Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026: Live report stage 7

Today, the first truly brutal mountaintop finish of the Tour of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes comes in the form of the Grand Colombier. Who will be the first to summit the 8.4-kilometre climb at an average gradient of 10.2% and strike a blow in the fight for overall victory? Follow the stage live on Cyclingstage.com.

After the race has been neutralised on the descent of the Côte de Saint-Maurice-de-Rotherens — and with no breakaway still established — Paul Seixas crashes. It takes a while before he gets back on his bike, and by the time he resumes racing he is over 3 minutes down. Together with his teammate Stefan Bissegger, he sets off in pursuit.

Meanwhile, Andreas Kron, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Sam Maisonobe and King of the Mountains Clément Braz Afonso go clear off the front. It does not come to anything, but the speed remains high, causing Seixas to lose more ground. His deficit grows to 4 minutes, prompting Daan Hoole to wait for him as well. The three of them then begin the chase.

While racing on the flat towards the Lacets du Grand Colombier, Kevin Vermaerke, Quinn Simmons, Léo Bisiaux, Andreas Kron, Sean Quinn, Pello Bilbao, Mathieu Burgaudeau, George Bennett, Sam Maisonobe and Clément Berthet jump off the front of the peloton.

Things do not settle down, however. The pace remains so high that only Bilbao, Burgaudeau, Bennett, Maisonobe and Berthet remain. Their lead is still minimal.

For the latest race situation, you can also use the live trackers in the slideshow below this article; for the weather conditions along the route, click on the interactive weather map.

The race is expected to finish around 16:00 CEST.

Other interesting reads:
- today's route
- GC after stage 6
- full route
- start list
- records & winners
- 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné