Lance Armstrong highlights UAE's 'X-factor' on the Tourmalet stage: 'If they play their cards right'

The Tourmalet awaits! The first real mountain stage of the Tour de France comes early in 2026, and it’s shaping up to be a great battle among the general classification contenders. With Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar tied for the lead, things are looking great, but are there others who can throw their hats into the ring? Lance Armstrong thinks so. He’s keeping an eye on Isaac Del Toro.

Del Toro has already won the UAE Tour and the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes this year. The young Mexican then shone in the first road stage of the Tour de France, winning his first stage on his Tour de France debut. He also showed his class in the next stage, this time working in support of team leader Pogacar. In eighth place in the general classification, he remains very close to the favorites.

Armstrong looks on with admiration at the shadow leader of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. According to the American, he could play a much bigger role in the Tour than people realize. “Isaac Del Toro is the X-factor,” he said on the THEMOVE podcast. “To me, he’s the second-best cyclist in the world. If they play their cards right and want to outmaneuver the other teams—if you let Del Toro go, they won’t be able to catch him.”

The sixth stage of the Tour de France winds through the Pyrenees, with a total of 4,000 meters of elevation gain spread over 186 kilometers. The Col d'Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet are the decisive climbs and will likely break up the peloton. However, the finish isn’t on a difficult mountain pass, which could make for a rather unusual stage.

Bruyneel sees that UAE has the advantage, but warns against an attack that comes too early. “If they pick up the pace, UAE will have four riders, and Visma will have three—maybe four: Jonas, Jorgenson, Kuss, and Piganzoli. But who knows if Pogacar will attack. If I were him, I wouldn’t do it. He won’t be able to drop Jonas on the Tourmalet, and even if he does, Jonas won’t be alone. After the Tourmalet, there are still 18 kilometers at three to four percent grade.”

Of course, there are other contenders besides Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Del Toro. Bruyneel mentions Paul Seixas, for example. “He could win. But if Seixas attacks, Del Toro will follow. And then he won’t have to do any work. Visma will have to do the work, but who will they have left? It’ll be a tactical race. At least, if we don’t see a major attack on the Tourmalet.”

George Hincapie wants to temper expectations surrounding the young Frenchman a bit. He’s in good shape, but did his crash in the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes cause any damage? “Seixas is still bruised from his crash two weeks ago,” the American notes. “He’s still in a cast, so those injuries must be pretty deep.”