Five riders to watch at the 2026 Critérium du Dauphiné

This year’s route should give opportunities to aggressive riders, climbers and breakaway specialists. We have picked out five names who could leave their mark on the 2026 edition.

Baptiste Veistroffer has already shown this season that he is not afraid to spend long days in the breakaway. The French Lotto-Intermaché rider took his first professional victory on stage 2 of the Tour of Oman, where he outwitted the peloton after committing to a full stage attack.

That win was not an isolated sign of intent. Earlier in the year, he had been part of the break on stage 3 of the Santos Tour Down Under, only to be caught in the closing kilometres. He then continued a busy first half of the season with appearances at the UAE Tour, Nokere Koerse, Volta a Catalunya, Gran Premio Miguel Indurain, Itzulia Basque Country, the Tour of Hainan, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Boucles de la Mayenne.

His racing at Volta a Catalunya summed up his approach. Veistroffer made the breakaway on each of the first three stages, with all three moves lasting more than 100 kilometres. Now set for his first appearance at the Dauphiné, the 26 year old looks like an obvious candidate to go on the offensive again. If the right move is given room, he has already shown he can make it count.

Harold Tejada arrives at the Dauphiné after one of the strongest periods of his career. The XDS Astana rider claimed his first WorldTour victory earlier this season on stage 6 of Paris-Nice, attacking with 4.6 kilometres to go and holding on for the win in Apt.

The Colombian has also been present near the front in harder races. His fourth place on Jebel Morah at the UAE Tour stood out, especially as he finished ahead of established general classification riders, including Felix Gall, who later went on to finish second at the Giro d’Italia.

Tejada also has unfinished business at the Dauphiné. In 2025, he came close to taking his first professional victory in the race, finishing second from the break on stage 3 after Ivan Romeo attacked clear with just over five kilometres remaining.

His most recent race before the Dauphiné was Itzulia Basque Country, where sixth on stage 5 was his best result. Given the shape of this year’s parcours, there is every reason to think Tejada can again be in the mix for Astana, especially if the breakaway is allowed to fight for stage honours.

Léo Bisiaux may not have attracted the same attention as Decathlon CMA CGM teammate Paul Seixas, but the 21-year-old has quietly built a strong case of his own.

Bisiaux already has a professional win on his record after taking stage 3 of the 2025 Vuelta a Burgos with a late attack, beating riders including Giulio Pellizzari, Isaac del Toro and Giulio Ciccone. His start to 2026 was more subdued, with a midfield finish at Volta a Catalunya followed by a DNF on stage 6 of Itzulia Basque Country, but his spring campaign showed clear progress.

He finished third at the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs and followed that with second at the Tour du Jura Cycliste the next day. In the Ardennes, he then produced solid results with 15th at La Flèche Wallonne and 12th at Liège Bastogne Liège.

At the Dauphiné, Bisiaux is expected to ride in support of Seixas in the general classification. Even so, there may be stages where Decathlon can give him room to follow attacks or chase his own result. If that happens, he has the punch and climbing ability to make himself visible.

Ion Izagirre is approaching the final months of his career, but the Cofidis rider is still performing at a high level. The Basque veteran has been consistently competitive in 2026, winning the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain again and finishing inside the top ten overall at both Paris Nice and Itzulia Basque Country.

This will be only his second appearance at the Dauphiné. His previous start came in 2021, when he finished seventh overall and also took a stage podium in an Astana-Premier Tech one two on stage 4.

Izagirre’s most recent outing came at Eschborn Frankfurt, where he finished sixth among several faster finishers and picked up valuable UCI points for Cofidis.

With stage wins in all three Grand Tours on his palmarès and strong form still in his legs, Izagirre remains a dangerous rider when the breakaway is given freedom. The Dauphiné could offer exactly that kind of opportunity.

Another man heading into the Dauphiné in good form is Alex Baudin. The EF Education-EasyPost rider has been close to a first professional victory several times this season, collecting a string of top ten finishes and a podium at the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain.

The 25-year-old Frenchman also has a personal connection to the region. Baudin comes from Albertville in the Rhône Alpes, giving him extra motivation as the race moves through familiar terrain.

He has already shown he can perform at the Dauphiné. Last year, his best result came on stage 6, where he finished sixth on the summit finish in Combloux. A similar result this time would not be a surprise, especially if EF look to animate the race through breakaways and selective climbing stages.

Baudin is still chasing that first professional win. The Dauphiné may be one of the better places for him to take the next step.