Pidcock put on a climbing and descending masterclass throughout the mountainous day that saw the riders tackle the Col du Galibier, the Col de la Croix de Fer and the Alpe D’Huez.
He attacked his breakaway companions with 10.6 kilometres to go and never looked back, taking a convincing win at the summit finish 48 seconds ahead of Louis Meintjes (Intermarche) and just over two minutes ahead of Chris Froome (Israel Premier Tech).
“I guess that a stage win at L’Alpe d’Huez for my first Tour de France, it’s not bad,” said Pidcock. “This win is certainly one of my best moments in cycling, dodging people and flags… You can’t experience that anywhere else than at L’Alpe d’Huez.”
Pidcock set off in an attack with a breakaway already established up the road, and he worked well with Froome to bridge over to the five riders up the road.
“After the Galibier, I got away in the descent, knowing that no one would take the risk to follow me,” said Pidcock. “Chris Froome did. It was pretty nice to getting across with him. We worked well together. He’s a legend!
“Maybe he’s not as fast as he was but he’s still Chris Froome. It worked out perfectly to break away with him.”
Starting in high temperatures on Bastille Day, a group of nine riders formed at the front of the race on the early ascent of the Col du Galibier, Chris Froome (Israel Start Up Nation) and Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) bridging over when the break was already two minutes up the road.
The conclusion of the stage was the Alpe D’Huez, the legendary climb packed with spectators along the famous 21 hairpins of the ascent to the summit finish at the ski resort.
The breakaway had six minutes lead at the base of the climb, with the peloton led by Wout van Aert. Pidcock attacked with 10.6 kilometres remaining to climb, with the other breakaway riders settling into their own rhythms to chase rather than match the young British rider’s pace.
Louis Meintjes (Intermarche) and Froome maintained Pidcock within sight for a few kilometres of the climb, but Pidcock eventually broke their will and powered away.
Wout van Aert finally swung off the front of the peloton, but there was a continuation of the Jumbo-Visma train, with Steven Kruijswijk, Primoz Roglic and Sepp Kuss all lining up to take up the pace-making. Riders began to drop off as Roglic raised the speed, with Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) dropped with still half the climb to ride.
An attack from Pogačar through a horde of spectators lining the roads saw all but Vingegaard dropped as the Dane matched the Slovenian, with Pogačar slowing and others rejoining. He would attack again within the final two kilometres then again on the run to the line, but couldn’t ever shake Vingegaard, and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) was able to rejoin each time and then follow the final surge to the finish line.
The Tour de France continues with a less mountainous, but still hilly route, to St. Etienne for Stage 13. Watch from 8.55pm AEST on the SBS SKODA Tour Tracker and on SBS and SBS On Demand from 9.30pm AEST.
