As it happened: Breakaway succeeds on opening day at Critérium du Dauphiné – Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage 1

“I hope I can carry this confidence and shape into the Tour de France in July. Of course, I’ll want to defend the jersey as long as possible. It’s not going to be easy tomorrow with this super long stage, but a yellow jersey you have to defend it, so we’re going to do everything.”

2026-06-07T12:56:44.631Z

Debruyne leads in the chase group with Del Toro bringing in the main GC group.

2026-06-07T12:55:52.415Z

Alex Baudin wins stage one of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026!

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-07T12:55:15.908Z

500 metres to go for Baudin.

Juan Ayuso (LTK)
Paul Seixas (DCT)

They have left it too late and are going to be losing time to the likes of Onely, Vauquelin and co.

Baudin is on the final bit of climbing to the finish with 43″ on the chase and 1’07” on the peloton.

2026-06-07T12:52:55.187Z

2km to go with the chasing group of 10 now 48″ behind Baudin with the peloton at 1’18”.

Skjelmose (LTK)
Jorgenson (TVL)
Decomble (GFC)
Tejada (XAT)

That is brough back quickly.

2026-06-07T12:50:33.374Z

3km to go and Baudin has 55″ on this new attacking group.

Kevin Vauquelin (NCI)
Oscar Onley (NCI)
Kevin Vermaerke (UAD)
Lucas Plapp (JAY)
Ramses Debruyne (APT)
Rudy Molard (GFC)
Ben Tulett (TVL)
Luke Tuckwell (RBH)
Leo Bisiaux (DCT)

This is a very dangerous move with XDS-Astana leading the chase behind.

Rudy Molard (GFC)
Bruno Armmirail (TVL)
Sean Quinn (EFE)
Lennerd Kamna (LTK)

Again, it was closed down very quickly.

Mattias Skjelmose (LTK)
Maxime Decomble (GFC)
Leo Bisiaux (DCT)

Brought back immediately.

2026-06-07T12:46:09.470Z

Baudin still looking like he is riding well but the pace is on behind.

Baudin has 1’14” on the peloton with Vermaerke now caught. Decathlon-CMA CGM are pushing quite hard now.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-07T12:40:59.739Z

Baudin will wear the polka dot jersey tomorrow by three points over Samitier.

2026-06-07T12:40:30.327Z

13km to go and Baudin has 1’06” on Vermaerke and 1’20” on the GC group.

2026-06-07T12:39:34.844Z

Baudin has 8km of descending and will have 8km to go to the finish on a flat road into gradual rise to the finish.

Matteo Jorgenson (TVL)

He has Anders Johannessen and Tejada with him but they are caught. They almost caught Vermaerke as well but didn’t completely catch him.

2026-06-07T12:35:40.754Z

Baudin has a huge opportunity to take a very special stage win. He has 1’21” on the peloton with 17km to go. He is on a short uphill on the descent but he isn’t losing much. The peloton is splitting up, though.

1. Baudin (EFE) 10pts
2. Vermaerke (UAD) 8pts
3. Del Toro (UAD) 6pts
4. Bisiaux (DCT) 4pts
5. Seixas (DCT) 2pts
6. Ayuso (LTK) 1pt

Luke Tuckwell (RBH)
Isaac Del Toro (UAD)

Decathlon-CMA CGM brings that back again.

Valentin Paret-Peintre (SOQ)

Decathlon-CMA CGM immediately close that move down.

Kevin Vermaerke (UAD)

The American rider goes clear and bridges across to Bennett. Immediately dropping the Kiwi.

2026-06-07T12:29:10.005Z

Visma-Lease a Bike disappear from the front of the peloton and are replaced by Decathlon-CMA CGM again. They do not seem interested to go too hard on this first day with Leo Bisiaux leading the way with Seixas on his wheel. He has Del Toro and Onley just behind.

2026-06-07T12:27:21.987Z

Dani Martinez (RBH) has been dropped. The overall winner in 2020 isn’t having the best start.

