Tour Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes kicks off with mountain stages and returning star Juan Ayuso

The Tour Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes (formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné) starts on Sunday 7 June in Vizille, Isère, and runs to 14 June across eight stages. The route includes six climbing‑focused stages, with the opening stage featuring a 3,202‑metre elevation gain and the final stage finishing on the Plateau de Solaison. A 28‑km team time trial is scheduled for 9 June in Perreux.

Spanish rider Juan Ayuso, 23, makes his comeback to the peloton at this race after a season disrupted by a crash that forced him out of Paris‑Nice and a virus that sidelined him in the Tour du Pays Basque. Ayuso, a former UAE Emirates XRG rider now with Lidl‑Trek, said he is “really eager … to play a major role in the fight for the general classification.” He hopes the race will serve as a final preparation for the Tour de France, where he will again face rivals such as French prodigy Paul Seixas.