Mike O'Connor
Australian rising star Luke Tuckwell has delivered the biggest result of his young career, finishing second overall at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after a dramatic final stage in the French mountains.
The 21-year-old Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider started the decisive final day in the race lead after claiming the yellow jersey on Stage 6, but ultimately had to settle for second overall as Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro produced a stunning late attack to seal overall victory.
Despite surrendering the leader’s jersey, Tuckwell’s runner-up finish marks a breakthrough performance for one of Australian cycling’s brightest prospects.
Remarkably, the rider from Orange in country New South Wales is only in his first season as a WorldTour professional.
On a podium dominated by cycling’s next generation, Del Toro (22) claimed the overall win ahead of Tuckwell, while Spain’s Juan Ayuso (23) completed the podium in third.
The final stage featured nearly 4,000 metres of climbing across a brutal 120km route from Beaufort to Plateau de Solaison. Tuckwell entered the day with the overall lead but faced a difficult task after his team had been reduced to just three riders through illness and crashes.
Del Toro, already winner of both the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico this season, launched the race-winning move with just over nine kilometres remaining on the final climb. While Ayuso later counterattacked, Tuckwell dug deep to limit his losses, and although he was dropped, he never cracked.
He crossed the line in eighth place and kept just enough of an advantage to stay ahead of Ayuso in the battle for second overall.
“This week has been a collective team effort,” Tuckwell said after the finish.
“I don’t think I’ve realised what we’ve achieved. It will take some time to sink in.”
Tuckwell also paid tribute to teammate Maxim Van Gils, who returned to racing this week after more than three months on the sidelines following a serious crash.
“From the bottom of the climb Maxim saved me. Without him I would have been struggling so much,” Tuckwell said.
The result continues a rapid rise for the Australian, who wore the pink jersey at the 2025 Giro Next Gen before narrowly missing overall victory.
Tuckwell admitted he has surprised even himself with his recent progression.
“I keep improving race on race without doing anything special, just enjoying my time at home,” he said.
“No altitude camps, I’ve just been at home in a good mental space and I think that’s making the difference.”
Australian cycling greats Richie Porte (2021) and Phil Anderson (1985) remain the only Australians to have claimed overall victory in the race’s 78-year history, which was known as the Critérium du Dauphiné until a name change this year.
Ben O’Connor has come closest in recent years, finishing third on two occasions in 2022 and 2023, while Cadel Evans and Michael Rogers are the only other Australians to have stood on the final podium.
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
