Critérium du Dauphiné – Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage 1 LIVE: Decathlon-CMA CGM lead the peloton in pursuit of the break

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Abandon

Matthew Riccitello (DCT)

Seixas loses his key mountain domestique because of food poisoning.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.”

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

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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”.

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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.

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

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

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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%.

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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.

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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.

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The gap expands to 20″.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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Dropped

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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!