Anthon Charmig won stage 2 of the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 after another successful day for the breakaway, soloing to victory in Le Puy-en-Velay after the longest stage of the race. The Uno-X Mobility rider attacked from the front group in the closing kilometres and held on after 234.3km from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux.
Alex Baudin kept the yellow and blue leader’s jersey after EF Education-EasyPost controlled the gap to the break well enough to preserve his place at the top of the general classification. Baudin now leads the race in 9:27:40, with Ramses Debruyne second at 32 seconds and Kevin Vermaerke third on the same time.
The jersey picture changed beneath Baudin. Nadav Raisberg moved into the points lead after another strong day around the intermediate sprint, Clément Braz Afonso took over the mountains classification, and Baudin remains the best young rider, with Debruyne expected to wear white on his behalf.
For wider context, our Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 2 preview explained why the day looked hard to control, while our Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 3 preview looks ahead to the 28.4km team time trial around Perreux.
How stage 2 was won
Stage 2 always looked like a strong breakaway opportunity. At 234.3km, with repeated climbing and nearly 3,700 metres of elevation gain, it was long enough to make a full-day chase expensive and awkward enough to give attackers a real chance.
The move that shaped the day contained Charmig, Raul García Pierna, Vlad Van Mechelen, Baptiste Veistroffer, Jordan Jegat, Alex Díaz, Raisberg, Benjamin Thomas, Braz Afonso and Henri-François Renard-Haquin. With no immediate GC danger in the group, the peloton allowed the gap to stretch beyond six minutes, leaving EF Education-EasyPost to manage the difference rather than shut the stage down completely.
There was plenty happening inside the break. Thomas collected points on several climbs, Raisberg took the intermediate sprint, and Braz Afonso became increasingly important in the mountains classification. Veistroffer and Braz Afonso tried to open the race from the front group, before the move reshuffled again on the final climbs.
Charmig made the decisive attack with just over 12km remaining. Once he was clear, the break behind could not bring him back. Renard-Haquin and Van Mechelen finished 41 seconds down, with García Pierna at 43 seconds and Braz Afonso at 44 seconds. The main peloton came in 3:13 behind Charmig, enough for Baudin to keep the overall lead.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Gaëtan FlammeTour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 GC after stage 2
- Alex Baudin, EF Education-EasyPost, 9:27:40
- Ramses Debruyne, Alpecin-Premier Tech, +0:32
- Kevin Vermaerke, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +0:32
- Léo Bisiaux, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, +0:32
- Ben Tulett, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +0:32
- Luke Tuckwell, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +0:32
- Kévin Vauquelin, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, +0:32
- Oscar Onley, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, +0:32
- Rudy Molard, Groupama-FDJ United, +0:32
- Luke Plapp, Team Jayco-AlUla, +0:32
Baudin remains in control after two stages, but his advantage is still narrow enough to make the team time trial crucial. He leads a compact group of riders at 32 seconds, many of whom have strong teams around them before the Perreux test.
The shape of the GC did not change dramatically among the top 10 because the peloton limited the break’s gains. Debruyne, Vermaerke, Bisiaux, Tulett, Tuckwell, Vauquelin, Onley, Molard and Plapp all remain close enough that stage 3 could quickly change the order.
Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team are still well placed with Vauquelin and Onley both inside the top 10, while Team Visma | Lease a Bike have Tulett fifth and Matteo Jorgenson close enough to remain a central GC figure. UAE Team Emirates-XRG also have Vermaerke third overall, though Isaac del Toro remains one of their main longer-term cards for the mountain stages.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Gaëtan FlammePoints classification after stage 2
- Nadav Raisberg, NSN Cycling Team, 30 points
- Alex Baudin, EF Education-EasyPost, 25
- Anthon Charmig, Uno-X Mobility, 15
- Ramses Debruyne, Alpecin-Premier Tech, 12
- Jordan Jegat, Team TotalEnergies, 10
Raisberg takes over the green jersey after scoring again at the intermediate sprint. He had already been active on stage 1, and stage 2 confirmed that NSN Cycling Team are targeting this competition early in the race.
Baudin slips to second in the points classification, but that is unlikely to trouble EF Education-EasyPost too much while he still holds the yellow and blue leader’s jersey. Charmig’s stage victory moves him into the upper end of the points standings, though he remains too far down overall to change the GC picture.
With stage 3 being a team time trial, the points classification should settle for a day before the race returns to road-stage opportunities on stage 4.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Gaëtan FlammeMountains classification after stage 2
- Clément Braz Afonso, Groupama-FDJ United, 17 points
- Alex Baudin, EF Education-EasyPost, 14
- Benjamin Thomas, Cofidis, 12
- Sergio Samitier, Movistar Team, 11
- Anthon Charmig, Uno-X Mobility, 10
Braz Afonso takes over the mountains classification after a highly active ride in the breakaway. He was part of the move that shaped the stage, contested the climbs and finished fifth in Le Puy-en-Velay, making him one of the day’s most influential riders even without the stage win.
Thomas also made a significant move in the classification after taking points on several climbs, while Baudin drops to second after holding the early lead following stage 1. The mountain stages later in the race will eventually reshape this competition, but Braz Afonso has given himself a clear early foothold.
For Groupama-FDJ United, the day had extra value. Braz Afonso takes the polka-dot jersey, wins the combativity prize, and helps the team move into the lead of the team classification.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Gaëtan FlammeYoung rider classification after stage 2
- Alex Baudin, EF Education-EasyPost, 9:27:40
- Ramses Debruyne, Alpecin-Premier Tech, +0:32
- Léo Bisiaux, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, +0:32
- Luke Tuckwell, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +0:32
- Isaac del Toro, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +0:44
Baudin remains the best young rider as well as the overall leader. Because he will continue in the yellow and blue jersey, Debruyne is expected to wear the white jersey on stage 3.
The youth classification already looks strong. Debruyne, Bisiaux and Tuckwell are all within 32 seconds of Baudin, while Del Toro remains close at 44 seconds and still has the climbing profile to become more important later in the race.
Stage 3 will be a major test for this competition. Young riders on strong time trial squads could gain a significant advantage, while those on weaker teams may be forced to chase before the race even reaches the main mountains.
Team classification after stage 2
Groupama-FDJ United lead the team classification after stage 2, with a combined time of 28:22:31.
Braz Afonso’s breakaway ride was central to that shift, while Rudy Molard’s strong overall position keeps the team visible in the GC picture. The team classification can move quickly in a race like this, but Groupama-FDJ United have made a strong start across two very different stages.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike led after stage 1, but the long breakaway day changed the order. The Perreux team time trial should bring another reshuffle, especially if the strongest collective squads take control of the stage.
What changed after stage 2?
Baudin kept the overall lead, which was the main objective for EF Education-EasyPost. The team did not need to chase the break all the way back. It only needed to keep the gap within range, and that is exactly what happened.
The main changes came in the secondary classifications. Raisberg now leads the points standings, Braz Afonso leads the mountains classification, Groupama-FDJ United lead the team competition, and Baudin remains the best young rider.
For the GC contenders, the day was more about survival than attack. The main names avoided major losses before the team time trial, which means stage 3 now becomes the first true collective test of the overall battle.
What comes next?
Stage 3 is a 28.4km team time trial around Perreux. It is the first major GC checkpoint of the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 and could do more damage than either of the opening road stages.
Baudin will start in yellow and blue, but EF Education-EasyPost will need a strong collective ride to defend that lead against teams such as Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Lidl-Trek.
The first two stages have both gone to breakaway riders. Stage 3 should belong to the strongest team units.
Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 result
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