The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné – is one of the final races on the calendar before the Tour de France and is normally the biggest warm-up race for the Tour.
This year’s lineup has no Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard but it should be hotly contested between the likes of young French sensation Paul Seixas, Mexican sensation – and Pogačar’s right-hand man for this year’s Tour – Isaac del Toro and inconsistent Spanish sensation Juan Ayuso.
Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM)
This has very much been the year of 19-year-old Paul Seixas. He’s been competitive at every race he’s entered, winning the Faun-Ardèche Classic, Itzulia Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne, and coming second at the Volta ao Algarve, Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège – the latter two being won by Pogačar.
In stage races, his defeat at Algarve came by just 14 seconds to Lidl-Trek’s Juan Ayuso but he beat the Spaniard on the second stage in their sprint to the line on the summit finish. As for the victory in Itzulia, that was straight domination. Three stage wins – one in the time-trial and two in the mountains – saw him lead from start to finish.
He’s the hot favourite heading into the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as he makes his final preparations for his debut Tour de France.
- Best Dauphiné finish: 8th (2025, his only participation)
Last five results
- 2nd: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- 1st: La Flèche Wallonne
- 1st: Itzulia Basque Country (overall, points, mountains and youth classifications, plus three stage wins)
- 2nd: Strade Bianche
- 1st: Faun-Ardèche Classic
Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Another talented youngster, 22-year-old Isaac del Toro shook the cycling world last year when he almost won the Giro d’Italia, and he’s been showing no signs of slowing down in 2026. Straight out of the gate, the Bull charged to victory at the UAE Tour and followed that up by dominating Tirreno-Adriatico.
Seixas and Del Toro raced together at Strade Bianche, finishing second and third respectively, and were set to battle at Itzulia before Del Toro crashed out on Stage 3. Now recovered from a thigh muscle tear, this is the Mexican’s first race since April.
- Best Dauphiné finish: N/A
Last five results
- DNF: Itzulia Basque Country
- 110th: Milan-San Remo
- 1st: Tirreno-Adriatico
- 3rd: Strade Bianche
- 1st: UAE Tour
Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek)
It’s been a mixed bag so far for Juan Ayuso with new team Lidl-Trek. He started very strong, defeating Seixas at the Volta ao Algarve, but crashed out while leading Paris-Nice. He seemingly recovered to race Itzulia the following month but was forced to abandon through stomach issues and struggled on each of the three stages he rode.
When Ayuso is good, he’s great. But when things go bad, they’re awful. If he comes into this race healthy, and he can string together a full week without illness, crashes or bee stings, he’s certainly capable of winning. He’ll face extra pressure too after Lidl-Trek spent big money to bring him in over the winter and rumours are spreading that they still want to add more GC contenders to the team alongside him, Derek Gee-West and Mattias Skjelmose.
- Best Dauphiné finish: DNF (2022, 2024)
Last three results
- DNF: Itzulia Basque Country
- DNF: Paris-Nice
- 1st: Volta ao Algarve (overall and one stage win)
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Matteo Jorgenson is leading the way for Visma-Lease a Bike at this race, flanked by young Norwegian Jørgen Nordhagen. After a pair of strong one-day results earlier in the season, the American raced to second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico having leapfrogged Giulio Pellizzari on the final stage. In recent years he’s had plenty of strong performances in week-long stage races including two overall victories at Paris-Nice, and switched his plans from the Tour de Suisse to come here instead for his first race back after breaking his collarbone at the Amstel Gold Race.
Jorgenson has four previous participations in the Dauphiné, including second place in 2023 to Primož Roglič and sixth place while being domestique for Jonas Vingegaard in 2025.
- Best Dauphiné finish: 2nd (2024)
Last five results
- DNF: Amstel Gold Race
- 42nd: Milan-San Remo
- 2nd: Tirreno-Adriatico
- 8th: Strade Bianche
- 2nd: Faun Drome Classic
João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
João Almeida started the year strong coming second to Remco Evenepoel at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana and third at Algarve behind Ayuso and Seixas, but ran into difficulty in March. He struggled at the Volta a Catalunya, finishing an uncharacteristic 38th and after the race decided to undergo medical tests to figure out the problem. He was also scheduled to be UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s leader at the Giro, but withdrew with illness.
This is Almeida’s first race since March and only time will tell how he’s recovered, so it’s likely he’ll be here to try to help Del Toro.
- Best Dauphiné finish: N/A
Last three results
- 38th: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
- 3rd: Volta ao Algarve
- 2nd: Volta Comunitat Valenciana
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Mattias Skjelmose has not managed to make his mark in stage races this season, managing only a seventh place in Catalunya and 14th at Itzulia, however he did manage second place to Seixas on the early mountain stage in the latter.
He’s been bumped down the Lidl-Trek hierarchy with the arrivals of Ayuso and Gee-West, with the Spaniard superseding him in the rankings for the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. However, he’d be one of the strongest domestiques in the race should the team need him to be.
- Best Dauphiné finish: 21st (2021)
Last five results
- 17th: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- 5th: La Flèche Wallonne
- 2nd: Amstel Gold Race
- 14th: Itzulia Basque Country
- 7th: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
Oscar Onley (Netcompany Ineos)
Having moved from Picnic PostNL to Netcompany Ineos over the winter, Oscar Onley started well with fourth place at Algarve including second place behind Ayuso on the final mountain stage. He’s looking to improve on his most recent form, however, which having not finished two out of his last three races and finished 12th in the other.
Onley proved he can compete at the top level with his fourth place at the Tour last season, it’s just a case of rediscovering his form and getting back to his best again.
- Best Dauphiné finish: 40th (2023)
Last four results
- DNF: Tour de Romandie
- 12th: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
- DNF: Paris-Nice
- 4th: Volta ao Algarve
Dani Martínez (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have a lot of cooks in the kitchen and Dani Martínez doesn’t often get time to spread his own wings as leader. He did thrive with his most recent opportunity at Paris-Nice, where he raced to second behind Jonas Vingegaard. In a support role at the Tour of Romandie, he helped Florian Lipowitz to second overall. Remco Evenepoel was due to race here, but decided to skip all the pre-Tour warm-ups and will go straight into the main event.
- Best Dauphiné finish: 1st (2020)
Last five results
- 40th: Tour de Romandie
- 42nd: Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- 51st: La Flèche Wallonne
- 2nd: Paris-Nice
- 7th: Volta ao Algarve
Other contenders
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Sixth at Clásica Jaén, Itzulia Basque Country and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Bahrain-Victorious’s ol’ reliable is consistent where it matters and can realistically score a top ten finish in his last pro season.
Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany Ineos)
Like Onley, Kevin Vauquelin is a new addition to the Netcompany Ineos lineup for 2026. Already providing solid results in stage races, he finished fifth at Algarve, fourth at Paris-Nice and tenth at Itzulia, and with Seixas taking the limelight, there’s no French pressure on his shoulders.
Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)
Uno-X’s leading man has steadily been climbing the rankings at each stage race he’s ridden this season, ninth at the UAE Tour was followed by fourth at Tirreno and a podium at Itzulia.