Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 2 preview | Another dream day for the breakaway?

The first stage of the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes produced a major surprise, but do not be surprised if a breakaway rider strikes again in stage two. There are even more climbing metres on the menu in this endless-looking stage. It looks made for the attackers: IDL Pro Cycling lines up the main contenders.

The Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes already began with a very tough stage, but stage two will not feel much easier. That is mainly because of the distance: the riders have to cover no fewer than 234.3 kilometres between Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux and Le Puy-en-Velay. Along the way, there are almost 3,700 metres of climbing.

From the start, the road rises sharply after just 13 kilometres, with the Col de Chatain. Technically, this may well be the hardest climb of the day, with 7.9 kilometres at 5.7 per cent. It is also a two-stage rocket with some very steep gradients. The Col de la Croix de Toutes Aures follows quickly, but it is a little less demanding.

That creates an opening phase in which a breakaway can easily form. The next kilometres, as the riders head west, are mainly downhill and flat. It is only after more than 100 kilometres that the road starts to rise seriously again. The Col Robert Marchand is 10.9 kilometres long, the longest climb of the day. At 4.4 per cent, though, it is not especially difficult.

Shortly after the summit there is a bonus sprint, but after that we can slowly start to look ahead to the finale. That begins a little more than 30 kilometres from the finish. The Côte de Baraques (4.2 kilometres at 6.6 per cent) opens it up, and after that it is never really flat again. The Côte de Saint-Vidal is the last official climb (2 kilometres at 6.8 per cent). The summit comes 12 kilometres from the line.

After that comes a descent, with a small kick where one last acceleration can be launched. The drop down to Le Puy-en-Velay is not especially technical. In short, this is a stage that could go in any direction.

Climbs
Col de Chatain (7.9 km at 5.7%)
Col de la Croix de Toutes Aures (2.8 km at 6.1%)
Col Robert Marchand (10.9 km at 4.4%)
Côte des Baraques (4.2 km at 6.6%)
Côte de Saint-Vidal (2km at 6.8%)

Times
Start: 11:30 a.m CET
Finish: around 5:05 p.m CET

It is set to be very warm in France. At the start it could be close to 30 degrees, with a small chance of thunder but little rain. However, the bad weather could increase as the day goes on. It is quite possible that the riders arrive in Le Puy-en-Velay soaking wet.

It does not seem very likely that the general classification riders will be in a mood to light things up today. The opening stage was already hard enough, and the team time trial is coming up. Is this a chance for the breakaway riders? It certainly looks that way.

Then we turn to the strong all-rounders, riders with a big engine who climb well. Marco Frigo (NSN), for example, is made for this kind of stage.

But he is not the only one. What about the experienced Matej Mohoric, or Michael Matthews? The Australian from Jayco AlUla has only just returned from a terrible crash, but who knows. Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) is also making his comeback after an injury. Put the Irishman down, although he may also have to work for yellow jersey wearer Alex Baudin. Do the same with Georg Zimmerman (Lotto-Intermarché).

There are also plenty of young riders who handle this kind of stage well. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) will be looking forward to this stage, although team-mate Toms Skujins may be too. Iván Romeo (Movistar) won a stage in the Dauphiné last year on similar terrain. Alpecin-Premier Tech is hoping for a good day from the very young Senna Remijn.

It remains to be seen what to expect from Lennart Jasch. The German from Tudor won a stage in the Tour of the Alps and looks a possible contender, but he is inexperienced. Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) is also a dangerous rider, but he has not raced since February. For others, the question is more whether they will even be allowed to go.

Aurélièn Paret-Peintre (Decathlon CMA CGM) needs approval from team leader Paul Seixas, and the same applies to Kevin Vermaerke or Benoit Cosnefroy at UAE Team Emirates-XRG. But perhaps the biggest favourite for today is Wout van Aert. The Belgian from Visma | Lease a Bike is here for stage wins, and this looks like a very nice stage for him.

Top favorites: Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Benoit Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Outsiders: Marco Frigo (NSN), Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Iván Romeo (Movistar) and Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)
Long shots: Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Georg Zimmermann (Lotto-Intermarché), Senna Remijn (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Aurelièn Paret-Peintre (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Lennart Jasch (Tudor)