2026-06-07T12:26:29.627Z

Baudin has 2km to the top of the climb and has continued to extend the gap to 1’09” over the peloton.

2026-06-07T12:25:03.820Z

Tobias Johannessen (UXM) has been distanced as well. The GC rider for the Norwegian team as Bruno Armirail (TVL) takes over the pacing.

2026-06-07T12:22:21.988Z

Visma-Lease a Bike controlling the peloton now.

2026-06-07T12:22:04.635Z

Dropped

Ben Healy (EFE)

The Irishman goes out of the back, not by much though.

2026-06-07T12:18:15.070Z

Baudin is extending his advantage over the peloton to 1’00”! He is riding very very well.

2026-06-07T12:17:11.079Z

Visma-Lease a Bike, Decathlon-CMA CGM, Cofidis and Groupama-FDJ United lead the peloton.

2026-06-07T12:16:17.760Z

Baudin now leads by 11″ over Bennett with the peloton at 46″ and Jegat at 1’34”.

2026-06-07T12:13:33.881Z

Pello Bilbao (TBV) has been dropped by the peloton.

2026-06-07T12:11:32.618Z

Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) takes over the pacing in the peloton.

Alex Baudin (EFE)

The Frenchman goes solo with 7.5km to the top with Bennett and Braz Afonso unable to follow.

2026-06-07T12:10:31.043Z

Onto the final climb of the Côte de Rousset which is 8.2km long with an average gradient of 7.6%.

2026-06-07T12:09:42.003Z

Puncture

Jordan Jegat (TEN)

The birthday boy gets a quick bike change as his team’s GC leader. That was a very fast change.

The leading trio now only have 1’04” with Visma-Lease a Bike, Decathlon-CMA CGM, Uno-X Mobility and Netcompany-Ineos leading the way at the moment in the peloton.

2026-06-07T12:03:09.166Z

Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) getting hit with major cramp. That looked very painful.

2026-06-07T12:02:19.887Z

The descent of the Col de Vence is done but the gap is down to 1’28” thanks to a massive upping of pace by Decathlon-CMA CGM and UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

2026-06-07T11:55:01.331Z

1. Braz Afonso (GFC) 5pts
2. Bennett (NSN) 3pts
3. Baudin (EFE) 2pts
4. Vercher (TEN) 1pt

2026-06-07T11:51:27.229Z

Hoole swings off the front of the peloton with Decathlon-CMA CGM joined by UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Netcompany-Ineos at the front.

2026-06-07T11:48:43.815Z

Daan Hoole (DCT) leading the peloton now.

2026-06-07T11:46:36.832Z

All the GC riders are clustered around Seixas.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-07T11:44:04.236Z

Benoit Cosnefroy (UAD Team Emirates-XRG) has been dropped. He has been on stunning form this season with four wins in the last two months and multiple top 10s.

2026-06-07T11:42:34.692Z

Vercher is now being distanced by the now three out front.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-07T11:41:00.476Z

Decathlon-CMA CGM take full control of the peloton again.

2026-06-07T11:40:17.997Z

Samitier is at about 30″ with the peloton at 1’40”.

2026-06-07T11:39:58.502Z

And straight onto the Col de Vence after a very short descent. 5.1km long with an average gradient of 6%.

1. Samitier (COF) 5pts
2. Braz Afonso (GFC) 3pts
3. Baudin (EFE) 2pts
4. Bennett (NSN) 1pt

2026-06-07T11:36:47.567Z

Samitier is now out of the back of the break as Bennett, Baudin, Braz Afonso and Vercher pushing clear.

2026-06-07T11:33:51.322Z

Garcia and Zimmermann both lose touch with the break as Samitier launches for the KOM points.

2026-06-07T11:32:30.449Z

Diaz and MacKeller start to lose touch with the breakaway with 1km to the top.

