Saturday’s penultimate day of the rebranded Critérium du Dauphiné, France’s Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, was the second of three consecutive big mountain stages, Isaac del Toro clambering to the victory on an HC-rated ascent. The big story of the day was a hard Paul Seixas crash early in the stage that forced the French favourite to chase back for 60 kilometres and depleted him for the summit finish. Luke Tuckwell retained the yellow jersey with one stage left, holding off Matteo Jorgenson by 42 seconds and del Toro by 49 seconds.

Preliminaries

Tuckwell had over a minute’s buffer on Thursday breakmate Bruno Armirail, two and a half over Jorgenson, slightly more than three over Seixas, with Juan Ayuso, Mathias Skjelmore and del Toro piled up on Seixas’s heels.

Could surprise package Tuckwell hold off Seixas (+3:06) and del Toro (+3:22)? Photo: Sirotti
The Course

The other four climbs along Saturday’s 133-km route weren’t cake walks, especially Cat. 1 Lacets du Grand Colombier, but the HC-rated Grand Colombier, 8.5 km of 10.1 percent, would dominate the day. It was hot in France.

Stage 7 came heavy with the climbs. Image by La FlammeRouge

João Almeida was among the seven riders who didn’t sign in in the morning. Canadian Michael Leonard was among the six guys who climbed off the bike on Friday.

The KOM leader Clement Braz Afonso dashed away to collect points on the first two mountains. It was announced on the Cat. 2 Côte de Saint-Maurice-de-Rotherens that the descent would be neutralized due to gravel. Nevertheless, Seixas crashed and after the world stopped spinning he had to try to chase back on with two teammates as the race galloped towards the Lacets du Grand Colombier.

Seixas in white chases with a teammate.

By the foot of Lacets du Grand Colombier, a small breakaway was 20 seconds up the road from Tuckwell’s yellow jersey peloton, with bloodied Seixas and squadmates 3:00 behind. In the peloton, Kévin Vauquelin was a big name dropped on the sinuous hairpin bends.
Between the Lacets du Grand Colombier and Grand Colombier was the Cat. 2 Col de Richemond. Seixas and Vauquelin finally got back before it started with 37 km to go. Armirail was dumped on Richemond’s early slopes. Seixas snuggled up to del Toro’s back wheel as five escapees beat on just up the road.

Grand Colombier

The breakaway was absorbed just before the HC ascent began. A group of 40 would contend for the win. Seixas and Tuckwell were at the back of the group. Ayuso made the first surge. Jorgenson and del Toro were his closest chasers.

Ayuso makes his move on the HC giant.

Del Toro shed Jorgenson and lit out after Ayuso, catching the Spaniard with 1.7 km left to climb and then dispatching him. The Mexican put on his shades to celebrate. Seixas had to be supported to stand after he got off his bike.

Sunday’s conclusion is two Cat. 1 and two HC-rated climbs in 120 km, a 11.5, 8.9 percent clamber acting as the race’s final battleground.
2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Stage 7
1) Isaac del Toro (Mexico/UAE-Emirates) 3:41:41
2) Juan Ayuso (Spain/Lidl-Trek) +0:24
3) Tobias Halland Johannessen (Norway/Uno-X) +0:38
2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes GC
1) Luke Tuckwell (Australia/Red Bull) 25:59:09
2) Matteo Jorgenson (USA/Visma-Lease a Bike) +0:42
3) Isaac del Toro (Mexico/UAE-Emirates) +0:49