Mathieu van der Poel storms to stage win as Tom Pidcock loses time to mechanical

Mathieu van der Poel powered to stage victory at the Tour de France on 13 July 2026 after Tom Pidcock lost crucial time to a late mechanical.

What happened?

Mathieu van der Poel attacked in the final kilometres of stage 12 and held off the chasing group to take the win in Pau. Tom Pidcock, the 2023 world champion, crossed the line more than a minute behind after his chain snapped with just over 10km left. The mechanical cost the Briton any chance of challenging for the stage.

Why it matters for Mathieu van der Poel

The victory marks van der Poel’s first Tour de France stage win since his explosive debut in 2021. It comes after a frustrating spring where he finished second in both Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race. The Dutchman now sits fifth overall at 2:15 behind race leader Tadej Pogačar.

What comes next?

Van der Poel’s team, Alpecin-Deceuninck, will target another stage win in the coming days. The parcours suits his explosive style, with punchy climbs and technical descents. Pidcock, meanwhile, drops to ninth overall and will need a strong recovery to stay in contention for the polka-dot jersey.

Reaction from the peloton

Pogačar praised van der Poel’s move, calling it a ‘smart play’ in the final kilometres. ‘Mathieu is always dangerous when he attacks late,’ the UAE Team Emirates rider said. ‘We’ll have to keep an eye on him tomorrow.’