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

The opening stage is a classic Dauphiné stage with several climbs and a potential for a reduced sprint at the end. However, with riders like Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in the race, anything can happen!

Bonjour et bienvenue to Cyclingnews live updates of stage 1 at the newly named Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, formally the Critérium du Dauphiné.

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!

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.

Neutral start

The riders roll out of Vizille in the neutralised zone.

Seixas wishes that Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) were racing this week, but with Pogačar going to the Tour de Suisse and Vingegaard resting after winning the Giro d'Italia, Seixas is a stand-alone favourite but with plenty of talent to go up against him.

>>> 'I would have liked them to be there' – Paul Seixas disappointed by absence of Pogačar and Vingegaard at Dauphiné, his Tour de France 'rehearsal'

Today's neutral is 5.8km long.

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.

146.2km to go!

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

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

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

Attack

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.

Attack

Benjamin Thomas (COF)

The Frenchman goes solo out front of the peloton.

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

Counter attack

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

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)

Dropped

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

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.

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

Attack

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

They have 10" on the bunch.

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".

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.

The gap expands to 20".

More riders bridge across including a dangerous man for the GC:

Alex Baudin (EFE)
Sergio Samitier (COF)
Raul Garcia Pierna (MOV)

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.

Intermediate sprint (Monestier-de-Clermont)

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

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

120km to go

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.

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

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%.

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

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

Dropped

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

Three big name riders amongst the riders losing touch.

The pace is high as the race enters the mountains. Is looks like Almeida may get back in as Seixas confirmed this morning that Riccitello is ill and thinks the young American has food poisoning.

Van Aert and Riccitello rejoin the peloton along with Almeida as Bennett and Raisberg are chasing to try and get to the breakaway.

The gap expands to almost 2'00" as the peloton looks to finally be happy with the break and have decided to let the group go clear.

Bennett makes it across to the leaders making it a nine man group with Raisberg being dropped immediately after giving his all for his leader.

Riccitello is dropped again as is Lorenzo Fortunato (XAT). The Italian climber clearly also not on a good day.

37,4kph average speed on the first hour as Decathlon-CMA CGM hit the front again in the peloton as the gap sits at 2'00" up to the 9 man break.

KOM (Col de l'Arzelier)

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

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

100km to go

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".

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...

>>> 'I feel I wouldn't be ready' – Tadej Pogačar likely to be without João Almeida as super domestique for upcoming Tour de France despite recent recovery

At the bottom of the descent the break have 1'40" on the bunch.

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.”

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.

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

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

KOM (Côte de Seyssins)

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

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

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.

Abandon

Matthew Riccitello (DCT)

Seixas loses his key mountain domestique because of food poisoning.

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.

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.

60km to go

The break have a gap of 1'57" on the peloton.

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

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

Puncture

Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek)

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

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

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

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

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

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

KOM (Côte de Quaix en Chartreuse)

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

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

Samitier is at about 30" with the peloton at 1'40".

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

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

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.

All the GC riders are clustered around Seixas.

Daan Hoole (DCT) leading the peloton now.

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

KOM (Col de Vance)

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

Netcompany-Ineos up the pace in the peloton with Laurens De Plus with the gap up to the leading trio of 1'51".

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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.

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

30km to go

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.

Puncture

Jordan Jegat (TEN)

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

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

Attack in break

Alex Baudin (EFE)

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

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

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

Baudin now leads by 11" over Bennett with the peloton at 46" and Jegat at 1'34".

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

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

Dropped

Ben Healy (EFE)

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

Visma-Lease a Bike controlling the peloton now.

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

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

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

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.

Attack

Kevin Vermaerke (UAD)

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

Attack

Valentin Paret-Peintre (SOQ)

Decathlon-CMA CGM immediately close that move down.

Attack

Luke Tuckwell (RBH)
Isaac Del Toro (UAD)

Decathlon-CMA CGM brings that back again.

KOM (Côte de Rousset)

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

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.

Attack

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.

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

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

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

10km to go

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

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

Attack

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

Brought back immediately.

Attack

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

Again, it was closed down very quickly.

Attack

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.

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

Attack in peloton

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

That is brough back quickly.

2km to go with the chasing group of 10 now 48" behind Baudin with the peloton at 1'18".

Flamme Rouge!

Baudin is on the final bit of climbing to the finish with 43" on the chase and 1'07" on the peloton.

Attack!

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.

500 metres to go for Baudin.

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

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

Stage 1 top 10 and GC

1. Alex Baudin (EFE) 3:43'58"
2. Ramses Debruyne (APT) +32"
3. Leo Bisiaux (DCT)
4. Kevin Vermaerke (UAD)
5. Rudy Molard (GFC)
6. Ben Tulett (TVL)
7. Luke Plapp (JAY)
8. Luke Tuckwell (RBH)
9. Kevin Vauquelin (NCI)
10. Oscar Onley (NCI) all same time

Alex Baudin takes all four leaders jerseys with yellow, green, polka dots and white all belonging to him.

But, Baudin can only wear one jersey so he will be in yellow while Debruyne will wear green, Samitier will wear polka dots and Bisiaux will wear white.

It was an amazing stage for Baudin as the Frenchman takes the biggest win of his career just an hour from his home town.

"I cannot describe the feeling right now. I don't think I realise it yet; it's just amazing to win here and with my family here. One hour from home, it's just crazy," said Baudin.

"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."

>>> Critérium du Dauphiné: Frenchman Alex Baudin survives solo from early breakaway for biggest win of his career and yellow jersey on stage 1