Explore
Destinations, athlete stories, and field reports from every corner of the globe.
Browse by Sport
Del Toro Detonates on Solaison: UAE's Young Climber Steals Yellow on the Final Day
Isaac del Toro attacked solo on the Plateau de Solaison and reversed a 49-second deficit to take both the stage win and the overall title — leaving Tuckwell without yellow and Jorgenson without the podium he held all week.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Beaufortain and Aravis: The French Alps Stage Nobody Markets
The stage-8 route of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes traces one of the best multi-climb cycling loops in the French Alps — from the Beaufort valley over the Col du Pré, the Bisanne, the Aravis, and up to the Plateau de Solaison. Most cyclists drive past this area heading somewhere more famous. That is their loss.
By ZealZag TeamTour Auvergne Stage 8: Four Climbs, 42 Seconds, One Plateau
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes closes on the Plateau de Solaison today — 120 kilometres, four Alpine climbs, and a 42-second gap between Luke Tuckwell's yellow jersey and Matteo Jorgenson. Isaac del Toro is 49 seconds back after winning Stage 7 on the Grand Colombier. The race ends here.
By ZealZag TeamClimbing the Grand Colombier: The Ain's Hardest Summit and the Bugey's Best Secret
The Grand Colombier sits at 1,501 metres in the Bugey limestone plateau of the Ain department — a summit that has terrorised Tour de France and Critérium du Dauphiné pelotons for decades, and one that visiting cyclists consistently underestimate because the Ain doesn't have the Alps' marketing budget. Here's how to ride it.
By ZealZag TeamTour Auvergne Stage 7: The Grand Colombier and the Race Before the Race
Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes sends the peloton from La Bridoire to the Grand Colombier summit — 8.4 kilometres at 10.2 percent, a finish so steep it forces every rider within striking distance of Luke Tuckwell's yellow jersey to show their cards a day before the finale.
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 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 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 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 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
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 Team