Critérium du Dauphiné 2026 preview: Seixas takes centre stage ahead of historic Tour debut

The Critérium du Dauphiné, which will be officially known from 2026 as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, is one of the most prestigious one-week stage races and is one of the final races before the Tour de France kicks off. 

Taking place in the southeast of France, the race tackles stunning alpine terrain and brutal mountain ascents that leave riders with nowhere to hide.

Five riders hold the record for three victories at the Dauphiné, including Nello Lauredi (1950, 1951, 1954), Luis Ocaña (1970, 1972, 1973), Bernard Hinault (1977, 1979, 1981), Charly Mottet (1987, 1989, 1992), and Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016).

Twelve riders have won the Dauphiné before conquering La Grande Boucle in July. The first rider to do so was Louison Bobet in 1955, the year that the Frenchman completed his Tour hat-trick. Hinault did so twice in 1979 and 1981, while Froome made it a regular habit in three of his four Tour-winning years, in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Other riders to complete the feat include Jacques Anquetil (1963), Eddy Merckx (1971), Luis Ocaña (1973), Bernard Thévenet (1975), Miguel Induráin (1995), Bradley Wiggins (2012), Geraint Thomas (2018), Jonas Vingegaard (2023) and, most recently, Tadej Pogačar (2025) last year.

Last year saw one of the most stacked start lists in recent editions, including the reigning Tour podium finishers: Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel. In addition, the peloton boasted Mathieu van der Poel, Matteo Jorgenson, Jonathan Milan, and the youngest rider in the race, Paul Seixas.

The race started with a bang on the opening stage to Montluçon, which was widely expected to be one for the sprinters. Instead, a heavyweight group featuring Pogačar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Van der Poel, and Santiago Buitrago broke clear over the final climb of the stage, the Côte de Buffon. 

They successfully held off the chasing peloton on the run-in to the finish, where the World Champion Pogačar timed his sprint to perfection to take the stage and the first maillot jaune.

Stage 2 saw Milan deliver on his favourite status in a sprint finish to Issoire, before a powerful Iván Romeo won in Charentonnay on stage 3 with a stellar solo move from the breakaway.

The next crucial day for the GC was stage 4’s 17.4km individual time trial to Saint-Péray, and unsurprisingly, Evenepoel took the spoils. Vingegaard limited his losses well in second, finishing 20 seconds back, but notably, Pogačar shipped 48 seconds to the Belgian. 

Following Jake Stewart’s well-timed sprint victory on stage 5 to Mâcon, Pogačar put to bed any doubts about his form by obliterating the field on stage 6 to Combloux. Combloux was the site where Vingegaard produced his iconic ITT in 2023 en route to winning the Tour. 

Pogačar also won the penultimate stage atop Valmeinier 1800 to complete his Dauphiné hat-trick. While Lenny Martinez claimed the final stage from the breakaway at Plateau du Mont-Cenis, Pogačar and Vingegaard crossed the line together just a few seconds back, the Dane graciously congratulating his great rival as Pogačar sealed the overall title. 

Pogačar's overall winning margin was 0:59 over Vingegaard, while Florian Lipowitz took third at 2:38. The Dauphiné was a great preview for what was to come, as this would go on to be the exact podium in Paris at the end of the Tour. Meanwhile, Seixas finished eighth, confirming his talent and outlining what we could expect for the French prodigy in future years. 

The 2026 Critérium du Dauphiné features a diverse, eight-stage route. It starts with a mountainous 146.2km circuit from Vizille to Saint-Ismier on Stage 1, followed by a 234.3km transition to Le Puy-en-Velay on Stage 2. 

The race then shifts to a 28.4km TTT for Stage 3, a rolling 167.4km test on Stage 4, and a 195.8km sprint opportunity on Stage 5. 

The Dauphiné brings the high mountains, where Stage 6 finishes atop Crest-Voland, Stage 7 tackles the steep Col du Grand Colombier via Virieu-le-Petit, and Stage 8 delivers a Queen Stage showdown on the Plateau de Solaison to define the GC battle.

Check out Domestique's full stage-by-stage guide for the 2026 Critérium du Dauphiné here. 

