Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 Route stage 3: Perreux - Perreux

Tuesday 9 June – With the Tour de France due to open with a team time trial in which every rider is awarded an individual time, the 3rd stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes serves as a useful dress rehearsal. The course is a rolling 28.4-kilometre circuit through the countryside around Perreux.

First published: 6 June 2026

The course is never completely flat, but none of the uphill sections are particularly demanding either. At least, they wouldn't be in a normal road stage. In a team time trial, however, they are a different proposition altogether.

The route starts on flat roads and, after a short descent, the riders face a 1-kilometre climb at 5.9%. The road then continues to rise, largely on a false flat, towards the first intermediate time check, which comes after 8 kilometres in Coutouvre.

Following the subsequent descent, the road ramps up again, climbing at 5.9% for 300 metres. Another false-flat section of several kilometres follows before giving way to a 1-kilometre climb at 5.2%. At the top, the riders pass through Montagny, where the second intermediate time check is located.

After Montagny, the route trends gently downhill for around 11 kilometres. That changes in the finale, where the road kicks up sharply once more. It is an ideal launch pad for the punchy GC contenders to empty the tank on the run to the finish.

There are two intermediate time checks - at kilometre 8.0 and 15.8.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 3rd stage 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026.

The first team rolls down the start ramp at 15:05, while the final team is expected to reach the finish at approximately 17:02 - both local times (CEST).