GC and jerseys after Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 5

Wout van Aert finally got his reward at the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026, winning stage 5 from Saint-Chamond to Parc des Oiseaux – Villars-les-Dombes after the sprint teams brought the race back together. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider beat Hugo Hofstetter and Phil Bauhaus at the end of the 195.8km stage, giving the fast finishers their clearest result of the week before the race heads into the mountains.

The general classification did not change at the top, with Alex Baudin finishing safely in the main bunch to keep the yellow jersey. That leaves the EF Education-EasyPost rider still 12 seconds ahead of Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley, with Matteo Jorgenson at 15 seconds ahead of three consecutive mountain stages.

It was a calmer day for the GC riders, but only in the narrow sense. Stage 5 was the last obvious chance for the faster riders before the race turns towards Crest-Voland, Grand Colombier and Plateau de Solaison. From here, Baudin’s defence becomes much harder, and the teams with multiple GC options will have to decide how aggressively they want to race.

For the wider route picture, see our Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 full route guide, stage 6 preview and how to watch Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 in the UK. The race is also becoming an important form guide for July, with several key names featured in our Tour de France 2026 young riders to watch.

Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 5 result

Van Aert’s stage win came after a much more controlled day than stage 4. The breakaway was allowed room early, but this time the sprint teams did not give the move enough of a lead to survive. The final kilometres were fast and tense, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike able to position Van Aert well enough for the Belgian to finish the job.

Hofstetter’s 2nd place was a strong result for NSN Cycling Team, especially with Nadav Raisberg also continuing in green. Bauhaus completed the podium for Bahrain Victorious, while Vito Braet, Henri François Renard Haquin, Dorian Godon, Raisberg, Henri Uhlig, Bryan Coquard and Matteo Trentin filled out the top 10.

Stage 5 top 10:

1. Wout van Aert, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, 4:31:59
2. Hugo Hofstetter, NSN Cycling Team, same time
3. Phil Bauhaus, Bahrain Victorious, same time
4. Vito Braet, Lotto-Intermarché, same time
5. Henri François Renard Haquin, Team Picnic PostNL, same time
6. Dorian Godon, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, same time
7. Nadav Raisberg, NSN Cycling Team, same time
8. Henri Uhlig, Alpecin-Premier Tech, same time
9. Bryan Coquard, Cofidis, same time
10. Matteo Trentin, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, same time

For Van Aert, this was an important result as much as a stage win. His race had included some difficult signs earlier in the week, but stage 5 gave Team Visma | Lease a Bike a clean sprint victory and a clear lift before the mountains.

General classification after stage 5

Alex Baudin keeps the yellow jersey after stage 5, with the main GC group all finishing together. That means the shape of the overall standings remains largely unchanged from stage 4, but the context is very different now. The flat and rolling stages are gone, and Baudin has to defend through the hardest terrain of the race.

Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley remain 2nd and 3rd overall for Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, both at 12 seconds. Matteo Jorgenson sits 4th at 15 seconds for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, while Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose remain level at 47 seconds for Lidl-Trek.

General classification top 10 after stage 5:

1. Alex Baudin, EF Education-EasyPost, 18:07:12
2. Kévin Vauquelin, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, +0:12
3. Oscar Onley, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, +0:12
4. Matteo Jorgenson, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +0:15
5. Juan Ayuso, Lidl-Trek, +0:47
6. Mattias Skjelmose, Lidl-Trek, +0:47
7. Jørgen Nordhagen, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +0:50
8. Carlos Rodriguez, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, +0:57
9. Léo Bisiaux, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, +0:59
10. Bruno Armirail, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, +1:00

The most interesting team position remains Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team. With Vauquelin, Onley and Rodriguez all in the top 10, they have more than one way to attack the next three stages. Team Visma | Lease a Bike also have Jorgenson and Nordhagen well placed, while Lidl-Trek have Ayuso and Skjelmose close enough to change the race once the road climbs properly.

Baudin has defended the jersey well, but the first real mountain finish to Crest-Voland will be a different test. He has 12 seconds in hand, but several riders behind him have stronger climbing credentials and stronger team depth for the final weekend.

Yellow jersey: Alex Baudin

Alex Baudin remains in the yellow jersey after stage 5. He has held the race lead since his stage 1 victory and has now carried it through the team time trial, the hilly stage to Montrond-les-Bains and the sprint day to Villars-les-Dombes.

The challenge now changes completely. Until this point, EF Education-EasyPost have been able to defend through positioning, teamwork and controlled racing. From stage 6, Baudin will need to answer direct climbing pressure. Crest-Voland, Grand Colombier and Plateau de Solaison are all much harder places to protect a narrow lead.

