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Cycling the Beaufortain: Col des Saisies, Crest-Voland, and Savoie's Quiet Alps
The Beaufortain massif sits between the Tarentaise and the Arly valley in Savoie — a block of mid-altitude Alpine terrain with long climbs, low traffic, and a cheese industry whose villages make the best possible intermediate stops. Today's Tour Auvergne stage finishes here. Here's how to ride the same roads.
By ZealZag TeamTour Auvergne Stage 6: The Mountains Open and the GC Clock Starts Running
Stage 6 of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes rolls into the Alps today — 182.3km from Saint-Vulbas to the ski station at Crest-Voland, the first mountain finish of the race and the first real test of Alex Baudin's yellow jersey lead against a field that includes Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro, Juan Ayuso, and Matteo Jorgenson.
By ZealZag TeamThe Vendée Globe: Solo, Non-Stop, Unassisted — and Still the Most Demanding Race in the World
The Vendée Globe starts and finishes in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. Solo, non-stop, no assistance permitted. Approximately 24,000 nautical miles around three great capes. Since 1989 it has been the defining event in ocean sailing — not because of its prize money, but because of what it asks the person inside the boat.
By ZealZag TeamRide the Dombes: Cycling the Ain Plateau Where Stage 5 Finishes
The Dombes plateau north of Lyon — where the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Stage 5 finishes — is flat, lake-dotted cycling country connecting Alpine climbing to the Loire foothills. Our guide covers the route, how to get there, where to stay, and why this overlooked corner of France is worth the detour.
By ZealZag TeamTour Auvergne 2026 Stage 5: The Sprint Day Van Aert Has Been Waiting For
Stage 5 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes delivers the race's only true sprint finish — 195.8km from Saint-Chamond to the Parc des Oiseaux at Villars-les-Dombes, with all 2,200m of climbing front-loaded and a clean, flat run-in from the last bend 3km out.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Forez: Pierre-sur-Haute, Montrond, and the Volcanic Plateau's Quietest Edge
Between the Auvergne volcanoes and the Loire plain sits the Forez massif — a forgotten cycling region whose highest point reaches 1,634 metres, whose secondary roads carry almost no traffic, and whose Stage 4 finish town Montrond-les-Bains offers thermal recovery infrastructure that no alpine base can match.
By ZealZag TeamTwelve Seconds: Baudin and EF Roll Yellow Into Stage 4 at Montrond-les-Bains
Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) carries a twelve-second yellow jersey lead into Stage 4 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes today — a 167.5-kilometre transition stage from Le Puy-en-Velay into the Loire plain, with Vauquelin, Onley, and Jorgenson sitting just behind and Stage 5's first summit finish waiting tomorrow.
By ZealZag TeamHow the Vendée Globe Became Solo Sailing's Most Important Race
The Vendée Globe is a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the Earth: approximately 45,000 kilometres through the North Atlantic, the Southern Ocean, and back. No crew, no pit stops, no outside help. It has run every four years since 1989 and has reshaped what competitive sailing looks like — in boat design, in public attention, and in what the sport asks of its athletes.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Loire Roannais: The TTT Circuit and the Roads Beyond Perreux
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Stage 3 TTT runs a 28.4km circuit through the Loire Roannais — a stretch of rolling farmland and forested foothills between Roanne and Charlieu that rarely appears on any race route. A practical cycling guide to the area, from the TTT circuit itself to the Pilat Massif climbs one valley east.
By ZealZag TeamYellow on the Clock: Alex Baudin's EF Squad Faces the TTT at Perreux
Stage 3 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is a 28.4-kilometre team time trial circuit in the Loire Roannais — the first direct GC test of the race, a Tour de France dress rehearsal, and the day EF Education-EasyPost must defend Alex Baudin's thirty-two-second yellow jersey against Visma, UAE, INEOS, and Decathlon.
By ZealZag TeamHossegor and the Landes Coast: Europe's Beach Break Capital for Traveling Surfers
The Landes coast runs 130 kilometres of near-uninterrupted beach break from the Gironde estuary south to the Basque border. Hossegor sits at its centre, above a submarine canyon that focuses Atlantic swell into waves of unusual power for a sand-bottom break. The WSL Championship Tour comes here every autumn for a reason.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Matheysine Plateau: Empty Roads, Big Climbs, and the Isère's Quietest Cycling Country
The Matheysine plateau and the Trièves valley south of Grenoble carry some of the most empty, climbing-rich roads in the French Alps. The Col du Festre, the Col du Noyer, and the lakes of Laffrey are a 250-kilometre weekend within ninety minutes of a major airport.
