The race formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné (or Critérium du Dauphiné Libre for the past 77 years) has this year been controversially rebranded as the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes. With Tadej Pogačar choosing to ride the Tour de Suisse, and both Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel avoiding competition altogether in June, that leaves rising French sensation Paul Seixas as the new favorite for the overall win.
Read on and we’ll show you how to watch a Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 live stream from anywhere, and potentially for free.
Key Info at a Glance: Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 runs Sunday, June 7 through Sunday, June 14. Free streams are available on SBS OnDemand (Australia) and FranceTV (France).
How to Watch the 2026 Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes for Free
Cycling fans in Australia, France, Belgium, and Spain can watch the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 live stream for free. Here’s where:
- SBS OnDemand — Australia
- FranceTV — France
- RTBF Auvio — Belgium
- RTVE Play — Spain
If you’re a resident of one of these countries but currently traveling abroad, don’t worry about missing the action — just download a VPN to reconnect to your home streaming coverage. More details below.
Use a VPN to Watch Any Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 Live Stream
The Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 is streaming on multiple platforms around the world, but what if you’re abroad and don’t want to take out a new subscription just to watch the race? Or perhaps you prefer your familiar, local commentary?
That’s where a VPN can help. It’s a handy piece of software that can make your device appear to be back home, so you can unlock your preferred service or subscription from wherever you are. We recommend NordVPN — it does everything you need at great speeds and an even better price.
How to Watch in the US
Cycling fans in the US can watch the 2026 Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes on Peacock. You’ll need the $9.99 subscription tier that provides access to live sports. If you’re outside the US but still want to watch, check out the VPN route above to access your subscriptions from anywhere.
How to Watch in the UK
The Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 is on TNT Sports in the UK. TNT Sports’ cycling coverage has now moved from Discovery+ to the HBO Max platform. It costs £30.99 per month, though there’s a better value £25.99 “saver plan” available if you sign up for a 12-month term. If you already had a Discovery+ account for viewing TNT Sports, it should be automatically transferred over to HBO Max. Traveling abroad? Use a VPN to watch your preferred service from overseas.
How to Watch in Canada
Fans in Canada can watch the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 on FloBikes. A subscription costs $49.99 a month or $215.88 for the year. Not at home right now? Use a VPN service to make your device appear as though you’re still in Canada.
How to Watch in Australia
Cycling fans in Australia can watch the 2026 Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes for free on SBS OnDemand. You can sign into SBS using Google, Facebook, or Apple accounts. Simply provide your birth year and gender and watch at no cost. Away from home? Use a VPN to trick your device into thinking you’re still in Australia.
Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 – Preview
With all of France now tracking his every move, young prodigy Paul Seixas carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders as he bids to win his first major mountain stage race. He’s proven himself on shorter, punchy climbs, but can he live up to the enormous expectation placed on his 19-year-old shoulders when it comes to the high mountains — of which this race is packed?
Fortunately for him, his main competitors — Evenepoel, Vingegaard, and Pogačar, whom he’ll face at the Tour de France — are absent, which should make his task a little easier. He’ll still face ambitious rivals though: Juan Ayuso, João Almeida, Oscar Onley, and joint race favorite Issac del Toro are all on the start list, all seeking a huge opportunity for a major win in the absence of the superstars.
Also present to hone their form before July are this year’s Paris-Roubaix winner Wout van Aert, British time trial star Ethan Hayter, and Irish breakaway specialist Ben Healy.
This year’s route is an absolute killer, with at least three summit finishes in a row. There are zero days for the sprinters, mountains to cross every day, and a team time trial thrown in to let the squads set the pecking order before the Tour de France.
Kicking off with a few modest mountain stages followed by the time trial on Stage 3, the race then heads into breakaway territory on Stages 4 and 5 before the triple whammy at the end. Stage 6 crosses three huge peaks before arriving at the summit finish of Côte de Crest-Voland. Stage 7 ticks off four mountains en route to the giant Grand Colombier, leaving just one stage remaining.
At just 120 kilometers, the final stage is short but insanely difficult, crossing the Col du Pré, the Montée de Bisanne, and the Col des Aravis before finishing on the Plateau de Solaison. If Paul Seixas was looking for a test to prove to his people that he’s ready to fight for the Tour de France, he has certainly found it.
The fight for the general classification will be on from the very first stage, as the peloton embarks on 146 kilometers of mountainous terrain from Vizille to Saint-Ismier.
Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 Stages
- Stage 1 | Sunday, June 7 | Vizille – Saint-Ismier, 146.2 km
- Stage 2 | Monday, June 8 | Saint-Martin-Le-Vinoux – Le Puy-en-Velay, 234.3 km
- Stage 3 | Tuesday, June 9 | Perreux – Perreux, 28.4 km (TTT)
- Stage 4 | Wednesday, June 10 | Le Puy-en-Velay – Montrond-Les-Bains, 167.4 km
- Stage 5 | Thursday, June 11 | Saint-Chamond – Villars-Les-Dombes, 195.8 km
- Stage 6 | Friday, June 12 | Saint-Vulbas – Crest-Voland, 182.3 km
- Stage 7 | Saturday, June 13 | La Bridoire – Grand Colombier, 133.6 km
- Stage 8 | Sunday, June 14 | Beaufort – Plateau de Solaison, 120.1 km
