Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 1 and GC preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Paul Seixas the man to beat on opening mountain stage
CyclingSaturday, 06 June 2026 at 12:57
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, formerly known as the Criterium du Dauphiné, is taking place from the 7th to 14th June 2026. The French race is highly praised as the Tour de France's most important preparation race, and one of the big World Tour events of the year. We preview the race and take a look at its stages.
Jacques Anquetil, Raymond Poulidor, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Thévenet, Bernard Hinault, Greg Lemond, and Lance Armstrong are amongst the many names who have raised their arms in the past on the 'Dauphiné'. In recent history, the race has lost no prestige, maintaining its reputation as riders such as Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Jonas Vingegaard, and Tadej Pogacar have all won it ahead of the Tour.
It is a mountainous race, and this year perhaps more than any other recent edition. The opening stage, right away, can be decisive for the overall classification, whilst the final two days will rival most of the Tour's own mountain stages. There will be two opportunities for the sprinters, although they are both hilly days that will be hard to control, and a hilly team time trial that will serve as specific preparation for the opening day of the Tour.
Stages Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026
| Stage | Start | Finish | Distance |
| 1 | Vizille | Saint-Ismier | 146.2 km |
| 2 | Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux | Le Puy-en-Velay | 234.3 km |
| 3 (TTT) | Perreux | Perreux | 28.4 km |
| 4 | Le Puy-en-Velay | Montrond-les-Bains | 167.4 km |
| 5 | Saint-Chamond | Villars-les-Dombes | 195.8 km |
| 6 | Saint-Vulbas | Crest-Voland | 182.3 km |
| 7 | La Bridoire | Grand Colombier | 133.6 km |
| 8 | Beaufort | Plateau de Solaison | 120.1 km |
Preview Stage 1 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026
A warm day on the bike and with pleasant temperatures, ideal for the riders to really put out the best W/Kg they can on the bike. The stage's profile is quite difficult from the start, however we should not see a breakaway win as we've seen in the past here. That is because we've got a full-fledged mountain stage, and the overall classification contenders will be put to the test in an important way.
This stage reminds me a lot of the first road stage at Itzulia Basque Country, where in the climb to San Miguel de Aralar, Paul Seixas immediately kicked off the action and created his own bubble in the fight for the yellow jersey. These 20-25 minute efforts are perfect for the Frenchman, whom I suspect will try to replicate his doings from that day (and the Faun-Ardèche Classic) on a climb with very similar characteristics.
Hence, I truly do expect Decathlon to be one of the teams taking up responsibility, perhaps joined by UAE. Other teams may join, but honestly, they do not have the responsibility, and shouldn't use their man like that. UAE is all-in for Isaac del Toro, who, on paper, will also be good on this kind of terrain, but I do see Seixas take time on him before the queen stages.
Yes, the stage can end in a sprint between the main GC men, but I expect the race to fully blow up beforehand, hence the climb is the key aspect of the day. For many, a day of testing form, and the first race day in well over a month, so it's actually something that is not easy to predict.
INEOS have Oscar Onley, Kévin Vauquelin and Carlos Rodríguez all wanting to prove themselves above one another; Lidl-Trek have Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose - both I believe can thrive on this stage if they have good legs, maybe even win it - and we've got other men that are simply tremendously talented climbers such as Matteo Jorgenson and Tobias Johannessen who can not only win with a solo attack but also a sprint finish.
Harold Tejada, Luke Plapp, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Pello Bilbao, Ben Tulett, Jorgen Nordhagen, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Santiago Buitrago, Alex Baudin, Georg Steinhauser, Daniel Martínez... The truth is there are plenty top climbers who can fight for a top result or, otherwise, make the top climbers have to go to the absolute limit to make the difference.
Prediction Tour Auvergne - Rhône Alpes 2026 stage 1:
*** Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro
** Kévin Vauquelin, Mattias Skjelmose, Matteo Jorgenson, Valentin Paret-Peintre
* Oscar Onley, Carlos Rodríguez, Juan Ayuso, Tobias Johannessen, Harold Tejada, Luke Plapp, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Santiago Buitrago, Ben Tulett, Jorgen Nordhagen
Pick: Paul Seixas
How: Solo attack on the climb.
Original: Rúben Silva
Profile stage 1: Vizille - Saint-Ismier
Stage 1: Vizille - Saint-Izmier, 146.6 kilometers
The race starts with a short but very explosive stage. 146 kilometers on the menu and 3200 meters of climbing - however, it is a high-mountain stage, which could be placed anywhere in the race, and it could detonate the overall classification.
