Cycling

Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) outsprinted breakaway partner Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) to win stage 13 in Belfort at the end of what was the longest stage of this year’s Tour de France. The pair nipped out of the final selection of a huge breakaway that had established itself after around 30km of riding, and despite a keen chase from behind, managed to hold on to sprint it out in Belfort after a 205.8km stage that took the peloton into the Vosges.

Tim Merlier has won stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France, the in-form Soudal Quick-Step rider sprinting brilliantly to score his third victory of this year’s Tour, as a multi-rider crash in the chasing group caused carnage behind him. Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Premier Tech) took second and third respectively on a gloriously chaotic stage, where the racing was as messy and unpredictable as the weather, and carefully laid plans all seemed to be chucked to the wind as multiple riders from various teams launched short-lived attacks.

Soren Waerenskjold won the fastest ever stage of the Tour de France with a long-range sprint in Nevers. The Norwegian followed an early move from Cees Bol inside the last few hundred metres of stage 11, getting several bike lengths ahead of the chasing pack and holding off the charge of Olav Kooij to claim his first career Tour win as Tadej Pogacar stayed safe in the yellow jersey.