2026-06-07T11:31:04.842Z

Almeida distanced again with multiple other riders including Wout Van Aert.

2026-06-07T11:29:22.251Z

Netcompany-Ineos, XDS-Astana, Uno-X Mobility and Tudor take control of the peloton on the climb.

2026-06-07T11:25:39.365Z

Puncture

Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek)

Not the best timing for the Spanish rider as the peloton head onto this double head of climbs.

2026-06-07T11:24:31.678Z

Onto the climb of Côte de Quaix en Chartreuse now with the gap closing to 1’25”.

2026-06-07T11:22:06.335Z

The next climb of the Côte de Quaix en Chartreuse is 2.3km with an average gradient of 9.2%.

The break have a gap of 1’57” on the peloton.

2026-06-07T11:17:07.705Z

Multiple teams come to the front of the peloton to try and keep their GC riders as well placed as possible for the next climb.

2026-06-07T11:15:22.283Z

The Dauphiné, traditionally known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France during the Ancien régime, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present-day departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois.

The Dauphin of France remained the title of the eldest son of a king of France and the heir apparent to the French crown until 1791, and again from 1824 to 1830. But, of course, a couple of major revolutions in France brought that to an end.

2026-06-07T11:12:27.509Z

Abandon

Matthew Riccitello (DCT)

Seixas loses his key mountain domestique because of food poisoning.

2026-06-07T11:11:17.309Z

At around the halfway point the gap is down to 1’34” with the peloton upping the pace as they have a bit more valley road before the double header of the Côte de Quaix en Chartreuse and Col de Vence above the city of Grenoble.

1. Zimmermann (LOI) 2pts
2. Samitier (COF) 1pt

Both riders are now level in the KOM standings on 5 points.

2026-06-07T11:01:06.059Z

The riders are now on the Côte de Seyssins, 2.6km long with an average of 6%.

2026-06-07T10:55:19.576Z

The riders are now on a small rise before the next climb of the Côte de Seyssins.

2026-06-07T10:44:52.932Z

Mechanical

Harold Tejada (XAT)

The Colombian rider is the GC leader for XDS-Astana this week. He should be able to get back in easily.

2026-06-07T10:42:31.541Z

Baudin spoke to the race’s own reporter before the start and said: “I’ve had a long break from racing, so it’s great to be back competing.”

“I’m really, really happy with how the season has started. Now I need to build on that. We’ll see how the week goes depending on how my legs feel. If it’s possible to make the general classification, we’ll see, but that’s not the primary goal.” He said.

The Frenchman came with a promise that EF Education-EasyPost would be aggressive today and that is exactly what they have been. “It’s always better for riders like us to start with a tough stage. I think it’s going to be a good battle today. It’s wide open,” he continued. “Anything can happen. We’re riding aggressively. We’re not going to change that this week. We’ll be on the attack all week.”

2026-06-07T10:35:51.472Z

At the bottom of the descent the break have 1’40” on the bunch.

2026-06-07T10:31:59.977Z

Almeida has counted himself out of the Tour de France as he is still recovering. Today’s first climb has already proven that is the correct decision…

Decathlon-CMA CGM alongside UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Lidl-Trek have brough the gap to the break back under two minutes to 1’45”.

2026-06-07T10:25:09.461Z

The riders are now descending where they will ride the valley bottom for a while before the cat 3 climb of Côte de Seyssins.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

1. Samitier (COF) 5pts
2. Zimmermann (LOI) 3pts
3. Vercher (TEN) 2pts
4. MacKeller (EFE) 1pt

João Almeida (UAD)
Wout Van Aert (TVL)
Matthew Riccitello (DCT)

Three big name riders amongst the riders losing touch.

2026-06-07T10:03:02.561Z

Multiple riders are sitting up from the break with seven riders left out front with 30″ of a gap.