The organizers plan for absolute chaos from the start, with the race starting with a long, uncategorized climb into an intermediate sprint. Throughout the stage, there are several steep ascents, and the action should truly begin with 52 kilometers to go, with a 2.4-kilometer climb that averages over 10%. Right after, another 5 kilometers at 6%...
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After a short descent, the riders will go into the Côte de Rousset, which is 8.3 kilometers long at 7.5% and summits with 21 kilometers to go. The climb should see the main GC guys go head to head, as what follows is a descent and later on only 7 flat kilometers.
The final ones still tilt uphill quite a bit, which means that even if we do see some sort of sprint, it could be interesting, and it could lead to gaps at the finish line.
Preview General Classification Auvergne - Rhône Alpes 2026
Paul Seixas – For the Decathlon rider, this will be the biggest test yet in his build-up to the Tour de France. The race is exceptionally demanding, featuring eight tough stages and concluding with a pair of brutal mountain stages packed with climbing. Seixas has the ability to win or gain time on virtually any terrain, though the final two stages are likely to present his greatest challenge. They will provide a crucial indication of both his endurance on long climbs and his ability to recover over consecutive hard days of racing.
It will also be an important week for Decathlon, which brings several riders expected to support Seixas at the Tour de France. The team is set to race as a strong collective, with the likes of Matthew Riccitello, Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Léo Bisiaux all lining up alongside him.
Isaac del Toro – UAE Team Emirates arrives with several riders who are expected to feature at the Tour de France, but without Tadej Pogačar. That gives Del Toro the opportunity to lead the team, chase a major overall victory and take full advantage of his own ambitions.
Were it not for Seixas, the Mexican would undoubtedly be the rider to beat. He may still be the leading favourite for the overall win, especially with the returning João Almeida alongside him. The Portuguese rider will be one of the key names to watch throughout the week, both as a potential contender in his own right and as a valuable ally for Del Toro.
Prediction Tour Auvergne - Rhône Alpes 2026 overall classification:
*** Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro
** Oscar Onley, Juan Ayuso, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Matteo Jorgenson
* Matthew Riccitello, João Almeida, Santiago Buitrago, Kévin Vauquelin, Carlos Rodríguez, Mattias Skjelmose, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Harold Tejada, Tobias Johannessen
Pick: Paul Seixas
Profile stage 2: Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux - Le Puy-en-Velay
Stage 2: Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux - Le Puy-en-Velay, 233.5 kilometers
The second stage of the race is hellish to control, as the riders head deep into the Massif Central. The stage is very long and not very well suited to any particular kind of rider. There are 233 kilometers on the menu and a whole 3700 meters of climbing, although the riders don't have a single very difficult ascent.
But the hardest is right at the start, with 7.9 kilometers at 6.2%. Two categorized climbs early on mean that there should be a strong breakaway, and on the rolling terrain that will be faced all day long, it will be very difficult to control the race.
Amongst the climbs is a 21-kilometer-long one that averages 4% and has a KOM sprint halfway through it. It ends with around 100 kilometers to go, and if the race is controlled at that point, then it's possible that later on, some teams could try to control the race into a sprint.
But the riders still have two more categorized climbs late in the day - one of them 4.2 kilometers long at 6.6% (31Km to go) and the final one 2 kilometers at 6.8% (12Km to go). Both climbs are launchpads for attacks that can split the race; whilst in between, there are several rolling roads in which attacks can also come, and chasing will always be hard.
The riders descend into Le Puy-en-Velay, and there the finale is flat, but it is technical, and there is very little time to actually chase down the attacks that can potentially anticipate the peloton's arrival into town.
Profile stage 3 (TTT): Perreux - Perreux
Stage 3: Perreux - Perreux, 28.4 kilometers
The riders do not have an individual time trial this time around in Auvergne; they have a team time trial in anticipation of the Tour's Barcelona opener. But in the race's traditional fashion, there are no flat roads.
It is maybe the hardest team time trial I've ever seen, with 28 kilometers and 400 meters of climbing. There is one climb that is 4.9 kilometers long at 3.5%, and a second one that is 4.3 kilometers long at around 3%. They are not serious climbs, but they do some damage, especially on such a high-intensity effort.
Pacing is absolutely crucial because teams will have to decide on whether to take the climbs hard and gain time but then risk losing on the downhill sections, or to take it easier and then really push in the final half of the TTT.
It's a very hard one to measure. But the riders don't find a simple finale either, as the final 800 meters average 6%, which means that the riders will mostly arrive isolated.
Profile stage 4: Le Puy-en-Velay - Montrond-les-Bains, 167.2 kilometers
Stage 4: Le Puy-en-Velay - Montrond-les-Bains, 167.2 kilometers
The fourth day of the race is not as long as stage 2, but the type of racing will not be too different. The riders have a flat finale in Montrond-les-Bains, the first two-thirds of the stage will have plenty of climbs and will be quite difficult to control.
