Stage 4 of the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 takes the race from Le Puy-en-Velay to Montrond-les-Bains on Wednesday, 10th June, with a 167.4km route that gives the sprinters a chance but does not hand them the day for free.
After the stage 3 team time trial in Perreux, Alex Baudin remains in the yellow jersey for EF Education-EasyPost, but the race has tightened around him. Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley are now only 12 seconds down for Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, while Matteo Jorgenson sits at 15 seconds after Team Visma | Lease a Bike won the TTT. That makes stage 4 a control day for the GC teams, even if the profile points more clearly towards the breakaway or a reduced sprint.
For UK viewers, the race continues on TNT Sports and HBO Max. The neutralised start is scheduled for 12:05 BST, with racing due to begin at 12:15 BST. The finish in Montrond-les-Bains is expected between 15:58 and 16:20 BST, depending on the average speed.
What time does Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 4 start?
Stage 4 begins in Le Puy-en-Velay on Wednesday, 10th June.
The neutralised roll-out is scheduled for 12:05 BST, with the official race start at 12:15 BST. The stage is expected to finish in Montrond-les-Bains between 15:58 and 16:20 BST.
Key UK timings:
Neutralised start: 12:05 BST
Official start: 12:15 BST
Expected finish: 15:58-16:20 BST
Distance: 167.4km
Route: Le Puy-en-Velay to Montrond-les-Bains
Stage type: hilly
The finish window is based on three predicted average speeds of 45km/h, 43km/h and 41km/h. If the bunch controls the stage tightly, the race could arrive closer to the faster schedule. If a strong breakaway forces a more tactical chase, the finish may drift towards the later estimate.
How to watch Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 4 in the UK
UK coverage of the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 is available on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
TNT Sports remains the linear TV option for subscribers, while HBO Max is the streaming route for live coverage and on-demand access. Stage 4 is listed for a 12:15 BST start, although as with most road stages, the broadcast window may focus on the decisive second half rather than showing every kilometre from the flag.
There is no expected free-to-air UK broadcast for stage 4.
Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes 2026 stage 4 route
Stage 4 is a hilly 167.4km route from Le Puy-en-Velay to Montrond-les-Bains. It is not a pure mountain stage, but the opening two-thirds of the day are awkward enough to make control difficult if a strong breakaway forms early.
The first climb comes quickly, with the Col de la Croix de l’Arbre arriving inside the opening 15km. The route then moves through a more demanding middle section, where five categorised climbs are stacked closely together before the final 60km begin to flatten out.
The categorised climbs are:
Col de la Croix de l’Arbre, 4km at 4.1%, category 4
Côte du Temple, 5.7km at 4.5%, category 3
Côte de Chougoirand, 7.8km at 5.5%, category 2
Col des Limites, 3.7km at 5.5%, category 3
Côte de Lérigneux, 1.7km at 4.4%, category 4
Côte de la Roche en Forez, 2.2km at 4.5%, category 4
The Côte de Chougoirand is the most important climb of the day on paper. At 7.8km and 5.5%, it is long enough to thin the peloton if the pace is high, and it also offers the biggest opportunity for riders targeting the mountains classification.
The final climb, the Côte de la Roche en Forez, comes with 57.8km still to race. That distance from the top to the finish is central to the tactical picture. It gives attackers time to build a gap, but it also gives the peloton enough road to organise if sprint teams still have numbers.
Who does stage 4 suit?
Stage 4 suits fast riders who can climb, breakaway riders with a strong engine, and teams willing to take a calculated risk before the mountains return.
The opening climbs should encourage an aggressive start. Riders out of the GC picture may see this as one of the better chances of the week, because the middle section is hard enough to create separation but the final run-in is not so selective that only climbers can win. A strong breakaway could survive if the sprint teams hesitate or if EF Education-EasyPost decide they only need to defend yellow rather than chase the stage.
A reduced sprint is also realistic. The final 35km are much flatter, and the run towards Montrond-les-Bains gives organised teams a chance to bring the race back together. The question is how many fast riders survive the climbing and how many teams still have enough support left to control the final hour.
For the GC contenders, this should be a day of positioning and risk management. Baudin’s yellow jersey is not likely to be under direct attack unless the race becomes chaotic, but the gaps after stage 3 are now small enough that EF cannot switch off. Vauquelin, Onley and Jorgenson are all close enough to punish mistakes, even if their bigger opportunities should come later in the race.
Why stage 4 matters
Stage 4 is unlikely to decide the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes, but it can still influence several classifications.
The yellow jersey battle is about control. Baudin leads, but his advantage has been reduced after the team time trial. EF Education-EasyPost need to get through the day without allowing dangerous riders into the break or losing position in the final kilometres.
The green jersey could also shift if the stage ends in a sprint or reduced sprint. Nadav Raisberg begins the day in the points jersey, but the finish offers enough points to make the classification more active. With the route difficult but not mountainous, this is exactly the sort of day where the points competition can tighten quickly.
The mountains jersey is another storyline. Clément Braz Afonso leads that classification, but six categorised climbs are available on stage 4. The Côte de Chougoirand should be the key point of interest, and a motivated breakaway rider could make real progress before the flatter final section.
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Photo Credit: Getty
Stage 4 schedule
The key UK timings for stage 4 are:
12:05 BST: neutralised start in Le Puy-en-Velay
12:15 BST: official race start
13:23-13:30 BST: intermediate sprint in Arlanc
13:45-13:53 BST: Côte du Temple
13:59-14:09 BST: Côte de Chougoirand
14:18-14:30 BST: Col des Limites
14:35-14:48 BST: Côte de Lérigneux
14:41-14:55 BST: Côte de la Roche en Forez
15:58-16:20 BST: expected finish in Montrond-les-Bains
The middle of the stage is the section to watch. If the breakaway has a strong group over the Côte de Chougoirand and Col des Limites, the peloton may have to work hard to bring the race back. If the bunch keeps the gap manageable, the flatter final hour should favour a chase.
What happened on stage 3?
Stage 3 was the 28.4km team time trial in Perreux, and it gave the overall standings a much clearer shape. Team Visma | Lease a Bike won the stage ahead of Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, while EF Education-EasyPost limited their losses well enough for Baudin to keep yellow.
The result pulled Vauquelin, Onley and Jorgenson closer to the race lead. Baudin still has the jersey, but the race is now far more compressed than it was after stage 2. That gives stage 4 a slightly different feel. It may look like a transition day on paper, but after the TTT, every controlled day now carries value for EF.
Stage 4 should give the race a chance to breathe after the pressure of Perreux. It could end in a sprint, it could reward a strong breakaway, or it could become a tense management day for the yellow jersey group. Montrond-les-Bains arrives at a useful point in the race: late enough for fatigue to matter, but before the mountains fully take over.