By ZealZag TeamSkjelmose Slips the Leash on the Matheysine: Stage 2 Shifts the Tour Auvergne's GC Already
Mattias Skjelmose attacked from a six-rider move on the Col du Festre and held the line into La Mure to win Stage 2 of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Paul Seixas kept the yellow jersey. Isaac del Toro lost 38 seconds. The race has begun.
By ZealZag TeamCycling Grenoble: Three Massifs, One City, and the Roads the Tour Auvergne Uses Every June
Grenoble sits at the bottom of the Vercors, the Chartreuse, and the Belledonne — three mountain massifs within 20 minutes of the city centre. This week it's the basecamp for the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. For cyclists, it is the best-positioned Alpine training base in France. A practical guide to where to ride, when to go, and how to get there.
By ZealZag TeamThe Old Race Opens Under a New Name: Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Stage 1 Sends the Tour de France Field Into the Chartreuse
The renamed Critérium du Dauphiné opens in Vizille today with an unprecedented opening-stage ambition — five categorised climbs and 3,000 metres of climbing over 146 kilometres into Saint-Ismier — and a startlist that includes Paul Seixas, Isaac Del Toro, Wout van Aert, and Juan Ayuso, all using Stage 1 to begin telling the Tour de France story four weeks early.
By ZealZag TeamThe Vendée Globe: Why Sailing's Solo Circumnavigation Became the Sport's Definitive Test
Every four years, around 30 sailors leave Les Sables-d'Olonne alone on 60-foot monohulls and attempt to sail around the world without stopping or receiving outside assistance. The Vendée Globe is sailing's most demanding race. Understanding why it occupies that position requires understanding what solo non-stop circumnavigation actually involves.
By ZealZag Team
Race the Route: Riding the Alpine Climbs of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes traverses some of France's most spectacular cycling terrain — Chartreuse, Vercors, Belledonne. Our complete guide to riding these legendary Alpine cols, with logistics, gear, accommodation, and training advice.
By ZealZag Team
Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 Stage 1: The Alps Awaken at Vizille
Stage 1 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 fires the race to life on the roads below Grenoble — 146.2km, 3,000m of Alpine climbing, and a field of Tour de France contenders finding their legs in the shadow of the Chartreuse.
By ZealZag Team
Ride the Dauphine: A Cyclist's Guide to the French Alps' Greatest Race Route
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes queen stage packs 4,000m of climbing into 120km across the Aravis range. Our route guide covers the Grand Colombier, Plateau de Solaison, and how to base your trip in the French Alps.
By ZealZag Team
Dauphine 2026: Seixas, Van Aert and the Alps That Decide Tour de France
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes — cycling's definitive Tour de France rehearsal — begins Sunday in Vizille. Paul Seixas and Wout van Aert lead a start list that will answer every question the July race is asking.
By ZealZag Team
Cycling the Dauphiné: Grand Colombier, Solaison, and the Aravis in Haute-Savoie
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes sends the peloton over the Grand Colombier HC and Plateau de Solaison HC — two of the hardest and least touristed climbs in the French Alps. Here's how to ride them, when to go, and where to base yourself.
By ZealZag Team
Critérium du Dauphiné 2026: Seixas, Del Toro and Van Aert Battle for Solaison
Paul Seixas leads the next generation into the renamed Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (June 7–14) — a wide-open GC battle over the Grand Colombier and Plateau de Solaison that will crown a Tour de France contender.
By ZealZag TeamChamonix for Trail Runners: The UTMB Corridor and What the Trails Actually Ask
Chamonix sits at 1,035 metres in the Arve Valley, hemmed in by the biggest peaks in the Western Alps. Trail running here operates on three distinct altitude bands, from accessible afternoon runs at 2,000m to technical high-altitude routes that ask for more than aerobic fitness.
By ZealZag TeamHossegor: Europe's Most Consequential Beach Break
The beach breaks at La Gravière shaped professional surfing for three decades. What remains after the WSL contest moved on is one of the Atlantic coast's most powerful stretches of surf — accessible, practical, and honest about the skill level it requires.
By ZealZag Team