Baudin battles to breakaway victory in Dauphiné opener

The 25-year-old French rider rider made his move inside the final 25 kilometres on the Côte de Rousset, the last and hardest climb of the day, and kept his effort under control all the way to the line.

Behind him, the peloton never fully committed to the chase. Visma | Lease a Bike and Decathlon CMA CGM controlled the race in the final, but Baudin’s advantage held firm, with no team appearing especially eager to take responsibility for the leader’s jersey on the opening day.

It was the third professional victory of Baudin’s career, after he previously won a stage and the overall classification at the Tour du Limousin Périgord Nouvelle Aquitaine.

Decathlon CMA CGM suffered a setback during the stage when Matthew Riccitello abandoned through illness. UAE Team Emirates XRG also endured a difficult finale, with João Almeida losing contact after the pace lifted in the peloton and Isaac del Toro left isolated late on.

he opening stage of the 2026 Dauphiné was a demanding start to the week. Across the 146.2 kilometre route, the riders faced more than 3,000 metres of climbing and five classified ascents, the last of them a category 1 climb.

The profile prompted a long fight to get into the breakaway. After several attempts, nine riders eventually went clear with 102 kilometres remaining: Alex Díaz (Caja Rural Seguros RGA), Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies), Georg Zimmermann (Lotto-Intermarché), Alastair Mackellar (EF Education-EasyPost), Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Raúl García Pierna (Movistar Team), Clément Braz Afonso (Groupama FDJ United), Sergio Samitier (Cofidis) and George Bennett (NSN Cycling Team).

The breakaway was never allowed much room, with its advantage peaking at around two minutes. Behind, Decathlon CMA CGM set the tone in the peloton for Paul Seixas, who started the race as one of the main favourites.

Decathlon CMA CGM suffered a setback when Matthew Riccitello was forced to abandon after falling ill overnight.

With 53 kilometres remaining, the pace in the peloton lifted sharply and two notable names were distanced: Wout van Aert and, more surprisingly, João Almeida. Up front, the breakaway also began to split, with Vercher, Baudin, Braz Afonso, Samitier and Bennett staying clear at the head of the race.

Behind them, Decathlon CMA CGM continued to drive the peloton, later receiving support from UAE Team Emirates XRG and Netcompany Ineos.

Heading into the finale, Vercher lost contact with the break before Baudin made his decisive move on the Côte de Rousset. The peloton was closing quickly and the gap had dipped below a minute, but the EF Education EasyPost rider responded by pushing his advantage back out beyond a minute with 25 kilometres remaining.

Visma | Lease a Bike then took control behind, with Bruno Armirail setting the tempo on the final kilometres of the climb. Baudin, however, continued to hold firm out front and increasingly looked capable of finishing the job.

The gap never truly came down. In fact, Baudin added more seconds in the final 10 kilometres before riding clear to the third victory of his professional career and the first EF Education-EasyPost stage win in the history of the Dauphiné.

Inside the final five kilometres, a group of ten riders slipped away from the reduced peloton, including Netcompany Ineos pair Oscar Onley and Kevin Vauquelin. They gained 12 seconds by the finish.

Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin Premier Tech) took second on the stage, with Paul Seixas’ teammate Léo Bisiaux finishing third.

The Dauphiné continues on Monday with one of the few stages that could offer an opportunity for the fast men who have started the race.