The stage opens up right away with a combination of rolling climbs that will be beneficial to the formation of a strong breakaway. After 60 kilometers of racing, a sequence of no less than five categorized climbs.
It is a hard stage; it can end in a sprint, but in any regular scenario, there's no-one that will want to work hard all throughout this terrain. The hardest climb is 7.8 kilometers at 5.5%, whilst the uphill terrain finally ends with 50 kilometers to go.
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There is a long descent, and the last 35 kilometers are flat, without any obstacles. Hence, there is terrain to organize a chase and push on. If a bunch sprint is to happen throughout this race, then this might just be the most likely stage for it to happen.
Profile stage 5: Saint-Chamond - Villars-les-Dombes
Stage 5: Saint-Chamond - Villars-les-Dombes, 196.2 kilometers
The second potential sprint stage of the race is stage 5, starting in Saint-Chamond and finishing in Villars-les-Dombes. The riders head back out of the Massif Central, but not without more climbing.
Once again, it is a very difficult stage start, with two categorized climbs within only 7 kilometers. The first 90 kilometers of the stage barely have a single flat meter, with plenty of climbs and descents back-to-back, making it a very difficult affair.
It's possible to control the stage throughout; the second half is flat, where there isn't really room to surprise. The riders head north and then eastwards towards a finale that is rather simple, without a single technical feature to note in the final kilometers.
Profile stage 6: Saint-Vulbas - Crest-Voland
Stage 6: Saint-Vulbas - Crest-Voland, 182.6 kilometers
The sixth stage of the race has a flat start and will have a hilly finale. A day for the GC riders, for a breakaway to escape will be difficult, taking into consideration that this time around, there is no climbing to do so.
With 98 kilometers of racing, there is a 'warm-up' climb with 8.1 kilometers at 5.6%, but the riders then take on another long valley deep into the Alps, through Albertville. In Ugine, they then begin the final sequence of climbs.
The first one is 11.6 kilometers long at 4.9%, where big attacks won't happen, but teams have the opportunity to do some damage in the peloton. The climb ends with 9 kilometers to go, but above all, there will be a leadout battle at the top to take on the short, yet quite steep and technical climb.
That is because the entrance into the climb to Crest-Voland is also steep, and attacks can happen right from the very first meters. 5.9 kilometers at 7.4% is a climb that will be ridden quite quickly, and the riders come off a descent and with explosivity in their legs.
If it doesn't blow up right away, then there should be a climb without too many differences, definitely as an opportunity for the GC battle to light up. In general, however, the stage may still be a slight warm-up towards the final weekend of racing.
Profile stage 7: Le Bridoire - Grand Colombier
Stage 7: Le Bridoire - Grand Colombier, 134.2 kilometers
The final weekend of the race features two queen stages, each of them very short but extremely difficult. The first of which happens within the Jura mountain range, with seven climbs to be tackled - not all of them categorized.
Right from kilometer 0, the riders climb, firstly 5.1 kilometers at 5.9%. Descent, then 2.9 kilometers at 4.2%. Descent again, then 7.7 kilometers at around 6%... In these three climbs, a lot can happen, as teams can set up satellite riders up front, but the stage hunters will also be looking to form a strong breakaway.
The riders have the very difficult first ascent to Grand Colombier early on, although it will only be a small section of the climb - 7.1 kilometers at 8.4%, ending with 57.5 kilometers to go.
The riders then head north and go around the mountain to climb the Col de Richemond, 7.7 kilometers at 6.1% - this one ending with 22.5 kilometers to go.
Then, to end the stage, a second ascent to Grand Colombier, through its hardest side. This is a climb that is brutal in every sense of the word, and could be the queen stage in any Grand Tour.
The final climb is 8.5 kilometers long and averages 10%. Even more importantly, the first half is the hardest, averaging 12% and having a few ramps that reach much closer to 20%. The GC would, by most races' standards, be closed off here. But the following day sees an even harder stage.
Profile stage 8: Beaufort - Plateau de Solaison
Stage 8: Beaufort - Plateau de Solaison, 120.3 kilometers
The actual queen stage of the Tour Auvergne - Rhône Alpes has an eye-watering 4000 meters of climbing in a mere 120 kilometers. This is a day where there is just no warming up, there are brutal climbs from kilometer 0, and a summit finish where the GC can also be turned on its head.
The stage starts with the Col du Pré, 10 kilometers long... The final 7, which average almost 10%, can destroy the race completely in only a few minutes, with the climbing also being quite explosive with its many switchbacks.
