The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the race long known as the Critérium du Dauphiné, the definitive rehearsal for the Tour de France. First run in 1947 and renamed for the region after 2025, it climbs the same Alpine and Massif Central passes the Tour will use weeks later, with a time trial to round out the test. A win here, or even a strong week, marks a rider as a genuine yellow-jersey contender. Bernard Hinault and Chris Froome are among the riders who have won it three times, and recent editions have been a battleground for the Tour favourites. The June timing makes it the clearest preview of the form that matters most. It is the race the Tour contenders cannot afford to ignore.