Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes : a vast game board for the new Critérium du Dauphiné
June 16 th 2025 - 16:00
- Starting in 2026, the Critérium du Dauphiné will take on a new avatar as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, reflecting the ever-growing support of the host region.
- The vibrant palette of landscapes of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has taken the race to a whole new level in recent years. The new name encapsulates its geographical identity, which has been interwoven with the event for over a decade.
- The President of the Regional Council, Fabrice Pannekoucke, and Christian Prudhomme announced the partnership at the Regional Council building in Lyon.
NEW NAME, NEW COLOURS
Tadej Pogacar emerged victorious from the 2025 edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné, the last before its transformation into the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. This change is the result of a long-standing collaboration between the Region and the event organiser and a logical next step in their enduring partnership. It is also a tribute to a territory that has now brought stages to each of the 12 departments that make it up. By adding the Massif Central and other areas to the mix, the organisers are spoilt for choice when it comes to designing challenging courses for the champions and ensuring that all sorts of riders get their chance to shine.
A HISTORIC RACE IN A REGION IN LOVE WITH CYCLING
The event has exerted its magnet pull on top cyclists since 1947. Originally, it was limited to the distribution area of Dauphiné Libéré, the regional newspaper that created the race, with legendary passes and Alpine ski resorts as the highlight of the competition, but it later grew to span the whole Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. A litmus test in the run-up to the Tour de France, it has crowned the greatest cyclists of all time, including the five-time winners of the Grande Boucle: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has also been the cradle of riders of the calibre of Romain Bardet, who has just hung up his bicycle, as well as Rémi Cavagna from Clermont-Ferrand and Julian Alaphilippe, who cut his teeth at the club in Montluçon.
The incomparable territory of the region is also a haven for amateur riders of all ages, who can live their passion to the fullest and improve their well-being.
Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region:
"A major cycling region, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes hosts legendary races each year that are key to enhancing the visibility of our territory such as the Critérium du Dauphiné, which today becomes the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. This is a great source of pride for us. As one of the most anticipated events on the international calendar, this race is above all a gathering of top champions and the elite of the global peloton, just weeks before the Tour de France. The Region is proud to be the main partner of such a competition, a true flagship of our commitment to supporting cycling."
Christian Prudhomme, Director of Cycling, ASO:
"The Critérium du Dauphiné was created in 1947 by a regional newspaper in love with cycling and has since grown in synch with the roads and slopes that have shaped its history. Buoyed by the steadfast backing of the Region, it will now become the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, taking on a new name that leaves no doubt about the regional roots of the race. As we saw in this edition, the region boasts a vibrant palette of landscapes and attracts the best riders in the world with a challenge that takes their breath away in every sense."
