Del Toro knows he can repeat Tour trick, but promises to ride “full gas” for Pogačar

Isaac Del Toro was perhaps the top favorite to win the overall classification of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes before the final stage. But the way he did it on Sunday? Very few people saw that coming. The Mexican of UAE Team Emirates-XRG showed on the Plateau de Solaison that he was in a class of his own, riding to both stage victory and overall victory. With a little help from Tadej Pogačar, too.

That was because this was not the first time Del Toro had ridden up the brutal Alpine climb. Earlier this year, he reconned key Tour de France stages together with teammate Pogačar, and the Plateau de Solaison was part of that trip as well. The climb, 11.5 kilometers long at an average gradient of 9 percent, did not only feature in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. In July, it will also appear in stage 15 of the Tour de France.

So Del Toro has already shown that he may be able to do something there as well. “It’s really beautiful. I’m very happy about today. I reconned it a couple of months ago, but until two days ago I didn’t know it was the same climb,” he laughed afterward in the flash interview. “It was cool to remember that recon with Tadej and to win here today. We fought for it, it’s crazy. I can’t believe it.”

UAE Team Emirates-XRG clearly had faith in its leader, and it quickly became obvious why. When Del Toro accelerated, nobody could respond to his attack. “The plan was to have everything under control. After yesterday, I knew everyone would be looking at us. My teammates did an amazing job today, and Pablo [Torres] launched me in a fantastic way.”

Torres rode himself inside out and, with his lead-out, had already put everyone else in difficulty before Del Toro even made his move. Then it was up to the Mexican champion, who nearly misjudged the situation himself. “I just kept pushing all the way to the finish. But if I had known there were still eight or nine kilometers to go, I wouldn’t have gone. I was in the flow, though, and I’m happy I managed to pull it off.”

Pogačar won the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2025, and now Del Toro has followed in the same race under its new name. “It means a lot to win, not necessarily because it comes after Tadej. I have a lot of respect for him, and I just try to be as happy on the bike as he is. I want to try to enjoy this. It’s amazing. Another win,” he beamed.

At the Tour de France, Del Toro is set to be part of an extremely strong UAE Team Emirates-XRG lineup. With Florian Vermeersch, Tim Wellens, Nils Politt and Brandon McNulty also around him, he may perhaps get opportunities of his own under Pogačar while chasing a podium place. The legs certainly should not be the issue. But Del Toro himself made clear that he will ride “full, full gas” for his leader. That is the priority.