The second climb is the Montée de Bisanne, which is 11.5 kilometers long at 8.9%, finishing with only 43 kilometers of racing. Two colossal mountain passes are within just a few kilometers, but the action is very far from over.
A third categorized ascent will be the Col des Aravis, not as difficult - 7 kilometers at 6.9% - however, with a very notable landscape around. The riders then finally get to have a long descent into the final climb, getting some rest before the final big effort to the line.
The ascent to Plateau de Solaison is not new to the race and will be used at the Tour de France. The Auvergne organizers decided to use it also in its own race, ending it at the summit just as they did back in 2017.
The climb is 11.5 kilometers long at 8.9%, another huge effort, and a climb that is very steep right from the base. The differences can be massive, and the race can be decided at any point of the stage, really.
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leedorney06-06-2026 - It is interesting to watch old races where Thomas is still mixing it up late into Flanders and hadn’t yet established himself as a GC rider. Fabulous rider, never quite winning what he might have. But yes, he is old school. Wasn’t it Pogačar who complained that riding in the bunch at the UAE tour wasn’t hard enough and that training was better as preparation? With modern training techniques and interval training applying to both the individual workout and the longer term bank of workouts at altitude, racing isn’t what it used to be. Yes that’s crazy to an old guy like me, but the results speak for themselves these past few years.RidesHills06-06-2026
- The only reason Remco ain't riding is because he wouldn't win any preparation race. Now let's be reasonable and let's take a look at what would've happened: Remco would have no chance against Vingegaard in Paris-Nice or Catalunya... or against Pogi in Tour of Romandie... or against Seixas in Itzulia Basque Country... or Isaac del Toro in Tirreno Adriatico. Let's remember that he lost the UAE Tour against Isaac. Remco would also have no chance in the upcoming races like Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Dauphine) against Seixas and Del Toro ... and Tour de Suisse against Pogi. He would have lost everything. Now just imagine losing everything before going to the Tour against the same riders that kept beating him over and over again. So tactically he skipped all the races, regardless the BS Remco and the Red Bull bosses are telling us. And you know something, Remco will never even come close to the podium in the Tour. Those second class ciciban races, he was winning in february and march, mean nothing. Ad acta.Ante-Ustashe06-06-2026
- Sexis or Del Torro will take the overall. I think it might come down to the TTT. As both are decent flat riders, good on small climbs and explosive on big hard climbs. Would not be shocked to see them trade a stage win or 2 in the mountainsmd197506-06-2026
- It doesn't take much to put 2 and 2 together and realise that Evenepoel is scared of Seixas and Pogačar
Rafionain-Glas06-06-2026 - If Evenepoel had ridden Auvergne and did badly - which is likely with all that climbing, The pressure on him in the tour would have been immense. We know from his past results he goes well when fresh. So possible this no racing training is a good strategy? In reality I can't see him getting on the podium never mind winning. I hope however that I'm wrong and he surprises us. A stage win at best is my guess though.Cyclingsbestfan06-06-2026
- No. Joined this site 1 day ago. Portuguese guy over here. Sorry for the salt, just spreading my concerns about the sport! coul overeacted, but people shoul stop and admire greatnes..And besides, pogi ir riding very few copetitions..lots of big races happennig without him..Alexcavalera06-06-2026
- Evenepoel is 4 cm shorter than Vingegaard, 5 cm shorter than Pogačar, 10 cm shorter than Lipowitz and 15 cm shorter than Seixas, so definitely on the shorter side. But genetics are more important, and even by cutting Evenepoel wouldn't suddenly be a top tier climber. He'd likely lose too much muscle. Climbers are good climbers because they are efficientRafionain-Glas06-06-2026
- it worked quite well for PFP last year going into the TdF Femmes. Besides, I think Remco is a bit weak mentally and definitely over emotional. it would be likely that if he had a bad prep race it would cloud his TdF. It is probably better for him to go in fresh. Look at UAE tour this year. He was flying early season, then bad stage, and he goes into a funk until Amstel. and what Remco really needs to win stages as weight loss. he is the same height as JV, but JV looked much smaller, more like a true climber, in his Giro d’Italia win. this could be the best approach for him.mij06-06-2026
- No one knows how to do this better than PL: “ these moves create tension, insecurity, and distractions within a roster that should be fully focused on preparing the biggest race of the year” Let’s start with the treatment of JA as a starting point. talk about taking away focus and motivation. I will say this. PL has built some powerhouse teams, he knows cycling and knows how to build a winner. He knows how to mesh the pieces together. but far too often it happened in spite of himself all the same.mij06-06-2026
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