Baudin rises and shines
June 7 th 2026 - 15:15
A most demanding stage 1 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 saw Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) complete a spectacular breakaway to dominate the many ups and downs of the day and celebrate victory in Saint-Ismier. The French attacker made the breakaway after an intense battle starting from Vizille. He then distanced all his companions on the final ascent of the day, the cat 1 Côte de Rousset, and resisted the favourites as he covered the last 28 kilometres alone, eventually claiming all prizes on offer (the stage, the combativity award, and all distinctive jerseys). Among the GC contenders, Oscar Onley and Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany Ineos) gained 12 seconds on the likes of Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), who finished together.
The 78th edition of the race, the first under the name Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, kicks off with a demanding 146.2 km stage from Vizille to Saint-Ismier. The top contenders for the overall standings are called into action early with many ups and downs - 3,160 metres of elevation - culminating with the cat.-1 ascent of Côte de Rousset (8.2 km at 7.6%) to be summited 20 kilometres from the finish.
A fierce battle for the break
A group of eight riders initially forms with Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) at the helm, but they are reeled in by the peloton at the 16 km mark. A new series of attacks, from km 19, leads to the break of the day with Alastair Mackellar (EF Education-EasyPost), Matteo Vercher (Total Energies), Clément Braz Afonso (Groupama-FDJ United), initially joined by Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal-Quick Step), Georg Zimmermann (Lotto Intermarché), Alex Diaz (Caja Rural) and Nadav Raisberg (NSN), then by Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Raul Garcia Pierna (Movistar) and Sergio Samitier (Cofidis).
On the climb up the Col de l’Arzelier, Reinderink and Raisberg are dropped, but George Bennett (NSN) bridges the gap to make it nine riders in the lead.
Behind the attackers, Paul Seixas’ Decathlon CMA CGM drive the bunch. The French team rapidly loses Matthew Riccitello, who fell sick overnight, but they still have the collective strength to control the gap around 2 minutes.
Baudin takes flight, Netcompany Ineos gain time
The attackers up the ante again on the ascent of Côte de Quaix-en-Chartreuse (2.3 km at 9.2%). Samitier gives his all to take the points at the summit (km 94.4) but he’s quickly passed and distanced by a new lead trio made of Baudin, Bennett and Braz Afonso. They summit Col de Vence (km 102.2) together and enter the last 30 kilometres with a gap of 1’20’’.
Onto the final ascent of the day, Baudin rapidly drops his breakaway rivals. Many riders are dropped from the bunch, due to the pace set by Decathlon CMA CGM and Visma-Lease a Bike. Towards the summit, Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) sets off in pursuit. Behind him, the likes of Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) also accelerate. So does Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) after the summit. But all these moves are covered.
Kevin Vauquelin eventually finds an opening with 6 kilometres to go. His Netcompany Ineos teammate Oscar Onley joins the move, along with eight more attackers. Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech) finishes second, 32 seconds behind Baudin. Onley and Vauquelin, as well as Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), gain 12 seconds on the rest of the GC contenders.
