Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 Stage 5 Preview | biggest sprint chance — and Van Aert's best opportunity?

The fifth day of the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes means just one more day for the general classification contenders to rest their legs a bit. This will be good for the climbers, as there is still some action to come. The sprinters missed their chance in the fourth stage, so they will be eager to seize this new opportunity with both hands. IDL Pro Cycling previws the stage and favourites.

Haven't we seen this stage before? It's a fair question when you compare the route of stage 5 with that of stage 4. But no — this is a new day and a new set of opportunities. Over 195 kilometres, the organisers have tucked 2,200 metres of climbing into the parcours, but as with Wednesday's stage, the bulk of it comes early on.

The stage starts in Saint-Chamond. Within the first ten kilometres there are already two categorised climbs — both fourth-category ascents, nothing brutal, but anyone who hasn't warmed up properly will feel them. They are also the last hills where mountain points are on offer, though the terrain continues to roll throughout.

The climb to Ongt, for example, stretches 5.3 kilometres at 5.1%. The route heads north, passing approximately thirty kilometres west of Lyon. After an intermediate sprint in Blacé, the race turns east and the truly hilly phase comes to an end. It is not always flat from there, but the toughest kilometres are behind the peloton.

The riders then pass through the Dombes — a region of a thousand lakes. The final 25 kilometres head south towards the finish in Villars-les-Dombes. If it comes to a sprint, the last bend will be three kilometres from the line, giving a clean and relatively unchaotic run to the finish.

Times
Start: 12:30 p.m CET ( 11:30 a.m GMT | 6:30 a.m ET)
Finish: around 5:06 p.m CET (5:06 p.m GMT | 12:06 p.m ET)

The weather in France is nice and mild but dry. At the start, it’s about 18 degrees, and for the first part of the race, the wind is head-on. From Belleville-en-Beaujolais onward, it will be blowing diagonally from behind. But no matter how you look at it: there doesn’t seem to be enough wind for echelons.

The similarity with Wednesday's stage makes predicting stage 5 a little easier. It is a fraction less demanding than the day before — and even on the harder stage 4, the sprinters had their chance. So we look again to the fast men. Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) was the quickest in the peloton behind the break in stage 4, so put him right at the top of the list.

He edged out Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), who will be looking for another shot. Dorian Godon (Netcompany INEOS) also had a strong showing. For Lotto-Intermarché, Vito Braet performed well, though the team also have Mathieu Kockelmann in reserve. Other quick names in the field include Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Hugo Hofstetter (NSN), and Henri Uhlig (Alpecin-Premier Tech). And could we see Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) make his move?

But it was the break that held on all the way to Montrond-les-Bains. The riders who featured on Wednesday will be tired — but so will the sprint trains. We therefore expect a different group of escapees: the riders who were not part of Wednesday's move. Think of someone like Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal Quick-Step), or perhaps Gianni Vermeersch (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).

Simone Velasco could do something interesting for XDS Astana, and Groupama-FDJ United have no sprinter in the squad either. With riders such as Maxime Decomble or Kevin Geniets, they will also be looking to make something happen. Benjamin Thomas — if given the green light — could try his luck in the break for Cofidis.

Top favorites: Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Dark horses: Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Dorian Godon (Netcompany INEOS), Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), and Gianni Vermeersch (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Long shots: Vito Braet, Mathieu Kockelmann (Lotto-Intermarché), Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Hugo Hofstetter (NSN), Henri Uhlig (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal Quick-Step), Kevin Geniets (Groupama-FDJ), Simone Velasco (XDS Astana), and Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis)

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs - [email protected]