There was so much to look at in the final meters of Stage 12 of the Tour de France 2026.
Just before the finish line, a huge crash nearly derailed the entire sprint finale at the end of the 179.1-kilometer stage. Luckily for the contending fast men, they were ahead of the chaos, while the top contenders in the General Classification were safe behind the pileup.
The stage victory went to Belgian star Tim Merlier for his third win at the 2026 race and sixth TDF stage win overall.
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- Who Won Stage 12 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
Merlier edged Stage 5 winner Olav Kooij and fellow Belgian Jasper Philipsen. Merlier also won Stage 7 and Stage 8.
Reigning champion Tadej Pogačar finished safely in the pack after the long ride from the Magny-Cours motor racing circuit in Nevers to Chalon-sur-Saone. He leads two-time TDF winner Jonas Vingegaard by 3 minutes, 36 seconds.
Now, it's time for the longest stage of this year's race, which will lead into two tough weekend mountain stages before the second rest day of the event.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes coverage of Stage 13 will begin at 6:50 a.m. Eastern and is expected to conclude around 12:30 p.m. EDT.
Here’s what to know about Stage 13 of the Tour de France 2026, the longest stage of the year at 205.8 kilometers, going from Dole to Belfort:
Stage 13: Tour de France 2026
This hilly ride from Dole to Belfort is the longest stage of the Tour de France 2026 at 205.8 kilometers. It's actually the only one of the 21 stages that's over 200 kilometers.
It sounds like a long day, but notice on the graph below that the first 160 kilometers of the day will be relatively flat, before the riders complete the intermediate sprint and ride right into two categorized climbs. This is what classifies it as a hilly stage.
Some teams and riders might use the first part of the day to attack and break away. If that ends up being a group, it most certainly will be whittled down once the climbing comes into play.
Riders will play to their strengths and roles, and the strategies likely will be devised with the last 45 kilometers in mind. Get the climbers to the base of the first climb, and let them do their thing. That's assuming there aren't escapees who have ridden completely free.
Will those athletes be given the freedom to finish the job, or will it be possible to chase them down? Are the climbs the right level of challenging that the GC contenders could turn the opportunity into a time grab?
The first big obstacle is the Col des Croix, a 5.1-kilometer climb at 4.8% (Category 3), and there won't be much time to recover before the Category 1 Balloon d'Alsace, which spans 8.9 kilometers and averages 6.9%.
Once they reach the summit of the second climb, they'll still have 30 kilometers to ride, which includes a steep, fast descent. That definitely evens the playing field a little and offers some time for those who aren't the strongest climbers to work their way back into the mix. Or for the all-arounders to increase the gap.
In a nostalgic twist, the Balloon d'Alsace was the first mountain to appear in the Tour de France. It debuted in 1904, the race's second year, and here we are enjoying the 113th edition, more than 120 years later.
Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 13 Of The Tour de France 2026?
Stage 13 of the Tour de France 2026 is 205.8 kilometers, or approximately 127.88 miles long.
Tour de France 2026 Stage 13 Profile
Here is what the route looks like for Stage 13:
How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Stage 13
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
Who Won Stage 13 Of The Tour de France In 2025?
In 2025, Stage 13 of the Tour de France was the second individual time trial of the year.
After falling about 17 seconds short of Remco Evenepoel in the 33-kilometer ITT in Stage 5, Tadej Pogačar got redemption in Stage 13 by winning the last of the four stages that helped catapult him to his fourth Tour de France title.
Pogačar dominated the day, besting eventual GC runner-up Jonas Vingegaard by nearly 37 seconds. Evenepoel, a time trial superstar, finished 13th and ended up abandoning the race the next day, despite being in third place overall.
The win increased Pogačar's lead to more than four minutes, just shy of his final winning margin.
As the race leader, Pogačar was the last one down the start ramp, and he once again proved how elite he really is by winning the stage on a road bike, instead of a setup typically used for time trials.
The time trial was unique because it was short (10.9 kilometers) but packed with relentless climbs that averaged 13% gradient and reached as high as 16%. It wasn't unfamiliar, as it had featured in the 2022 TDF, but that didn't make it any easier.
As if it were built for Pogačar, the result was the same. He finished first, and equally versatile Vingegaard finished second.
Tour de France 2026 Results: Here’s Who Has Won Each Stage So Far
- Stage 1: Who Won Stage 1 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 2: Who Won Stage 2 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 3: Who Won Stage 3 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 4: Who Won Stage 4 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 5: Who Won Stage 5 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 6: Who Won Stage 6 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 7: Who Won Stage 7 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 8: Who Won Stage 8 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 9: Who Won Stage 9 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 10: Who Won Stage 10 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 11: Who Won Stage 11 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 12: Who Won Stage 12 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?
- Stage 1 (TTT) - July 4: Barcelone - Barcelone (19.6km)
- Stage 2 - July 5: Tarragone - Barcelone (168.5km)
- Stage 3 - July 6: Granollers - Les Angles (195.9km)
- Stage 4 - July 7: Carcassonne - Foix (181.9km)
- Stage 5 - July 8: Lannemezan - Pau (158.3km)
- Stage 6 - July 9: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
- Stage 7 - July 10: Hagetmau - Bordeaux (175.1km)
- Stage 8 - July 11: Périgueux - Bergerac (180.4km)
- Stage 9 - July 12: Malemort - Ussel (185.5km)
- Rest Day - July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 - July 14: Aurillac - Le Lioran (166.6km)
- Stage 11 - July 15: Vichy - Nevers (161.3km)
- Stage 12 - July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
- Stage 13 - July 17: Dole - Belfort (205.8km)
- Stage 14 - July 18: Mulhouse - Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
- Stage 15 - July 19: Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
- Rest Day - July 20: Haute-Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) - July 21: Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
- Stage 17 - July 22: Chambery - Voiron (174.7km)
- Stage 18 - July 23: Voiron - Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
- Stage 19 - July 24: Gap - Alpe d'Huez (127.9km)
- Stage 20 - July 25: Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez (170.9km)
- Stage 21 - July 26: Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin - Premier Tech
- Bahrain - Victorious
- Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
- Cofidis
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama - FDJ United
- Netcompany INEOS
- Lidl - Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic PostNL
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates - XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who Won The Tour de France In 2025?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
The Tour de France 2026 Sprint King After A Huge Third Victory In Stage 12
Tim Merlier won Stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France in Chalon-sur-Saône, taking his third victory of this year’s race after a chaotic and aggressive final.
Lidl-Trek tried to shake up the sprint with several late attacks, but Merlier survived the pressure and finished it with another powerful sprint.
We hear from Merlier after his third stage win, plus race leader Tadej Pogacar, Olav Kooij after finishing second and Jasper Philipsen after taking third on the day.
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