\nIntermediate sprint<\/p>\n
Arriolabengoa (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)gets the maximum points with zero opposition from his breakaway companions as they trundle underneath the sprint banner at Blac\u00e9 (km 108.7).<\/p>\n
2026-06-11T13:29:30.490Z<\/p>\n
The bunch clearly doesn’t want to haul the break back in too soon, but the sprinters’ teams won’t want a repeat of Wednesday’s scenario where they missed out – by painfully little – either.<\/p>\n
2026-06-11T13:26:56.764Z<\/p>\n
Bahrain Victorious, working for sprinter Phil Bauhaus, are adding their shoulder to the wheel in the bunch to chase the six ahead.<\/p>\n
2026-06-11T13:25:30.906Z<\/p>\n
2:15 the gap, so the six ahead will get the lion’s share of the points.<\/p>\n
2026-06-11T13:24:46.943Z<\/p>\n
The stage’s one intermediate sprint at Blac\u00e9 (km 108.7) is fast hauling into view. No time bonuses, but a useful haul of points in the green jersey competition.<\/p>\n
2026-06-11T13:23:07.618Z<\/p>\n
Apart from that Tour de France finish back in 2016, the Villars-les-Dombes-Parc des Oiseaux has featured three times as a start and once as a finish in the Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 in the past. The only previous finish was in a TT in 2013, won by German time trial powerhouse Tony Martin.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-06-11T13:14:29.690Z<\/p>\n Enjoying our live race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-06-11T13:13:05.440Z<\/p>\n Visma-Lease a Bike’s Bruno Armirail hard at work on the front of the pack<\/p>\n \n 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes stage 5: Bruno Armirail working hard on the front (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T12:57:03.237Z<\/p>\n A reminder of our six breakaways: 2026-06-11T12:56:04.662Z 2:10 the gap.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T12:53:06.564Z<\/p>\n Today’s finish at the Villars-les-Dombes\/Parc des Oiseaux is Europe\u2019s largest wildlife park dedicated to birds and gets 300,000 visitors a year. However, it’s also famous for cycling fans as the place where Mark Cavendish took his fourth stage win in the 2016 Tour de France. It was the 30th of his career, ahead of stars of the calibre of Alexander Kristoff and Peter Sagan. But the victory celebrations were also marred a little by a protest from Marcel Kittel about possible irregularities by Cavendish in the sprint, with the result delayed before the win was definitively upheld in Cavendish’s favour.<\/p>\n Here’s our full report from ten years ago. \n (Image credit: Getty Images) 2026-06-11T12:37:55.999Z<\/p>\n The peloton has covered nearly half of the 2,500 metres of elevation gain in today’s stage, with just one lengthy, draggy ascent to go before they head out of the hills for good and the last 100 kilometres of much gentler terrain. The gap for the break remains stable at 2:30.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T12:24:47.747Z<\/p>\n There have been mixed signals from Wout van Aert in this year’s Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes, with a sluggish start then followed by a promising finish, winning the sprint behind the break, on Wednesday and a mixture of optimism and caution from the Visma-Lease a Bike man himself. Here’s the latest on what Van Aert makes of his first race back since conquering Paris-Roubaix. 2026-06-11T12:21:04.855Z<\/p>\n Another shot of the break<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T12:18:03.677Z The gap stabilizes at around 2:25. Puncture for Netcompany Ineos stage racer Carlos Rodr\u00edguez.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T12:07:22.782Z<\/p>\n Given we’ve already had all the mountains points on offer, by the way, and the rider who grabbed the two available, Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal-QuickStep) is a long way down, assuming he completes the stage, France’s Cl\u00e9ment Braz Afonso (Groupama-FDJ) will remain in the top spot overall in that ranking for a fourth straight day.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:59:25.379Z<\/p>\n Having shrunk to a bare 20-25 seconds advantage, after none of the counter attackers, including breakaway specialist Baptiste Veistroffer of Lotto-Intermarch\u00e9, managed to get across to the break, the six are once again building an advantage. At this point, 148kms from the line, it’s ballooned to 2:20 and counting.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:53:05.017Z The half-dozen are maintaining a scant 30 second advantage as they tackle a long section of downhill. Certainly nobody’s hanging about – the day’s average speed has been a brisk(given the hills in the first part) 38kmh so far.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:49:46.111Z<\/p>\n While we’re waiting to see if the break manages to fend off the peloton, here’s what one former multiple Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 winner (as the race was known) is up to these days: 2026-06-11T11:46:37.061Z Who said this was the break of the day? (Ok, we did.) Their advantage has now shrunk to just 25 seconds and more attacks are flying out of the front half of the bunch.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:45:14.384Z<\/p>\n Of the six ahead, Canadian veteran Houle is by far the most decorated, winning a stage of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees back in 2022.