Organisers of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes have unveiled the route for the 78th edition, featuring a 28.4km team time trial and three consecutive Alpine summit finishes that will provide a direct preview of key stages at the 2026 Tour de France.
The race, formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné, will take place from June 7–14 and cover 1,204.3km across 10 of the region's 12 departments. It is the first full edition under the new name following the rebranding announced in June 2025.
"The Critérium du Dauphiné has grown with the roads and reliefs that shaped it," Christian Prudhomme, director of cycling at A.S.O., said. "With the faithful support of the region, it today becomes the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a new name that fully reflects the territorial anchoring of the race."
The route does not include a traditional prologue and instead opens with a semi-mountainous stage from Vizille to Saint-Ismier, featuring five categorised climbs. Stage 2 stretches to 237.3km, making it the longest of the week.
Stage 3 introduces a 28.4km team time trial in Le Perreux using the Paris-Nice format, where the official time is taken on the first rider across the line rather than the fourth or fifth.
The final three stages are all decided on mountain climbs – two in the Alps and one in the Jura Mountains. Stage 6 finishes at the ski station of Crest-Voland (5.9km at 7.7%), a climb new to the race. Stage 7 tackles the Col du Grand Colombier via the Virieu-le-Petit side, one of its steepest variants at 8.4km and 10.2% average gradient.
The queen stage covers 120km and includes the Col du Pré, Montée de Bisanne, Col des Aravis, and a summit finish at the Plateau de Solaison (11.3km at 9.1%), replicating Stage 15 of the 2026 Tour de France.
All 18 WorldTour teams will participate alongside four invited ProTeams: Cofidis, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, TotalEnergies and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is the defending champion, having won the 2025 edition on the Plateau du Mont-Cenis.