There were plenty of eyes focused on Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) when the French teenager finished eighth in his Dauphiné debut twelve months ago. However, thanks to his stellar progression and constant displays of his immense talent, the attention surrounding the Frenchman has increased tenfold. 

Seixas is set to become the youngest rider to start the Tour de France in 89 years in July, and his participation marks one of the biggest talking points surrounding La Grande Boucle in recent years. 

Victory in the Critérium du Dauphiné for the nineteen-year-old will only increase the fervour ahead of the opening stage in Barcelona on July 4. 

Having dominated Itzulia Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne as well as being best of the rest behind Pogačar at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Seixas will arrive at the Dauphiné with the favourite status. 

Despite his age, the pressure or expectation of victory won't faze Seixas if recent performances are to go by, and he will have his eyes set on breaking the French drought at the Dauphiné, which runs back to Christophe Moreau's triumph in 2007. 

Incidentally, Seixas' victory in the Basque Country marked the first time a Frenchman had won a WorldTour stage race since Moreau in 2007 at the Dauphiné.

Standing alongside Seixas as one of the latest generation’s superstars is Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). 

The Mexican champion has been one of the most prolific riders since the start of last season, and this season has broken new ground by winning his first two WorldTour stage races in the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico. 

After finishing third at Strade Bianche behind Pogačar and Seixas, Del Toro would have been eager to battle the Frenchman at Itzulia Basque Country. 

However, things didn't go to plan for Del Toro. The Mexican champion shipped time to Seixas in the opening time trial and first road stage, before crashing out on stage 3. Consequently, the Mexican suffered a right thigh muscle tear as well as several abrasions. 

He hasn't raced since, and the Dauphiné will be the last chance to get some race days before embarking on his Tour debut. At the Tour, Del Toro is expected to be a crucial lieutenant to Pogačar's bid for a record-equalling fifth maillot jaune. 

Therefore, the Dauphiné presents a chance not only to build form, but also another opportunity for GC leadership and the opportunity to complete a hat-trick of WorldTour stage races in 2026. 

João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was meant to lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the Giro, but the Portuguese rider missed out due to illness. 

Having not raced since a low-key 38th place in the Volta a Catalunya, the whereabouts of Almeida's current shape will be one of the more intriguing pre-race subplots. 

Having Del Toro in the team eases the pressure on the shoulders of Almeida from a GC-leading perspective. However, if Almeida is anything close to his best, he will expect to feature at the sharp end of the GC in what is set to be his Dauphiné debut. 

Originally pencilled to lead UAE at the Giro and Vuelta a España, there have been question marks about whether Almeida could feature in the team's Tour line-up. 

UAE Sports Manager Matxin Jordan Fernandez indicated to Domestique at the Giro that Almeida's Tour prospects remain hazy, but a bounce back in the Dauphiné could make the selection process that bit more interesting. 

Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) is another rider who arrives at the Dauphiné having faced recent setbacks. 

The Spanish rider started life with his new team, Lidl-Trek, on the front foot, winning a stage and the GC of the Volta ao Algarve, against the likes of Seixas, Almeida and Onley, all of whom are expected to be present in the Dauphiné. 

Things started to go wrong when he crashed out of Paris-Nice in inclement weather conditions while wearing the maillot jaune. Ayuso made his return to action a month later in April in the Basque Country, but illness scuppered his ability to feature in the GC. 

He'll arrive at the Dauphiné having not raced since abandoning stage 4 in the Basque Country. Though the lack of racing could have given Ayuso an injection of freshness to build his form through the Dauphiné before hitting peak shape in the Tour, where he will lead Lidl-Trek's GC ambitions.

Like UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Lidl-Trek have multiple GC cards to play. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) finished seventh in Catalunya and 14th in the Basque Country, but more recently showed strong signs in his favoured Ardennes Classics. The Dane narrowly missed out on defending his Amstel Gold Race title, losing a sprint against Remco Evenepoel, before finishing fifth at Flèche-Wallonne. 

Also, while 17th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège doesn't stand out on paper, the Dane was one of the most combative riders in the race, and ultimately finished in the same group as the final podium spot. 

Along with Ayuso, it will be interesting to see how Skjelmose races the Dauphiné, and if having a strong teammate will give him more scope and confidence to attack the race aggressively, which he does well when at his best.

Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos) will be aiming to kickstart his 2026 campaign following his big move to the British team thanks to his breakthrough fourth place at the Tour last year. 

It's been an inconsistent campaign for the British rider thanks to illness. A solid fourth at the Volta ao Algarve and a steady 12th in Catalunya have been sandwiched in between Paris-Nice and the Tour de Romandie, two races in which he had to abandon due to illness. 

However, Onley’s elite climbing talent remains undeniable, and this mountain-heavy parcours plays perfectly to his natural strengths. If he has fully recovered from his illness setbacks, he has both the explosive punch and the team backing to challenge for the podium.

The performances of Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) can often go without much hullabaloo, but the Norwegian has once again been one of the most consistent GC riders this season. 

After finishing sixth in the Tour last year, Johannessen has finished fourth at Tirreno-Adriatico and third at Itzulia Basque Country. In addition, the Norwegian scored a ninth-place finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 

What's more impressive is the manner of his performances. As Johannessen and his Uno-X Mobility teammates showed in a rain-soaked final stage in the Basque Country, there is no fear about getting stuck in when the going gets tough. 

The team are always willing to back their man 100% and based on 2026 so far, will have strong ambitions of placing Johannessen on the Dauphiné podium.

Here's a look at some of the other riders who could feature in the top ten overall: 

Ion Izagirre (Cofidis): The 37-year-old Basque rider is riding his final season before retirement, but you wouldn't believe it based on his performances this year. Seventh at Paris-Nice, fourth at Itzulia Basque Country, winning the GP Miguel Indurain and a strong Ardennes campaign, including seventh at Flèche Wallonne, make Izagirre top ten material ahead of his final Dauphiné.

Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar): There have been green shoots for the talented Belgian since his move to the Spanish team, including eighth in Catalunya and twelfth in Itzulia. A top ten finish would do a world of good ahead of his Tour debut this summer.

Iván Romeo (Movistar): A stage winner twelve months ago, the Spanish Champion is a proven stage hunter, but also rides a strong week-long GC. He won the Vuelta a Andalucia and finished fifth at O Gran Camiño, though he hasn't had a top ten finish in a WorldTour stage race so far this campaign.

Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step): The lightweight French climbing specialist's best GC performance of the season came at the Volta a Catalunya, where he narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing fourth.

Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies): The Frenchman flew under the radar to finish tenth at the Tour last summer, proving his GC credentials and some. Jegat's 2026 season was delayed, but in his first race in mid-April at the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs, he won the uphill sprint. He followed this up with fourth at the Tour of Turkey, but only ten race days this season make Jegat an intriguing prospect. 

Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana): It's sometimes difficult to tell whether the Italian will target stage wins and the KOM or whether he will go for a more conservative GC approach. If it's the latter, he has proven himself recently with a ninth in Romandie.

Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla): The Australian has had a strong campaign in week-long stage races this season, with third at the UAE Tour, fifth in Romandie and third at the Tour de Hongrie.

Daniel Felipe Martínez (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): The only former winner on the start list. Martínez was the best of the rest behind Jonas Vingegaard at Paris-Nice. He didn't feature in the GC more recently in Romandie, but a Paris-Nice version of the Colombian can be very competitive. 

Dorian Godon (Netcompany-Ineos) has made a habit of winning at WorldTour level since his move to the British team this season. The French champion has five WorldTour wins this season, four coming in reduced group sprints at Paris-Nice, the Volta a Catalunya and Tour de Romandie. 

Godon will be the man to watch in the event of a sprint finish at this Dauphiné, and he'll have the added motivation of trying to win in the French tricolore for the final time before the national championships.

Meanwhile, Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) returns to road action after his epic Paris-Roubaix triumph. The Belgian star has a prolific track record at the Dauphiné as a five-time stage winner and could add another based on his 2026 shape so far.

Set to be a key lieutenant in Jonas Vingegaard's Giro-Tour double quest, Van Aert's priority will be building form ahead of La Grande Boucle, but whenever the Belgian pins on a number, he is always one to watch.

Want to discover the full Dauphiné 2026 start list? Check it out here.