Baudin Victorious, Favorites Falter
Alex Baudin Wins Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Stage 1 as Favorites Struggle and Riccitello Withdraws
Anonymous
The opening stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 (the former Dauphiné Tour) began with major shakeups, including the withdrawal of Matthew Riccitello and a difficult day for other high-profile riders such as João Almeida and Wout van Aert, while early signals also raised concern about Paul Seixas’s condition. Alex Baudin surged from a successful breakaway and attacked on the Cat.1 Côte de Rousset, going solo to win the stage in Saint-Ismier and claim the race’s first yellow jersey. The main peloton kept a controlled chase, with teams including UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Decathlon CMA CGM sharing the work, allowing Baudin to finish about 32 seconds ahead of the chasers. General classification contenders, including riders like Juan Ayuso and Kevin Vauquelin, limited their losses to roughly 12 seconds, setting up a tight early GC picture despite the day’s surprises. Coverage also pointed to Seixas, Isaac Del Toro, Juan Ayuso, and Paul Seixas as key overall references heading into the mountains later in the week. Stage 2 follows with a very long route (234 km) and multiple climbs, increasing the pressure on teams to make decisive moves.
Key Points
1
Pre-stage, Paul Seixas told French television he “did not want to take the leader's jersey so early in a tough eight-day race,” even as he was viewed as a key GC contender at home.
2
Beyond winning the stage, Alex Baudin also took the lead in multiple competitions—“all four classifications”—including the mountain jersey (and also the combativité lead, per the race write-ups).
3
The day’s racing profile was unusually demanding for a first stage: it featured “five categorized climbs” and a final ascent about “twenty kilometers from the finish,” setting up a likely GC duel—though the breakaway ultimately prevailed.
4
Reports flagged that Seixas—nicknamed the “Angel of Lyon”—was “in less than excellent physical conditions,” possibly “a virus or…illness,” and that Riccitello’s withdrawal may have compounded concerns because he was expected to be Seixas’s “lieutenant.”
5
Late in the race, Kévin Vauquelin attacked “from the left flank of the peloton” to split the field, with teammate Oscar Onley quick to respond; however, major GC figures Paul Seixas, Isaac Del Toro and Juan Ayuso “missed out,” making any neutralization harder.
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