The bike race formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné, now the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, has long been a key dress rehearsal for riders headed to the Tour de France the following month. This year, the cast is missing the Tour's two leading men, but in their absence, some of the sport's brightest rising stars will take the stage in southern France, where the route will also offer at least a few glimpses into what we can expect in July.
In other words, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes still has plenty going for it this year. Here are the reasons to tune in despite the silly new name and the dearth of Pogačars and Vingegaards ...
Seixas vs. Del Toro vs. Ayuso
With the two dominant Grand Tour racers of the era elsewhere this week, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will pit a few riders who are hoping to succeed them as the stars of the next generation against each other. Without Pogačar and Vingegaard in the mix, the racing should be pretty darn exciting.
Headlining the field is Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM), who happens to be from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and who somehow found a way to exceed expectations in the first half of the season despite the fact that those expectations were already sky-high. He showed at the Itzulia Basque Country, which he won by two and a half minutes over last year's third-place place finisher at the Tour de France, that he can be consistent enough to win a WorldTour stage race.
With his own Tour debut looming, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the obvious next step for the home favorite. It is a bigger prize than the Itzulia and with bigger mountains. It could also be a bigger challenge.
His biggest competition could come from another recent Tour de l'Avenir winner about to make his own Tour de France debut: Isaac del Toro. The 22-year-old Mexican has not raced since crashing out of the aforementioned Itzulia, making it a bit of a question mark just where his form is, but if he is recovered from that crash, he did start the season off with a brilliant run at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico.
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