Stage 1
Vizille → Saint-Ismier
Stage 1 opens the rebranded Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly Critérium du Dauphiné) with a 140km hilly stage from Vizille to Saint-Ismier in the Isère region. The route warms up the peloton through pre-Alps foothills before the TTT and Alpine summits ahead. Expect a reduced bunch sprint or late puncheur attack on the rolling closing kilometres.
Watch this stage
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What the stage looks like
Stage 1 opens the rebranded Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly Critérium du Dauphiné) with a 140km hilly stage from Vizille to Saint-Ismier in the Isère region. The route warms up the peloton through pre-Alps foothills before the TTT and Alpine summits ahead. Expect a reduced bunch sprint or late puncheur attack on the rolling closing kilometres.
What to follow
- New name, same race: 2026 is the first edition under the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes branding — retiring the Critérium du Dauphiné name after 77 years.
- Isère foothills opener: pre-Alps terrain warms up the legs for the GC tests ahead.
- Tour de France barometer: the race opens the traditional final pre-Tour stage-race test.
When to tune in
Watch the closing 30km — rolling Isère terrain favours puncheurs over pure sprinters. First yellow jersey decided by bonus seconds + positioning.