Tour de France: Paret-Peintre in a six-rider breakaway at Le Markstein

Le Markstein – 18 July 2026: The Vosges have split the Tour de France peloton into small groups. On stage 14 from Mulhouse to Le Markstein, a leading group of six riders is ahead of the peloton on Saturday afternoon, including Valentin Paret-Peintre. There is no stage winner yet; the official classifications do not yet record any result for this stage.

For Paret-Peintre, the breakaway is an attack on terrain that offers no respite. The 155.3-kilometre stage is relatively short, but its succession of climbs makes it an intense test of endurance. The Grand Ballon, Col du Page, Ballon d’Alsace and the Col du Haag line up on a route where recovery is barely possible.

The leading group must resolve two issues at the same time. It needs cooperation to defend its advantage over the peloton against the strength of the general classification teams. At the same time, none of the six riders can spend too much energy at the front, because the final climb will determine the pace, position and possible attacks. Especially in small groups, every turn at the front becomes a tactical question.

The Col du Haag gives the finale a special challenge. The climb, ridden for the first time in the Tour, is 11.2 kilometres long and has an average gradient of 7.3 percent. Some ramps are considerably steeper. Only a few kilometres then remain to the finish in Markstein-Fellering. Whoever still has reserves there can launch the decisive attack from a breakaway or gain time in the general classification from the peloton.

Tadej Pogacar started this stage in the yellow jersey. The Slovenian therefore takes responsibility for his team in the background, while the breakaway riders battle at the front for visibility and the chance to claim the day’s victory. Jonas Vingegaard starts as leader of the mountains classification, Mads Pedersen wears the green jersey and Juan Ayuso the white jersey for the best young rider.

The profile explains why the course of the race can change at any moment. On the narrow, winding roads of the Vosges, groups can split not only on the climbs but also on the descents. A team that raises the pace early can isolate domestiques and force a favourite into long solo efforts. That is why Paret-Peintre’s breakaway benefits from every moment the peloton hesitates.

The organisers had scheduled the finish in Le Markstein for around 5:38 p.m. Until then, the situation remains open: the six leaders have a real chance to contest the stage, but the hard kilometres towards the Col du Haag and the final section do not allow any conclusions about the outcome. Only one thing is certain: in the Vosges, the Tour has lost its calm rhythm.