Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes 2026: Baudin pulls off a breakaway coup at the start

What used to be the Critérium du Dauphiné is now called the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes. The importance of the tour as a final test of form before the Tour de France remains unchanged. However, the organisers did not include a roll-in for the first stage. On the 146 kilometres between Vizille and Saint-Ismier, the riders had to conquer 3,000 metres of altitude at the first attempt.

In the end, Alex Baudin (EF Education - EasyPost) was the last rider in an original nine-man lead group to secure the stage win. The Frenchman, who comes from the region, thus also took the first yellow jersey of the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes 2026. Baudin also leads the points and mountains classification.

Onley and Vaquelin secure a few seconds in the overall standings

32 seconds later, a smaller chasing group sprinted for second place, which was eventually secured by Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin - Premier Tech) ahead of Leo Bisiaux (Decathlon CMA CGM Team). The group also included Kevin Vaquelin and Oscar Onley (Netcompany INEOS), Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), Luke Plapp (Jayco - ALUla), Bruno Armirail and Ben Tullett (Team Visma | Lease a Bike).

In the end, the group gained nine seconds on the first larger group, which finished 44 seconds behind.

The last stage of the day was the climb to the Côte de Rousset (1st category), 8.2 kilometres long and with an average gradient of 7.6 per cent. And the climb proved to be difficult enough to distance some high-calibre names such as Ben Healey (EF Education - EasyPost) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility). Baudin also pulled away from his last escape companions 25 kilometres before the finish.

Results - 1st stage Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes 2026:

How the 1st stage of the Tour Auvergne Rhone-Alpes 2026 went

The stage certainly offered opportunities for a breakaway coup. The early stages were correspondingly competitive with numerous attacks, including one by Lennard Kämna (Lidl-Trek). The group of the day was only formed after around 20 kilometres: Alex Baudin, Alastair Mackellar (both EF Education - EasyPost), Raúl García Pierna (Movistar), Georg Zimmermann (both Lotto - Intermarché), Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies), Alex Díaz (both Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), George Bennett (NSN), Sergio Samitier (Cofidis) and Clément Braz Afonso (both Groupama - FDJ United).

Georg Zimmermann falls back from the leading group

However, the nine-man leading group only gained a lead of around two minutes. Samitier secured the first of five mountain classifications of the day on the Col de l`Arzelier (2nd category). On the next climb, the Côte de Seyssins (3rd category), Zimmermann won the maximum mountain points. 50 kilometres before the finish, the escape group fell apart on the climb to the Côte de Quaix-en-Chartreuse (2nd category), and Zimmermann was among those who lost touch. Samitier once again secured the mountain classification.

On the descent, a four-man lead group finally formed with Bennett, Baudin, Braz Afonso and Vercher. At this point, the lead over the thinned-out peloton was around two minutes. In the peloton, Decathlon CMA CGM Team controlled the chase.

Braz Afonso won the next mountain classification to the Col de Vence (2nd category) ahead of Bennett and Baudin - Vercher had lost touch. The last stage of the day was the Côte de Rousset (1st category). Baudin broke away from his two companions 26 kilometres before the finish.

Côte de Rousset brings the decision

The challenging climb made its presence felt in the peloton as a number of prominent names lost touch, including Pello Bilbao (Bahrain - Victorious), Ben Healey (EF Education - EasyPost) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility). Team Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates - XRG dictated the pace in the field.

Baudin reached the summit of the Côte de Rousset with a lead of 1:17 minutes over the decimated field. 20 kilometres remained from there to the finish. His first pursuer was now Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), who had broken away from the peloton shortly before the mountain classification.

On the flat, a chasing group formed, initiated by Rudy Molard (Groupama - FDJ United), accompanied by Kevin Vaquelin and Oscar Onley (Netcompany INEOS), Luke Plapp (Jayco - ALUla), Bruno Armirail and Ben Tullett (Team Visma | Lease a Bike). The group built up a lead of 25 seconds, but were not at all united in their teamwork. As a result, the group failed to open up a bigger lead over the remaining favourites. Baudin's stage win was no longer in danger anyway - the Frenchman's lead was enough to win the opening stage of the tour.