“I felt my eyes filling with tears” - Alex Baudin reveals food poisoning scare before stunning Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes victory

Alex Baudin’s opening-stage victory at the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes already looked like one of the rides of his career. The story became even more remarkable once the Frenchman revealed he had suffered food poisoning the day before his solo triumph in Saint-Ismier.

Baudin won stage 1 from the early breakaway after attacking on the Cote de Rousset and holding off the reduced peloton on the run to the finish. The victory gave him the first yellow jersey of the race formerly known as the Criterium du Dauphine, as well as the mountains jersey and young rider lead after a day that turned into far more than a routine opener.

For Baudin, the moment only started to feel real in the final few hundred metres. “I really thought about it with 500 metres to go. I felt my eyes filling with tears, I felt like it was all over. I don’t know what to say, it’s crazy,” Baudin said after the stage.

It was his first WorldTour victory, two years after his previous professional win at the Tour du Limousin. “I won two years ago at the Tour du Limousin, but winning here is incredible. I don’t know if I’ve taken it in yet,” he admitted.

Baudin’s victory was no accident. The EF Education - EasyPost rider had identified the opening stage as an opportunity, with the route offering enough climbing to make the race selective but enough uncertainty to reward a committed breakaway move.

“Yes, of course, I had planned this stage for myself, I had set it as a target. I knew that, given tomorrow’s stage and the unique circumstances today, there was something to be done,” he explained.

The problem was how he felt before the race had even begun. “I was a little afraid I wouldn’t be good enough. Today my legs felt wonderful, whereas yesterday I didn’t believe in it at all,” said Baudin.

The reason soon became clear. The Frenchman said he had been hit by illness just before travelling to the race. “Yesterday morning I had food poisoning before coming here. I have to admit that at the start I had no confidence, I wasn’t sure at all. To do this is crazy.”

That uncertainty made the victory even more emotional. Baudin had already sensed progress earlier in the season, but this was the result that turned a promising run of form into a major breakthrough.

“It’s so difficult to win that you’re always waiting for it. I felt I had turned a corner at the start of the year. When I manage to prepare well like this, everything clicks,” he said. “Today the stars aligned for me.”

The win carried an extra personal edge for Baudin, who triumphed close to home and had family watching on as he pulled on yellow. “It’s even better to do it close to home. My family is here, so it’s great,” he said.

There was also one small detail that gave the day a lighter twist. Before the stage, Baudin’s girlfriend had placed a sticker of his cat on his stem. “This morning my girlfriend put a sticker of my cat on the stem. Maybe it was a sign today. Maybe it helped me push a little harder when I was in pain. Maybe it was a sign that I was going to win,” he said.

The cat’s name? “Aria.”