Results Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 Stage 2 - Anthon Charmig times final climb attack to perfection as breakaway denies peloton again

Anthon Charmig claimed stage 2 of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with a perfectly timed late attack from the breakaway, as the peloton missed out for the second day in a row.

The longest stage of the race, from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux to Le Puy-en-Velay, always looked difficult to control. With more than 230 kilometres, four categorised climbs and a testing finale, it offered another major opportunity for attackers after Alex Baudin’s breakaway victory on stage 1.

EF Education - EasyPost were left with the responsibility of defending Baudin’s race lead, but they received little sustained help from the rest of the peloton.

That allowed a strong breakaway to build a lead large enough to fight for the stage win, while Clement Braz Afonso briefly kept pressure on yellow from the front of the race.

A ten-rider move formed after an aggressive start, with Baptiste Veistroffer, Raul Garcia Pierna, Vlad Van Mechelen, Jordan Jegat, Clement Braz Afonso, Anthon Charmig, Alex Diaz, Nadav Raisberg, Benjamin Thomas and Henri-Francois Renard-Haquin going clear.

Braz Afonso quickly became the key name for EF. The Groupama - FDJ United rider had started the day 5:35 behind Baudin, and once the gap moved beyond six minutes he became the virtual leader of the race.

EF continued to set the pace in the peloton, but the chase rarely looked fully organised. The gap briefly dropped on the wet roads before drifting back out again, leaving the breakaway with real belief as the stage moved into its final third.

Benjamin Thomas also made the early climbs count, taking maximum points on the first three categorised ascents to move close to Baudin in the mountains classification. Nadav Raisberg later took full points at the intermediate sprint ahead of Jegat and Diaz.

The conditions shifted as the day wore on. Warm early weather gave way to falling temperatures and rain on the climbs, adding another layer of difficulty to a stage already stretching beyond 230 kilometres.

The breakaway began to splinter before the finale. Braz Afonso and Veistroffer attacked from the front, before Braz Afonso dropped his companion on the Cote de Baraques and briefly pushed himself back towards the virtual yellow jersey.

Garcia Pierna and Van Mechelen bridged across soon after, before Charmig, Jegat, Thomas and Renard-Haquin also returned to create a seven-rider lead group heading towards the final climb.

The front group began to hesitate with around 14 kilometres remaining, and Thomas briefly tried to take advantage. That move was brought back, but the next selection proved decisive. Charmig, Braz Afonso and Garcia Pierna opened a gap on the final climb, while Van Mechelen fought hard to close from behind.

Just as Van Mechelen looked close to making contact, Charmig attacked again. The Dane crested the climb first with a narrow advantage over Garcia Pierna and Braz Afonso, then used the downhill run towards Le Puy-en-Velay to extend his lead.

Behind him, the chase regrouped as Van Mechelen, Braz Afonso, Garcia Pierna and Renard-Haquin came together. Charmig, however, continued to pull away, growing his advantage to around 20 seconds as the road tilted down towards the finish.

Behind the break, the stage had already taken its toll. Joao Almeida, more than 24 minutes down after stage 1, was distanced again on the first climb, while Dorian Godon also struggled in the peloton despite looking like a possible contender for the stage on paper.

There was a scare for Ben Tulett, who was forced onto the grass after a puncture but avoided a crash and continued. Gorka Sorrarain and Roel Van Sintmaartensdijk both abandoned during the stage.

The peloton finally accelerated in the closing phase, although the breakaway was already out of reach for the stage win. Maxim Van Gils tested his legs from the favourites’ group on the final climb, but his acceleration did not develop into a major GC move.

For Baudin and EF, the priority became limiting the gap to Braz Afonso and protecting the yellow jersey. The Frenchman had spent much of the day under pressure from the breakaway, but the late regrouping behind Charmig helped keep the race lead in his hands.

At the front, Charmig had judged the finale best. After a long day in the breakaway and a sharp acceleration over the final climb, the Uno-X Mobility rider finished the job alone in Le Puy-en-Velay to take stage 2.