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:43:48.726Z<\/p>\n Here’s a shot from today’s race of GC leader Alex Baudin, winner of stage 1 from a break and able to maintain his top spot through the first big GC challenge of this year’s race, Tuesday’s TTT.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:41:17.493Z<\/p>\n The gap continues to fall as the six grind their way over a series of small but relentless climbs early on. There’s 2,500 metres of vertical gain on this stage, and nearly all of it is in the first half of the day’s racing, with around a third already covered.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:37:59.853Z<\/p>\n Their advantage has now dropped to 1:25 as Visma-Lease a Bike and Cofidis, the latter presumably working for Bryan Coquard, give chase.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:19:10.188Z<\/p>\n Of the six ahead, the biggest ‘threat’ on GC is Robbe Dhondt (Picnic PostNL), 15:00 down.So EF Education-EasyPost will do a lot of the early spadework keeping the break at a reasonable distance, and their leader Alex Baudin in contention, that size of a margin means it’ll be up to the sprinters’ teams to do a lot of the work in the second part of the day.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:16:02.699Z<\/p>\n It’s dry and sunny, incidentally, but not too hot, 20 degrees and set to stay at around that temperature for the next few hours. Wind a relatively gentle 16kmh, mostly crosswinds for the whole day and lots of changes of race route, so you can’t rule out the chance of an echelon somewhere along the way…<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:12:50.337Z The break’s advantage is now stabilizing at around 2:30 as they reach the highest point of the hilly early section.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:11:32.437Z<\/p>\n And here’s a first photo of the half dozen leaders<\/p>\n \n 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes stage 5: the early break (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:07:54.079Z<\/p>\n The advantage of the six ahead has now risen to over 2:30. It looks like we’ve got the break of the day.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:06:19.196Z The six rider break has now reached the summit of the Col de la Gachet (1.6km at 4.4%), and Reijnderink picks up the sole point on offer again.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:05:32.008Z<\/p>\n The official race website<\/a> reminds us that on the fast-upcoming Col de la Gachet, there’s a monument to the late Andrei Kivilev. It has this to say about it:<\/p>\n “An early tribute to Andrei Kivilev<\/p>\n Twenty-three years ago, in March 2003, the Kazakh cyclist Andrei Kivilev lost his life on the roads of Paris-Nice during a stage heading towards Saint-\u00c9tienne, which he was due to finish on home roads as he was living in Saint-Chamond. <\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:01:57.019Z<\/p>\n Their advantage is already over a minute and fast rising.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T11:01:41.333Z<\/p>\n He’s part of a six-man breakaway that has formed early on over this climb. It contains: Reijnderink (Soudal Quick-Step), Thibault Guernalec (TotalEnergies), Julen Arriola-Bengoa (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla), Hugo Houle (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Robbe Dhondt (Picnic PostNL)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:58:33.243Z Pepijn Reijnderink (Soudal Quick-Step) claims the lone point on offer at the summit of Cat.4 C\u00f4te de la Croix-Blanch.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:56:07.697Z<\/p>\n On the subject of which, a reminder of who’s who at the top of the different overall rankings:<\/p>\n GC leader: Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) <\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:51:05.489Z<\/p>\n Somewhat weirdly for a ‘sprint stage’, we’re straight onto a climb as soon as the start flag dropped, the Cat.4 C\u00f4te de la Croix-Blanch (3km at 5%). Just one point on offer at the top of the climb for the mountains ranking.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:49:39.963Z Three non-starters according to the official race website: veteran allrounder Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), due to unspecified sickness, and Movistar duo Ivan Romeo, the reigning Spanish National Champion, and Ecuadorian climber Jefferson Cepeda.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:46:11.414Z And stage 5 of the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes from Saint-Chamond to Parc des Oiseaux – Villars-les-Dombes is officially underway.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:39:38.897Z<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf8a Stage 5 is underway! \ud83c\udf8a C\u2019est parti pour l\u2019\u00e9tape 5 du #TourAuvergneRhoneAlpes pic.twitter.com\/1wJ0LYZsIzJune 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:36:58.868Z<\/p>\n Enjoying our live race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:34:43.383Z<\/p>\n The peloton is now on the 5.3 kilometre neutralised section by the way.