Stage report

The longest stage of the race, 206 km from Dole to Belfort, calm for over 150 km before an explosive finale in the Vosges. The breakaway went all the way, and there Mauro Schmid timed it perfectly to win in Belfort ahead of Harold Tejada, with Tom Pidcock third at 2 seconds, the Brit was the big GC mover of the day, jumping up to fourth overall. Pogačar stays in yellow up top.

The Ballon d’Alsace holds a special place in cycling history: it was the Tour’s very first proper mountain, introduced back in 1905 with René Pottier the first man over the top, effectively the climb that invented mountain racing.

The game:

Stage podium:

1. Scott Cycling Team by Giacomo Salmoiraghi
2. The White Tornadooos by Fred de Witt
3. SANTANDER by Pablo Alvarez Oliveri and Molteni by Jeroen Vandeput and Bikey McBikeface by Ed and El Tiburon by Barcollo ma non mollo and Renz Team by AleRoggia and TUINPAD PROMOTIETEAM by Rene van Noort

Yellow Jersey podium:

1. Renz Team by AleRoggia
2. Molteni by Jeroen Vandeput
3. Scott Cycling Team by Giacomo Salmoiraghi

Polka dot podium:

1. The White Tornadooos by Fred de Witt
2. El Tiburon by Barcollo ma non mollo
3. MVDPOGAERT by Giacomo Gheri

A hilly finale in the Vosges brings KOM points back into play. Giacomo Salmoiraghi’s Scott Cycling Team takes the stage win ahead of Fred de Witt’s White Tornadooos, who stretches his polka dot lead, with El Tiburon holding second and Giacomo Gheri’s MVDPOGAERT climbing to third.

At the top of the general classification it’s the same familiar picture: AleRoggia’s Renz Team still 25 points clear of Jeroen Vandeput’s Molteni, with Scott Cycling Team third.

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