtually lost second place on the general classification. Faced with the Dutch team's inability to control the situation, it was Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek who eventually took responsibility for setting the pace in the favourites' group, preventing Tom Pidcock from gaining even more time from the breakaway.

In many ways, UAE sent a clear message to Jonas Vingegaard and his teammates: You criticise us for controlling the race because we want to win? Fine, we'll let the race develop naturally and see what happens. Unsurprisingly, no team was willing to take responsibility.

From a sporting perspective, the stage produced an excellent battle among the more than 50 riders in the breakaway. Although the intermediate sprint was entertaining thanks to the fight between Mads Pedersen, Jasper Philipsen and Biniam Girmay, the decisive action came on the Ballon d'Alsace.

It was there that Tom Pidcock accelerated, splitting the leading group before Harold Tejada and Mauro Schmid launched the decisive move. The pair stayed clear to fight for victory, with the Swiss rider ultimately proving stronger despite the relentless determination of the future Ineos rider.

From a Spanish perspective, it was yet another day in which Movistar Team showed more heart than tactical judgement. Excuses are beginning to run out for the Spanish squad at this Tour de France.

Carlos Silva from CyclingUpToDate was captivated by another thrilling day of racing at the Tour de France and, once the stage had come to an end, reflected on the key moments and talking points that shaped the day.

It was a fantastic stage. With only two teams, Decathlon CMA CGM Team and Soudal Quick-Step, not represented in the breakaway, we witnessed a huge escape group. While it never posed a real threat to the overall classification, it was packed with quality riders capable of fighting for the stage victory.

Tom Pidcock was the rider everyone was talking about throughout the afternoon. The British star eventually made a significant leap in the general classification, moving into the top five. Although he is likely to drop out of that position tomorrow, today's stage revealed something interesting: several teams appeared genuinely concerned about him.

As soon as the breakaway's advantage exceeded seven minutes, alarm bells started ringing. Bahrain - Victorious took control at the front of the peloton before Lidl-Trek also joined the chase. If those two teams were worried enough about Pidcock to commit riders, it raises questions about the confidence they have in Lenny Martinez and Juan Ayuso. Perhaps they are not feeling quite as strong as expected if their teams were unwilling to concede too much time in the GC.

Meanwhile, UAE Team Emirates - XRG, Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe never seemed bothered as Pidcock's advantage continued to grow kilometre after kilometre. They simply believe their leaders are stronger than the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team rider and saw no reason to waste energy on an unnecessary chase.

A huge high five also goes to Team Jayco AlUla. The Australian team placed three strong riders in the breakaway and ultimately won the stage by making perfect use of their numerical advantage, ensuring Mauro Schmid reached the final kilometres in the ideal position. The lack of cooperation in the chasing group behind Schmid and Harold Tejada proved decisive and was a major factor in Jayco AlUla's success.

Stage 13 perfectly illustrated why the Tour de France is about far more than having the strongest legs. It was a day won through anticipation, teamwork and tactical awareness.

The breakaway itself was a masterpiece, with almost every team represented and more than enough quality to make the stage impossible to control. Some teams read the race perfectly, placing multiple riders in the move and using their numerical superiority to perfection, while others were left chasing a situation they should never have allowed to develop.

Tom Pidcock emerged as one of the biggest winners of the day. His leap up the general classification was no accident, but the result of excellent planning and flawless execution by his team. More intriguing, however, was the reaction behind him. While the main favourites remained remarkably calm, Bahrain - Victorious and Lidl-Trek were prepared to invest valuable energy to limit his gains, suggesting they viewed the Briton as a greater threat than others did.

At the same time, UAE Team Emirates - XRG, Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe never appeared concerned by the growing gap. Whether that reflected confidence in their leaders or a desire to conserve energy for the mountains, they refused to be drawn into a chase they considered unnecessary.

The stage also underlined an old truth of Grand Tour racing: numbers only matter if they are used correctly. Jayco AlUla did exactly that, turning multiple riders in the breakaway into a perfectly executed victory, while the lack of cooperation among the chasers ultimately handed Mauro Schmid the opportunity he needed.