Baudin’s advantage remains useful, but the race is now in the hands of the strongest climbers. If he can survive Crest-Voland close to the best, his yellow jersey defence becomes much more credible. If he cracks there, the GC could change very quickly.

Green jersey: Nadav Raisberg

Nadav Raisberg keeps the green jersey after another strong day for NSN Cycling Team. He finished 7th on stage 5 and now leads the points classification with 52 points.

Points classification top 5 after stage 5:

1. Nadav Raisberg, NSN Cycling Team, 52 points
2. Henri François Renard Haquin, Team Picnic PostNL, 38 points
3. Raúl García Pierna, Movistar Team, 34 points
4. Finn Fisher-Black, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, 30 points
5. Jordan Jegat, TotalEnergies, 30 points

Stage 5 was an important chance for the points contenders because the next three days are unlikely to offer the same kind of finish. Raisberg has built a useful lead, but the mountains could still change the competition if breakaway riders begin collecting intermediate points and stage placings.

Van Aert’s stage win may move him into the points conversation, but Raisberg still has the advantage. His consistency across several different race situations has been one of the quieter successes of the week.

Mountains classification: Clément Braz Afonso

Clément Braz Afonso remains in the polka-dot jersey with 17 points. Stage 5 did not seriously alter the mountains classification, which means the Groupama-FDJ United rider keeps the lead heading into the first major mountain finish.

Mountains classification top 5 after stage 5:

1. Clément Braz Afonso, Groupama-FDJ United, 17 points
2. Alex Baudin, EF Education-EasyPost, 14 points
3. Benjamin Thomas, Cofidis, 11 points
4. Sergio Samitier, Cofidis, 11 points
5. Jan Castellon Ribalta, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, 9 points

The situation could change quickly from here. Stage 6 includes four categorised climbs, including the Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugine and Côte de Crest-Voland late in the day. Stage 7 and stage 8 then bring the Grand Colombier and Plateau de Solaison.

Braz Afonso has the jersey, but he will probably need to be aggressive if he wants to keep it. The points available over the next three stages are significant enough for a GC rider or a mountain breakaway specialist to take control of the competition.

White jersey: Alex Baudin, worn by Kévin Vauquelin

Alex Baudin also leads the young rider classification, but because he is already wearing the yellow jersey, Kévin Vauquelin is set to wear white on the road. That gives Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team another visible place in the race before the mountain stages begin.

Young rider classification top 5 after stage 5:

1. Alex Baudin, EF Education-EasyPost, 18:07:12
2. Kévin Vauquelin, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, +0:12
3. Oscar Onley, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, +0:12
4. Juan Ayuso, Lidl-Trek, +0:47
5. Jørgen Nordhagen, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +0:50

This may be the strongest classification battle in the race. Baudin leads it for now, but Vauquelin, Onley, Ayuso and Nordhagen are all close enough to take it once the climbing starts. Léo Bisiaux is also just outside the top five and remains relevant at 59 seconds overall.

The next three days should turn the youth classification into a genuine GC contest. Vauquelin and Onley have the current advantage behind Baudin, but Ayuso and Nordhagen may have more scope to attack in the mountains.

Team classification: Groupama-FDJ United

Groupama-FDJ United continue to lead the team classification after stage 5, with a combined time of 53:15:32. It has been a quietly strong race from the French squad, with Clément Braz Afonso also holding the mountains jersey.

Team classification leader after stage 5:

1. Groupama-FDJ United, 53:15:32

The team classification may become more volatile in the mountains, especially with Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek and UAE Team Emirates-XRG all carrying several strong riders into the final three stages. Groupama-FDJ United have the lead for now, but the mountain block will test every team’s depth.

What stage 5 means for the race

Stage 5 was the final pause before the decisive part of the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026. Van Aert’s win gave Team Visma | Lease a Bike a major stage result, but the overall race remained unchanged. Baudin still leads, Vauquelin and Onley are still within 12 seconds, and the main GC contenders all remain close enough to win the race.

That means the mountains begin with the race still finely balanced. Stage 6 to Crest-Voland should be the first proper filter, stage 7 to the Grand Colombier can create larger gaps, and stage 8 to Plateau de Solaison will decide whatever remains unresolved.

For Baudin, the next task is survival. For Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, it is about using numbers. For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, it is about turning collective strength into GC pressure. For Lidl-Trek, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Decathlon CMA CGM Team, it is time for the climbers and young contenders to move.

The sprint chapter is over. The race for yellow starts properly now.