<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:33:37.682Z<\/p>\n So who’s up for the win today? Three options, as colleague James Moultrie pointed out for yesterday’s sprint (which didn’t happen, but could have) are Dorian Godon (Netcompany Ineos), Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis). \n 2017 Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphine: Phil Bauhaus wins stage 5 (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:10:32.996Z<\/p>\n Here’s a map of the same route, essentially running north and east for a fairly hefty 195 kilometre stage, the second longest of this year’s route.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: ASO)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T10:09:09.569Z<\/p>\n So what’s in store for today? Well, on the official race route, today’s stage is somewhat oddly classified as hilly, but in fact there are only two Cat.4 ascents, both in the first 10 kilometres, and a third Cat.4 mid-way through the original race route when published back in the day has now disappeared. 2026-06-11T10:06:41.071Z<\/p>\n The overall classification didn’t change that much, (and on paper today it shouldn’t either), with Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) remaining in top spot after Wednesday’s stage for a fourth successive day.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: FirstCycling)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T09:57:21.235Z<\/p>\n If you missed any of the action on Wednesday, it evolved into a thrilling bunch-v-break scenario, won by Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) from the lead move ahead of the main break: \n 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes stage 4: Quinn Simmons wins (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-06-11T09:52:16.505Z<\/p>\n Racing starts in just under an hour, with the neutralised roll-out beginning at 1230 CET and then the racing for real at 1245 CET.<\/p>\n Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 5 of the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes, the race’s one and only chance of a bunch sprint this year.<\/p>\n![\"2026](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/eaCpA43UnFTNcJbpjAcSDH.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
Pepin Reijnderink (Soudal Quick-Step), Thibault Guernalec (TotalEnergies), Julen Arriola-Bengoa (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla), Hugo Houle (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Robbe Dhondt (Picnic PostNL).<\/p>\n
\n106 kilometres to go<\/p>\n
Tour de France: Cavendish wins stage 14 in Villars-les-Dombes<\/a><\/p>\n![\"2016](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9hMzLhngQuekB4Ygtk4dPN.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
‘I still need to improve a lot’ \u2013 Wout van Aert realistic about pre-Tour de France shape despite positive signs in near-miss sprint loss<\/a><\/p>\n![\"2026](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Qs3xD9rXhoWkbYU79SQc96.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n138 kilometres to go<\/p>\n
\n155km to go<\/p>\n
Chris Froome returns to action in pedal boat charity race across the Mediterranean Sea<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMore attacks in the peloton<\/p>\n![\"2026](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/F6szvfVdb4saS6tyBrc5Ti.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n180 km to go – 2:30 advantage for the break<\/p>\n![\"2026](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9pYb96chg3KYF45s632fBJ.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\nClimb<\/p>\n
His death had a profound effect on the peloton and led to the rapid introduction of much stricter regulations on the wearing of helmets in cycling races.
A memorial has been erected near the Col de la Gachet (km 7.5), at the spot where the startline is marked each year for the cyclosportive organised in tribute to the former Cofidis rider. It was with the French team that he achieved his greatest success in Grenoble, winning stage 5 of the Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 Lib\u00e9r\u00e9 2001, a few weeks before finishing 4th in the Tour de France.”<\/p>\n
\nClimb <\/p>\n
Mountains: Cl\u00e9ment Bras Afonso (Groupama-FDJ United)
BYR: Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost)
Points: Nadav Raisberg (NSN)
Teams: Groupama-FDJ United<\/p>\n
\nThree non-starters<\/p>\n
\n195.8 kilometres to go<\/p>\n
To that, perennial allrounder Matteo Trentin (Tudor) is another possibility, and given it’s that much flatter today, you could add an out-and-out sprinter like Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious). He’s got previous, too, winning a stage of the Dauphin\u00e9 (as it was then known) back in 2017. And here’s a photo to prove it.<\/p>\n![\"2017](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pKntKA2BQhccZt8zbQtU9k.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"Tour](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Hk7YK4tTmQefFL4NmHUTXe.jpg\")
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Most likely then, we’ll see a bunch sprint, for the first and last time in the 2026 race, given what’s come before and the three Alpine stages coming up from Friday onwards.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/YkMykD6N5yv6pq7SMjLu7F.png\")
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Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes: Quinn Simmons blasts to victory on stage 4 from 10-rider breakaway with peloton breathing down their backs<\/a><\/p>\n![\"2026](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cEJ3K4XVki2VZgR2MvBmTn.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n