2026-06-07T10:01:50.402Z

Onto the Col de l’Arzelier they go but the peloton has destroyed the gap with just 35″ splitting them now,

2026-06-07T09:59:33.188Z

The riders are about the start the first categorised climb of the day, the cat 2 climb of the Col de l’Arzelier which is 8.6km long with an average of 5.7%.

2026-06-07T09:56:50.829Z

Seixas’ Decathlon-CMA CGM take over the pacing in the peloton and have brought the gap down to 50″.

The peloton are still around a minute back on the 10 man break who are working well. The average speed after about 40 minutes of racing is at 37.5kph.

2026-06-07T09:51:38.704Z

The continues to grow to 55″ between the break and the peloton.

1. Raisberg (NSN) 10pts
2. Reinderink (SOQ) 6pts
3. Zimmermann (LOI) 4pts

The gap grows to 40″ now. Baudin 9th in both Paris-Nice and Itzulia Basque Country as well as 6th at La Fleche Wallonne and 3rd at the GP Miguel Indurain.

2026-06-07T09:46:37.138Z

The gap expands to 20″.

2026-06-07T09:46:19.739Z

The riders are about to reach in the intermediate sprint in Monestier-de-Clermont where 10, 6 and 4 points are available for the first 3 riders across the line.

2026-06-07T09:45:06.900Z

The leaders have been joined:

Pepijn Reinderink (SOQ)
Georg Zimmermann (LOI)}
Alex Diaz (CJR)
Nadav Raisberg (NSN)

Making it 7 riders out front by 10″.

Clement Braz Afonso (GFC)
Matteo Vercher (TEN)
Alastair MacKeller (EFE)

They have 10″ on the bunch.

2026-06-07T09:37:07.841Z

The peloton drags the breakaway back and the battle begins all over again.

2026-06-07T09:35:58.033Z

Lennard Kämna (LTK) joins the leaders after he crosses the gap along with a TotalEnergies rider who didn’t quite make it and is back in the peloton again.

2026-06-07T09:33:00.570Z

Dropped

Riders are already losing contact with Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché) and Rotem Tene (NSN) both being distanced early on.

2026-06-07T09:30:43.548Z

Leaders:

Georg Steinhauser (EFE)
Benjamin Thomas (COF)
Raul Garcia Pierna (MOV)
Vlad Van Mechelen (TBV)
George Bennett (NSN)
Clement Braz Afonso (GFC)
Maxime Decomble (GFC)

2026-06-07T09:26:50.783Z

Counter attack

A new move of six riders bridge the gap to Thomas out front making an seven man group.

2026-06-07T09:23:44.890Z

Thomas isn’t pulling out much of a gap and is just sitting at 10″ off the front of the peloton.

Benjamin Thomas (COF)

The Frenchman goes solo out front of the peloton.

Benjamin Thomas (COF)
Rudy Molard (GFC)
Kevin Geniets (GFC)
Mathis Le Berre (TEN)
Pepijn Reinderink (SOQ)}
Max Walker (EFE)

But it has been brought back very quickly.

2026-06-07T09:15:46.621Z

Four riders go on the attack with two chasing. They quickly get 15″ on the peloton.

2026-06-07T09:14:02.703Z

The riders have 3160 metres of elevation gain on the menu today.

Racing begins a few minutes early as riders pass through KM0 and the flag is waved for racing to begin.

2026-06-07T09:08:50.714Z

Seixas comes into the race as the stand out favourite after dominating in Itzulia Basque Country and La Fleche Wallonne as well as finishing second to Pogačar at Strade Bianche and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The riders roll out of Vizille in the neutralised zone.

2026-06-07T08:56:00.632Z

The neutralised start is in about five minutes. Riders are all signed on and have been presented to the crowd in Vizille and are ready to roll out.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-06-07T08:52:51.684Z

64 out of the 154 riders starting the race are eligible for the white jersey of best young riders. That is 41% of the peloton! With Seixas, Del Toro, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), Kevin Vauquelin (Netcompany-Ineos) and more all going for yellow, but also white!